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President Taft reviews American Scouts from
the steps of the White House with Baden-Powell
and the British Ambassador

From: Baden-Powell, Boy Scouts Beyond the Seas, 1913

Baden-Powell describes his visit to Washington, D. C. in 1912:

Then I went to Washington–the capital of the United Stated–and was received by the President, Mr. taft, who spoke very kindly about the Boy Scouts. He is a great, burly man, cheery and kind-hearted, and he believes in the Scouts as manly and chivalrous fellows who will make the best of citizens when they grow up.

The Scouts of Washington–and they number about five hundred–pareded bfore the President and the British Ambassador in America. They gave demonstrations of various kinds, such as signalling, first-aid, and bandaging, but which attracted most attention were the wireless telegraph and fire-lighting.

The wireless was a small portable affair, which the Scouts put up in a very few minutes, and messages were soon flying backwards and forwards.

For the fire-lighting the Scouts had no matches; they got their fire by twirling a pointed stick on a flat piece of wood by means of a bow-string. In this way the pointed stick worked a hole through the board, making a little pile ofred-hot dust below; some dry shreds of cotton were put on to this and blown till flame was produced.

From: Sir Robert Baden-Powell, Boy Scouts Beyond the Seas: "My World Tour," 1913.

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