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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