The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-05-25
Friends School Cradu-
ateS Receive Diplomas
and Advice.
President and His Wife
Afterwards Hold
Reception.

With a smile on his face as he shook
his finger at his young auditors. the
President Of the United States last night
advanced TO the front Of the platform
in the assembly hall of Friends School
and began his talk on The American
Boy with a gentle reminder to the
boys in front that we have met be-
fore"
Yes. think L have met at least part
Of you boys. ! believe IL was you 70
whom / gave permission last fan . play
football on the White House lot. L be-
lieve in play, ard certain amount of
noise, but IL 1 remember correctly there
was a little too much noise at times,
in fact. believe 1 found it necessary
TO call you down a bit; didn't I, boys?
You all remember my having 10 call
you down, don't yOu2''
Several rows Of youngsters squirmed
In their seats under Inc playful glance
OF the nations President, and several
score OF grtnning bOyish countenances
bespoke that they remembered
Now, am not going 70 keep you here
long tonight" continued President
Roosevelt, "and what 1 say 10 the Amer
lean boy will very nearly apply also 10
the 'grOWn-ups In the beginning, ]
want 20 say that / want 70 see every
one OF you boys enjoy himself 10 the
fullest extent always, anG yet I want
you TO remember that YOU cannot do
this unless you work hard. II Is not
the boy who shirks az his work or his
lessons who ultimately has a good time
Must Have Character TO Study.
II remember some time ago talking
with a Harvard professor. regarding an
athletic young fellow on the football
field. He is going to make a good
player ] told the professor. You are
mistaken the professor replied. He
Will not study. he shirks his lessons.
The professor was right in his predic-
ton. for a week later the boy was
dropped from the team. You viii md
that IL a boy has not the character TO
study, he will not have the character 20
persevere in the game. / want 10 see
each Of you play hard when you play,
but work hard and not play at all when
YOU work. This is q good lesson Tor
boys and a 'middling good lesson for
grOwn-ups, for II man IS the kind
OF man who can never enjoy holiday,
he is apt 70 be "A poor father and a poor
citizen.
Again. / want TO see you game
boys. brave and manly. but ] also want
10 sea you kind and tender. In other
words / want 10 see you make IL your
object 10 be the right kind Of boys az
Nome, IN the home life, so that your
family viii feel genuine regret. instead
Of sense OF relief, when you stay
away. At the same time, / want 20 see
YOU uphold your own in the outside
world, and you can do that n you have
manliness and courage within YOU But
none OF these qualities are OF any good
without the other.
BY kindness and tenderness at home.
/ do not mean that you should be
afraid OF other boys. afraid 10 go out
doors and play, FOR fear that some other
boy may be rude A boy that is afraid
70 play with other boys because he
fears they may be rough Will never
grow up TO be very useful citizen
When He Is Wronged.
q want a man or boy TO be OF such a
type that when he feels somebody else
has wronged him. that he will immedI-
ately feel a healthy desire 70 put that
gentleman IN his proper place. The
same principle applies all through life.
want TO see a man as citizen who.
when he sees that "A wrong Is being
done, when he sees evidence Of corrup-
ton. oppression. or demagOgy. viii not
merely feel shocked and Mortified. and
want to 20 home but 1 want him 10
feel a determination TO put the wrong
doer down. 4 boy or man viii never
amount to anything, no matter how
good he Is at home or how gentle. If
ne cannot, on the other hand, hold his
own in the outside world.
~ boy should desire courage and
strength mainly so that il may be used
in protecting the gentle. and weak
against those who would wrong weak
ness and gentleness. The bully or the
boy who viii maltreat his smaller com
paniOus, either little boy or little girl,
or who will be cruel 10 helpless dumb
animals. is Just about the meauest thing
in the world. I want to see YOU brave
and able to uphold your own. therefore,
because want to See you able to put
IL
use his strength. for Inisused strength
Is worse than no strength
Boys With Weak StTeaks.
The boy who will willfUlly mistreat
something harmless, something weak
and helpless. or the boy or girl who will
do a wrong to some one unable 10 resist
them, that boy as sure as fate has a
--------------