Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-25
ADDRESS BY MIR. ROOSEVELT
NATIONS CHIEF ExECUTIvE
GIVES ADVICE TO BOYS.
Graduates Of Friends Select School
Receive Diplomas-Large List
Of Guests Present.

Of the Friends Select School. received their
diplomas from the hands Of President
Roosevelt in the annual presentation exer-
cises Of the school In the meeting house at
1871 I street northwest last night, and the
members Of the class, as well as the jun
Tors of the school and a large assemblage of
the parents and friends of the pupils lis
tened intently to an address by President
Roosevelt on ''The American Boy" The
remarks of the chief executive were couch
ed in plain and forceful English. Archie
Roosevelt, son of the President, has been
pupil in the Friends Select School for
the past three terms. The graduates of
the class Of '07 included Harold Beverly
Chase, Helen Douglas, Alexander Boiling
Gait, George William Lyman Prettyman,
LIE Roy Ordway King.
The little meeting house was prettily
though simply decorated with intertwined
oak leaves and mock orange blossoms and
with palms and ferns. The invocation was
pronounced by DR.. Jesse H. Holmes Of
Swarthmore College, and in the few
minutes before the President and Mrs.
Roosevelt arrived Mr. Fitzhugh Coyle
Goldsborough, former pupil Of the school,
who has devoted the time since his gradua-
ton to study of music, entertained the
audience with series of violin solos. He
played the "Andante from D minor Con-
certo," by Vieuxtemps; Salut d'Amour."
Elgar, and Rondes des Lutins," Bazzini
and drew round after round Of applause
from the audience
After the presentation Of diplomas Mr.
Goldsborough played again, offering an
original fantasy entitled Scene Orientale, .
and this selection proved SO pleasing that
at the request of the President he respond
ed to the encore.
Inspection Of School Facilities.
Following the exercises the President and
Mrs. Roosevelt were escorted through the
school by Thomas w. Sidwell, the principal
and they inspected with much interest
the new laboratory and other features
which have been added to the equipment
the past year: An informal reception was
the closing feature of the evening, the
President and Mrs. Roosevelt and the
FACULTY of the school receiving the guests
and the school pupils in the office Of the
institution.
In introducing the President Mr.. Sidwell
, ,a,t slsat stress upon the valued influence,
MOI only 70 this particular school, but to
FRIENDS schools and to education through
out the country, which would grow from
having the chief executive present on such
an an occasion. He declared nothing had given
MIN SO much satisfaction during twenty
years of service in and for the school.
AAS 1 SoAuSALS AQQTeSS.
Last year spoke before the school in
which my daughter Ethel is a pupil" said
PRESIDENT Roosevelt in opening his remarks
ana on that occasion addressed only
the girls Tonight feel particular pleas
ure IN speaking to the boys, though what I
have to say might in very large depree ba
applied to the later walks of life.
want to see each one of you enjoy him.
sen TO the utmost and to do SO want you
to. remember 1t is not the boy who shirks
the best time" viz 40"
The President then related an incident of
young man at Yale-a young man of his
own acquaintanee-who, he said, was one
OF the first to appear for practice with the
foot ball squad and who made an excellent
showing early in the season.
Il remarked at the time to one of the
faculty that the boy should do great things
on the gridiron before the year was over y
Mr.. Roosevelt continued, but I was sur
prised to hear the professor offer a con-
trary prediction, based upon the statement
that the young man in question had not
demonstrated an ability to apply himself at
his studies. And so It proved, the Young
man did not have the backbone to stick to
1T, and he lost his place on the eleven before
one OF the big games In the later season
had been played.
Therefore, say to you, play hard when
you play" said the President, land work
hard and don't play at all when you work.
want to see you game boys. I want
to see you brave. But at the same time
l want to see you develop the other side
or your natures SO you may be gentle and
tender when gentleness and tenderness are
pemanaed. l want to see each one Of you
hold his place in the world, and this you
cannot do unless you are manly.
IL these traits are developed as you
grow-and l say they must be developed,
Inheritance alone-you will be men who
will have the spirit to resent a wrong
when 1t Is done to you, and the spirit to put
any one back into his place who has VEN
want you to be as citizens will have the
courage to take the citizens share Of the
burden when occasion demands and to re-
sent Sc corruption demagogism and evidences
you would resent personal wrongs
Backbone a Requisite.
IT want you to remember. too. that II
makes no difference how good YOU are at
home, If you do not have the backbone to
stand up among your fellows you will not
succeed. But the place each boy should
try to be most useful is In his own home
You should protect the weak and the
gentle. / regard the boy who would torture
dumb animal or abuse one weaker than
himself as about the worst boy that is.
That boy would not stand up against an
equal In strength, and he has a weak streak
The President also spoke a word to the
parents. and particularly to the mothers.
urging them to teach the coming genera
ton to be manly and considerable and un-
selfish in their homes-for thus he said, are
made the good and kind and 'considerate
and unselfish husbands Of the future Mr..
Roosevelt concluded with one Of his favor
lite maxims of the foot ball field, which. he
said, could be equally well applied to every
day life:
Don't finch, don't foul, and hit the line
hard"
Guests Present.
Among the guests Of the evening were
Mr.. Charles Jenkins, editor Of the Friends
Intelligencer, and Mrs. Jenkins; Prof.
Holmes of Swarthmore College and Mrs.
Holmes; Mr.. William C. Birdsall, principal
Of the Girls High School of Philadelphia,