Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-24
HONOR AS MAN OF LETTERS
Address on Republican Citizenship
Stirs Members of French Academy.
WORDS MAKE DEEP IMPRESSION
Venerable Colleagues join Heartily
in the App1ause-Cheered by
Immense Crowd Around
the Sorbonne.

velt's own words today marked the
! crowning Of hts career as man Of let
ters From noon until midnight he was
| the guest of intellectual Paris, partic1
pating as member at a session of the
French Academy, delivering lecture al
! the Sorbonne, which, as he himself said
was the foremost seat Of learning In Eu
rope before America was discovered, an6
remaining as the guest of the faculty fol
dinner and the grand reception given by
the university in his honor
| Col. Roosevelt's reception at the French
| institute and that at the Sorbonne were
equally impressive. but In a different way
| At the former he was introduced merely
| as member, and he took seat among
his distinguished confreres. most of whom
have grown old In the service of science
After listening to the words Of NJ. Bout
| roux, the president Of the Academy OF
Moral and Political Sciences, who spoke
eloquently of American ideals and char
acter, of which. he said, Theodore Roose-
welt was the best exponent. the former
President of the United States replied in
French. his utterances arousing his ven
erabIe colleagues to unwonted applause.
A Tremendous Ovation.
At the Sorbonne no attempt was made
to restrain the demonstrations The
facade bristled with American and French
flags. and fully $4,000 persons packed the
streets and acclaimed Col. Roosevelt on
his arrival. Within the building enthusi-
asm was unbounded. the vast crowd In
the amphitheater interrupting again and
again with storms of applause as the
speaker defined the duties of individual
citizenship in a republic, scorning the
suggards. cynics and idle rich and
and strenuous lise
Several times he interjected observa-
tions in French, and after he had defined
his attitude on the subject of human
rights and property rights. he repeated
this In French, saying that it constituted
the crlX of what he had to say and he
desired every one to understand him.
His words in this connection We're:
My position as regards the moneyed
interests can be put in few words In
every civilized society, property rights
must be carefully safeguarded. Ordi-
nartly. and in the great majority of
cases. human rights and property rights
are fundamentally and in the long run
IDENTICAL. But when 1t clearly appears
that there is a real conflict between
them, human rights must have the upper
hand. for property belongs to man and
not man to property"
He made his auditors clearly realize
that he considered republican institutions
still on trial, both in America and in
France
Learned Men Impressed.
The distinguished personages occupying
seats on the estrade. who included, be-
sides the deans of the various faculties
of the universities, Premier BRAND and
his entire cabinet, and such men as Leon
Bourgeois. former premier; Anatole Le-
| roy-Beaulieu. director of the Institute
Of France: Jules Poincare, Jules Claretie,
Gabriel Hanotaux, Marquis de Segur the
historian, and Paul Deschanel were evil
IDENTIFY quite as much impressed as the
students and other auditors in front,
joining heartily in the applause, especial
ly when Mr. Roosevelt spoke against race
suicide and the necessity of nation to
perpetuate itself as one of it's principal
duties
Following the lecture Vice Rector
Lizard. In behalf of the university, pre-
Sented Mr.. Roosevelt with a bust of JEFF
ferson and two vases made at Sevres
| But a curious mistake had been made
| in the bust. A bust of Lincoln had been
ordered from the government factory al
| Sevres. but I'm some unaccountable way
one of Jefferson was manufactured. NJ
| Jusserand. the French ambassad dor, has
| arranged to have the original order exc
| cuted.
| In replying to NJ. Boutroux before the
| Academy of Moral and Political Sciences
Mr. Roosevelt spoke in French. He said
| that he would not dare to do SO II he
were not among confreres, where he was
certain of their Indulgence.
Growing of His Literary Career
81 cannot express how much I have
been touched by the honor you have pait
me-" he said. 1T is the crownins of thu
career OF man Of letters
| NJ. Boutroux, he said, had defined his
moral conception Of life better than h
could himself and he continued:
II have always tried to translate int
action the moral principles which mus
inspire the life of men and nations. Ther'
can be no economic civilization withou
morality. Genius Is not essential, bu
only courage. honesty. sincerity and com
mon sense. Men Of genius without thes'
qualities are curse to nation. The!
do more harm than good
Col. Roosevelt told of how he had re
ceived the news of his election to th'
academy while hunting the white rhinoce
ros at the equator Il was living anon,
naked sayageS, ne said, hunting for al
animal which was the survivor of tn
long haired rhinoceros that existed her
in France when France was inhabited b.
naked savages."
He had received the first news in letter.
which came simultaneously from tw,
members Of the academy, one in Mexic.
and the other in Brazil.
"Mr. President and dear colleagues. h
concluded Il thank you once more from
| the bottom Of my heart"
Guest Of Vice Rector Lizard.
Col and Mrs. Roosevelt were entertain
ed at dinner this evening by Vice Recto
Lizard. the guests also including Ambas
sador and Mrs. Bacon, Ambassador an
Nine. Jusserand. Premier BRAND, NJ Dou
mergue. minister Of education. and tn
deans of the faculties.
In attending the meeting Of the Acad
emy of Moral and Political Sciences MI
| Roosevelt was accompanied by NJ Jus
serand, French ambassador at Washins
ton. and American Ambassador Bacor
He was received by M. Boutroux, tn
president with the words: IT am happ
3 to welcome you and ask you to take you
place among your colleagues"
NJ Boutroux then delivered what b
termed "a talk" but what was really
] splendid appreciation Of American charac
ter and idealA