Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-06
Address Before Nobel Prize Committee
At Christiania---K King, Queen and
Hundreds Of Norwegian Digni-
tarieS Attend Exercises.

| Christiania, May 5.-Notwithstand-
| ing an occasional giving way of the
voice Theodore Roosevelt made a deep
cut impression on the audience which
gathered today in the National theatre
to hear the Ex- Presidents address on
| international Peace" before the No
| bel prize Committee. 1t was described
| by the members of the committed as
| the most notable assembly since the
Nobel prize was founded.
| King Haakon aud Queen Maud were
| present. as well as all the members of
the government. who occupied seats on
| the stage, and the entire Parliament
| AIRY body among who was Mrs Rog-
Stad, the first woman to be elected to
the Norwegian Sorthing. The over
ture by the orchestra at the opening of
| the session was especially composed
| by the royal bandmaster, Johann Hal
version, who dedicated it to Mr.
| Roosevelt. The theme embodied the
Star Spangled Banner" Noersc
Follc songs and melodies.
The stage was bordered with flowers,
| and no Norwegian flag WAS visible.
only the Stars and Stripes us Il special
compliment
The audience stood up when the
| King and Queen and Mrs. Roosevelt
took seats in the royal box. They arose
| again when Mr. Roosevelt entered from
| the back uf the stage escorted bv j.
q. Loevand, the former premier and
chairman of the Nobel prize commit
tee. Mr.. Loevland introduced Mr.
Roosevelt, who read his speech. From
| time to time. however. he departed
| from the text to repeat the same words
or in somewhat different words the
IDEAS he had just expressed
| Before taking up the subject Of his
| official address Mr.. Roosevelt spoke of
The late Bjornstjcrnc Bjcrnson.
| Il wish to pronounce Il tribute" he
| said, ito the great Norwegian who has
just died" the whole house arose anu
stood with bowed heads for a moment
and Mr.. Roosevelt continued;
"-whose death leaves a gap IN Tia"
| literature of the world"
| He referred to Biornson as a man
| who had always stood for the right as
he conceived the right to be. AS Mr..
| Roosevelt proceeded with his adj
| DIRE SIS the Norwegians commented ono
to another upon the resemblance be
tween the ex-Presidcnt and Biornson.
the same style of public speaking. the
| same favorite gesture with the clench-
ed hand. The ex-Presidcnt said:
Mr.. RooseveIt's Address.
Ii is with peculiar pleasure that |
stand here today to express the deep
| appreciation / feel of the high honor
| conferred upon me by the presentation
| of hn D,.
medal which formed part Of the prize
| | shall always keep. and | shall hand
| il on to my children as a precious
| heirloom. The sum of money provided
as part of the prize by the wise gem
| crosby of the ilustriouS founder of
this world famous prize system, | did
| not. under the peculiar circumstances
of the case, feel at liberty to keep.
THINK 1t emincntly Just and proper
that in most cases the recipient of the
prize should keep tor his own use the
| prize in its entirety. But in this case
while / did not act officially as Prcs-
dent of the United states. it was new
| erthclesS only because | was President
| that | was enabled to act at all; and
/ | felt that the money must he consid-
cred as having been given me in trust
| for the United States. therefore
used it as q nucleus for a foundation
| to forward the cause of industrial
peace, rs being well within the gen
eral purpose of your Committee; for
| in our complex industrial civilization
| of today the peace of righteousness
| ana Justice. the only kind of peace
worth having. is at least as necessary
in the industrial world as it is among
nations There is at least as much
need to curb the cruel greed and AFRO
Gance of part Of the world of capital,
to curb the cruel greed and violence
of part of the world of labor. as to
check a cruel and unhealthy militarism
in international relationships
We must ever bear in mind that tue
great end in view is righteousness.
justice as between man and man. ma
ton and nation, the chance to lead our
lives on a somewhat higher level, with
| a broader spirit of brotherly good viii
one for another Peace is generally
good in Itself. but if is never the high
est good unless it comes as the hand
maid of Righteousness: and it becomes
a very evil thing if it serves merely
as a mask for cowardice and sloth, or
| 80 Gu ihsti uuitiIt u lut lItt tiit Ci'''s
of despotism or anarchy. We despise
and ahhor the bully. the brawler. the
oppressor. whether in private life or
public life; but we despise no less the
coward and the voluptuary. No man
| is worth calling a man who will not
| fight rather than submit to infamy
or see those that are dear to him suf
fer wrong. No nation deserves to exist
if it permits itself to lose the stern
and virile virtues: and this without
regard to whether the loss is due to
the growth of a heartless and allah
sorbing commercialism. to prolonged
indulgence in luxury and soft effort
less ease, or to the dedication of a
| warped and twisted sentimentality.