Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-07
MUST LOOK OUT FOR
ENEMIES WITHIN GATES
Ex-President's Voice Fails and He
Has to Give Up.
RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE
Reception by Mayor and Lunch at
American Club Features of
University Towns
Welcome.

OXFORD. England. June Former
President Roosevelt was the guest of OK
ford today He delivered the Romanes
lecture at the University of oxford and
the university conferred upon him the
honorary degree of doctor of civil law.
oxford was glad to see the former
President and made the fact known.
First there was reception given by the
MAYOR of the corporation at the town
hall The auditorium was filled to its
limits and when the guests appeared the
audience joined in singing Fer Hes a
jolly Good Fellow.
From the town hall Mr.. Roosevelt made
hurried visits To the leading colleges and
other places of historic interest He was
entertained at luncheon by the American
club. leaving soon afterward for the
Sheldoniau rheater for his lecture and
the ceremonies that added ID. G. l.. to
the other honorary titles that have been
bestowed upon him.
The Romanes lectureShip at oxford was
named for George John RomaneS. who
was born at Kingston. Canada May 20.
1918. and died at oxford in 1891. He
gained celebrity as naturalist and
Fullerian professor of physiology at the
royal institution The first incumbent of
Roosevelt William T. Gladstone,
who in 1892 lectured OH Medieval Uni
yerSitieS.'
Lord Curzon Presides.
Lord Curzon. chancellor of the univer-
sity, who delivered the Romanes lecture
IN 1907, presided at the exercises today
Mr.. Roosevelt's voice failed him after
a time, and he was forced to leave un-
read the latter part of his address
Mr.. Roosevelt's subject was Biological
Analogies in History He said:
Rome fell by attack from without only
because the ills within her own borders
had grown incurable. What is true of
Your country. my hearers, is true of my
own; while We should be vigilant against
Toes from without, yet we need never
really fear them long as We safeguard
ourselves against the enemies within our
own households; and these enemies are
our own passions and foliies. Free peo-
pies can escape being mastered by others
only by being able TO master themselves
We Americans. and you people of the
British Isles. alike, need ever to keep
Ill mind that, among the many qualities
Indispensable to the success OF a great
democracy, and second only to a high
and stern sense of duty, of moral Obli-
CATION, are Self-knoWledge and self-mas-
Iery.
You. my hosts. and l may not agree in
all our views; some of you would think
ME very radical democrat-as for the
matter of that, | am: and my theory of
imi eriasm would probably suit the anti
lmperlallsts as little as IL would suit a
certain type of forcible-feeble imperial
list. But there are some points on which
We must all agree If we think Soundly:
The precise form of government. demo-
cratic or otherwise, is the instrument, the
tool, with which we work. 1t is i'm
portant TO have good tool. But, even ii
II is the best possible. ii is only tool.
No implement can ever take the place of
the guiding intelligence that Wields it, 4
very bad tool will ruin the work of the
best craftsman: but good tool in bad
nands is no better. In the last analysis
the all-important factor in national great
ness Is national character.
Queries as to the Future.
There are questions that We of the
great civilized nations are ever tempted
10 ask of the future. Is our time OF
Srouth drawing TO an end? Are we as
nations soon 10 come under the rule of
that great law OF death which is itself
Dut part OF the great law OF life: None
can tell. Forces that we can see and
other forces that are hidden. or that can
but dimly be apprehended. are at work
ne growth in luxury in love Of ease
IN taste for vapid and frivolous excite
ment. IL both evident and unhealthy
Inc most oIninouS sign is the dininu-
tIol III the birth rate. and the rate OF
natural Increase. now TO larger or
lesser degree shared by most Of the
civilized nations of central and western
Europe. of America and Australia: a
llninution so great that if it continues
ior the next century at the rate which
has obtained for the last Twenty-Five
years, all the more highly civilized peo-
piles will be stationary or else have begun
10 go backward il population. while
many OF them will have already gone
very tar backward.
There is much that should give us
concern for the future. But there is
much also which should give us hope
No man j. more apt to be mistaken than
The prophet OF evil. After the French
revolution in 1890. Niebuhr hazarded the
guess that all civilization was about to
20 down with crash. that were all
about 10 share the fall OF thir.! and
fourth century Rome-a respectable but
painfully overworked comparison. The
ears once expressed by the followers OF
Nautilus a. to the future Of the world
Lave proved groundless as regards the
civilized portion OF the world, it Is
strange indeed 10 look back al Carlyle's
prophecies of some seventy years ago
and then think of the teeming life o1
achievement. the life OF conquest OF every
kind. and OF noble effort crowned by
success which has been ours fer the
TWO generations since he complained tc
high heaven that all the tales had beer
told and all the songs sung. and that al
the deeds really worth doing had beer
done.
Courage Is Urged.
81 believe with all my heart that Z
great future remains for us; but whether
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