Evening star., 1923-10-27
ROOSEVELT CAREER
HAILED BY COOLIDGE
President Links Him With
Washington and Lincoln
as "0reatest."
BY the Associa ted Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, October 2T.-President
Calvin Coolidge's tribute to Theodore
Roosevelt. In the form of a letter. was
read today at the dedication of the
Roosevelt House. No. 28 East 20th
street, by Mrs. John Henry Hammond.
president of the Woman's Roosevelt
Memorial Association. President Cool
tdge's letter was as follows:
1T Is source OF deep regret that
1t is impossible for me to take part
ia person in the dedication of Roose-
Welt House. On a previous occasion
indicated my deep interest In the
project. now happily completed. The
Woman's Roosevelt Memorial Asso-
citation. in re-creating the house where
Theodore Roosevelt was born and
making it a center for the promulga-
ton of his ideas. has made not only
the friends OF this great American.
but all Americans, It's debtors. The
great collections Of their brother
society, the Roosevelt Memorial AS
soctation. will bring before the eyes
the aspirations. the achievements. the
exuberant and captivating personality
OF the great interpreter and apostle
or the. American spirit. To do that 10
to render q great service. II might
speak FOR the American people, It
would be to express their thanks.
Pays Great Tribute.
1T was no mere poetic fancy which
impelled the ancient Greeks to people
the armament with their mythical
heroes. A great national hero. a
Washington. a Lincoln, a Roosevelt,
does shine like a star to the peonle
who come after him. In them they
find light. and by them they can steer
their course over uncharted and
stormy seas.
Fourteen years ago. standing also
at birthplace which has become a
national shrine, Theodore Roosevelt
said OF Washington and Lincoln:
and other men as good, but In all
the history Of mankind there are no
other two great men as good as these,
no other two good men as great.
Among the great who were also good,
among the good whoswere also great,
we may now inscribe a third name,
forever memorable.
The fame Of other men may fear
the onslaught of time, but the kame
OF Roosevelt need not fear it. The
glory of his statesmanship may be
ooscured by the passage of the CEN
turles, but the memory of the man
himself will endure. for great as his
achievements were. the man was even
greater than the work. Such gifts as
MS are rare, such a combination of
gifts Is still more rare, and those
gifts, backed by a certain elemental
h. 1ne
tion a personality which holds a place
Wnich not our own nation only, but
all nations reverence.
Saved American Unity.
We Americans have deep cause to
be grateful that sixty-five years ago
today Theodore Roosevelt, half of the
north. half of the south, q son of the
east, an adopted son OF the west. came
to this nation to shape It's destinies
in a critical hour. Roosevelt. like
Lincoln. was in q true sense q pre-
server of our national unity. Lincoln
saved us from sectional cleavage,
roosevelt saved US from class cleav-
age. So swiftly at times does the
true WORD, courageously spoken. es-
tablish itself, that today we have
almost forgotten that there was q
time when the regulation OF corpora
tions seemed to many minds unneces-
sarily radical. He spoke stern words
where needed without fear and with
out favor. He pointed out the road OF
straight Americanism. where all could
walk in amity toward the same goal.
We are a united nation; we will re-
main united nation. It was Roose.
Welt who taught US that unjustified
discontent finds no lodgment in a ma
tion where the discomfort which is
Justified secures prompt remedy.
All eyes may we'll turn reverently
today TO the birthplace of Theodore
Roosevelt. given back to the world
by the women and children of the
nation. All artificial distinctions have
fallen from him; he belongs to all
Americans. Reaching beyond our
shores, he Is the possession OF all men.
whatever their race, whatever their
color, whatever their creed, who are
willing to live by his principles and
follow his example,"