Evening star., 1936-09-19
Roosevelt
Continued From First Page.)

paths of his alma mater, President
Roosevelt paid homage yesterday at
Harvard University's- 300th anniver-
sary and called for truth, tolerance,
self-restraint and freedom of the
human mind" in this day of modern
witch burning"
In top hat and black topcoat, Mr..
Roosevelt sat in q chilling driZzle
through two hours of impressive
morning ceremonies before the white
columns of Colonial Appleton Chapel.
Rain dripped steadily from the
evergreen -bedecked platform, from the
sodden robes of eminent scholars and
scientists sprinkled with green, gold,
red and blue, and from thousands of
Harvard alumni assembled in an OPEN
air theater in the yard" behind
ancient university hall.
Bordering the gathering on every
side and hanging Imply from stand
ards capped with gilded lions were
huge scarlet and white gonfalons en-
blazoned with the Latin "veritas"-
truth.
Forms Theme Of Address.
In that inscription, the President
found a keynote for his own mid
afternoon address on the campus
where he spent his undergraduate
days and. 80 years ago, received his
Alb. degree.
In this day Of modern witch burn
ing" he said, when freedom of
thought has been exiled from many
lands which were once its home,
it is the part of Harvard and America
to stand for the freedom of the
human mind and to carry the torch
of truth.
But it depends on mems toler-
ance, self-restraint and devotion to
freedom, not only for themselves, but
also for others, whether the truth
will prevail through free research,
free discussion and the free inter-
course of civilized men, or will pre-
vail only after suppression and suf-
fering-when none cares whether it
prevails or not"
Because of the drabness of the day,
the afternoon program was held in
doors in Sanders Theater in Memorial
Hall.
Mr.. Roosevelt's address was only
an incidental part of Harvard's
three day festival commemorating her
300 years.
While the President said he re-
turned 70 AyHnrfno'c frct iv,cf
Of higher learning as the Nations
Chief Executive and honorary chair
man of the Tercentenary Commission,
he added that he returned also as one
among many thousands of the sons
of Harvard gathered from over Amer
lea and the world.
Early in his speech Mr.. Roosevelt
prompted laughter and applause as he
recalled that when Harvard celebrated
her bicentennial, 100 years ago, Andrew
Jackson was President and many
Harvard alumni were "sorely troubled"
over the state of the Nation.
Again, a half century later, under
Grover Cleveland. they were pertubed.
he said, adding amid a chuckle that
turned into roar:
Now, on the 30Oth anniversary, I
am President"
Then, turning later to qualities by
which he said the real Is distinguished
from the nominal scholar, the Presi-
dent asserted that one of these is an
understanding of philosophers we do
not accept and hopes we find it diff
cult to share"
"Our Government" he said, 'is
based on the belief that a people can
be both strong and free, that civilized
men need no restraint but that i'm
posed by themselves against abuse Of
freedom"
During the morning he had heard
President James B. Conant of Harvard
applauded loudly when he declared:
THE origin of the Constitution,
- the functioning Of the three
branches of the Federal Government,
the forces Of modern capitalism, must
be dissected as fearlessly as the geolo-
gist examines the origin Of rocks.
Urges Adequate Discussion"
"On this point there can be no COM
promise; we are either afraid of heresy
or we are not. II we are afraid, there
will be no adequate discussion Of the
genesis Of our national life; the other
will be shut to the development of q
culture which will satisfy our needs.
Harvard was founded by dissenters.
Before two generations had passed
there was q general dissent from the
first dissent. Heresy has long been
in the air. We are proud of the
freedom which has made this possi-