Theodore Roosevelt '80, President of the United States, delivered a strong address to the Union members of the University in the Living Room of the Union Saturday afternoon.

By half-past one, there were about 1900 men standing in the room, from which all furniture had been removed except the chairs on the platform, on which the guests of honor sat. The gallery was reserved for the Faculty, of whom about 70 were present.

After a short reception in the Sanctum of the Advocate, of which he was an editor when in College, the President appeared on the platform at about 2.30 o'clock and was introduced by J. D. White '07. When the President arose to speak, he was greeted by a long cheer, which lasted several minutes, and during his address he was frequently interrupted by the applause which arose whenever he expressed a strong opinion on matters of close interest to those present.

When he had concluded his speech, R. L. Bacon '07, President of the Political Club, called for a long cheer for the President after which the President himself arose and led a cheer for Harvard. During the spontaneous cheering which followed he made his way from the building, and with Bishop Lawrence, called and left his card at the home of President Eliot. The party then went to the Hasty Pudding Club where an informal reception was held by about 250 members.

The President next visited the Alpha Delta Phi Club, where he was entertained for a short time, soon leaving to attend a tea at Bishop Lawrence's residence 122 Commonwealth avenue. The President then returned to Dr. Bigelow's where he stopped Friday night, and remained until it was time to attend dinner at the Porcellian Club.

Yesterday, the President, accompanied by Congressman and Mrs. Nicholas Longworth, took the 11 o'clock train, on which was a special car, to go to Groton, to see Kermit Roosevelt, after dining there at 4 o'clock, the party returned to Boston on the 6 o'clock train, arriving in time to take the 8 o'clock express for Washington from the South Station.

The President's Speech.

In his speech, after a discussion of the athletic question, in which he expressed himself as favorable to intercollegiate contest, the President devoted the greatly part of his attention to a statement of the great problems of the day, and related several interesting anecdotes from his personal experience.

The following is the speech in full:

Unity in College Life.

In speaking here at the Harvard Union, I wish to say first a special word as one Harvard man to his follow Harvard men. I feel that we can none of us ever be sufficiently grateful to Major Higginson for having founded this Harvard Union, because each loyal Harvard man should do all he can to foster in Harvard that spirit of real democracy which will make Harvard men feel the vital sense of solidarity so that they can all join to work together in the things that are of most concern to the College. It is idle to expect, nor indeed would it be desirable, that there should be in Harvard a uniform level of taste and association. Some men will excel in one thing and some in another; some in things of the body, some in things of the mind; and where thousands are gathered together each will naturally find some group of specially congenial friends with whom he will form ties of peculiar social intimacy. These groups--athletic, artistic, scientific, social--must inevitably exist. My plea is not for their abolition. My plea is that they shall be got into the right focus in the eyes of college men; that the relative importance of the different groups shall be understood when compared with the infinitely greater life of the college as a whole. Let each man have his special associates, his special interests, his special studies and pursuits, but let him remember that he cannot get the full benefit of life in college if he does nothing but specialize; and that, what is even more important, he cannot do his full duty by the college unless his first and greatest interest is in the college itself, in his associates taken as a mass, and not in any small group.

Discussion of Athletics.

One reason why I so thoroughly believe in the athletic spirit at Harvard is because the athletic spirit is essentially democratic. Our chief interest should not lie in the great champions in sport. On the contrary, our concern should be most of all to widen the base, the foundation in athletic sports; to encourage in every way a healthy rivalry which shall give to the largest possible number of students the chance to take part in vigorous outdoor games. It is of far more importance that a man shall play something himself, even if he plays it badly, than that he shall go with hundreds of companions to see some one else play well, and it is not healthy for either students or athletes if the teams are mutually exclusive. But even having this aim especially in view it seems to me we can best attain it by giving proper encouragement to the champions in the sports, and this can only be done by encouraging intercollegiate sport. As I emphatically disbelieve in seeing Harvard or any other college turn out mollycoddles instead of vigorous men, I may add that I do not in the least object to a sport because it is rough. Rowing, baseball, lacrosse, track and field games, hockey, football, are all of them good. Moreover, it is to my mind simple nonsense, a mere confession of weakness, to desire to abolish a game because tendencies show themselves, or practices grow up, which prove that the game ought to be reformed. Take football for instance. The preparatory schools are able to keep football clean and to develop the right spirit in the players without the slightest necessity ever arising to so much as consider the question of abolishing it. There is no excuse whatever for colleges failing to show the same capacity, and there is no real need for considering the question of the abolition of the game. If necessary, let the college authorities interfere to stop any excess or perversion, making their interference as little officious as possible, and yet as rigorous as is necessary to achieve the end. But there is no justification for stopping a thoroughly manly sport because it is sometimes abused, when the experience of every good preparatory school shows that the abuse is in no shape necessarily attendant upon the game. We cannot afford to turn out of college men who shrink from physical effort or from a little physical pain. In any republic courage is a prime necessity for the average citizen if he is to be a good citizen; and he needs physical courage no less than moral courage, the courage, that dares as well as the courage that endures, the courage that will fight valiantly alike against the foes of the soul and the foes of the body. Athletics are good, especially in their rougher forms, because they tend to develop such courage. They are good also because they encourage a true democratic spirit; for in the athletic field the man must be judged, not with reference to outside and accidental attributes, but to that combination of bodily vigor and moral quality which go to make up prowess.

Athletics a Means, Not an End.

I trust I need not add that in defending athletics I would not for one moment be understood as excusing that perversion of athletics which would make it the end of life instead of merely a means in life. It is first-class healthful play, and is useful as such. But play is not business, and it is a very poor business indeed for a college man to learn nothing but sport. There are exceptional cases which I do not need to consider; but disregarding these, I cannot with sufficient emphasis say that when you get through college you will do badly unless you turn your attention to the serious work of life with a devotion which will render it impossible for you to pay much heed to sport in the way in which it is perfectly proper for you to pay heed while in college. Play while you play and work while you work; and though play is a mighty good thing, remember that you had better never play at all than to get into a condition of mind where you regard play as the serious business of life, or where you permit it to hamper and interfere with your doing your full duty in the real work of the world.