Downingtown High School - Our Year Cuckoo Yearbook (Downingtown, PA)

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19 THE CUCKOO However, the day came too soon when they had to look for employment. Before they had gone away many employers had promised them that their positions would be waiting for them when they returned. However, these same soldiers were sadly disappointed, for when they came to take hack their positions the employers informed them that their services were no longer needed. Thousands of soldiers were out of employment and as they were not dressed in uniform the people did not even respect them nor did they try to help them. Many of our boys while in service were disabled. This has caused them great suffering and they realized that they would never he able to earn a living without aid. Many hospitals and schools have been created to help teach the hoys a trade which would tit them for after life. But these same schools are not provided for. When our wonded, suffering soldiers ask for a few comforts, the powers that he, take months to discuss this matter, which in themselves are small, hut would add so much comfort to our boys. Many who were disabled while in service could have been helped if they had been given proper care. We grant, that this fact is due to the shortage of doctors and nurses. However, many of the soldiers need medical care to-day and as it is not war time no one is interested nor do they seem to care about helping the unfortunate suffers. Thus my friends, I hope that I have shown you how empty the word welcome is, if not followed bv action. In this case as in so many others “Actions speak louder than words Does the word welcome mean anymore to you after this explanation or my interpretation of this phase of it, in other words the greatest welcome is “To do and say the kindest things in the kindest way.” We ask you, dear friends, to be glad with 11s as we enter upon the programme of the hour, as we are all earnest in assuring you of our joy at having youw ith us, and that I, in the inspiration of your presence am sincere in telling you, in the name of my classmates, how truly glad we are that you are here Let 11s, then, he up and speaking, For our programme lies in wait; Welcome, friends, some pleasure seeking; Come and see 11s graduate! —•••IUI.S. -— ROOSEVELT Willard W. Rindlaub It would he impossible for anv one person to tell the complete »life of Roosevelt. Roosevelt was so many sided; his interests and activities covered f uch a large range of subjects and places; he was so many men compressed into one; such a marvelous combination of mental, physical and spiritual characteristics that no single person, even one of his closest friends could he expected to understand all of him. He has been called “the typical American” hut this statement is not accurate. If he were a typical American there would he enough others like him to justify pointing to him as the type. Happy indeed would be the nation if this were

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18 THE CUCKOO We’re looking now toward the Then farewell to our teachers and future, classmates. We wonder what it holds in store We re sorry to leave, we confess. It seems very cheery and hopeful But we’ll never forget you—and As we stand in its wide-open door. school days, And our glorious I). II. S. (Poem by Esther Eppehimer) —♦D.H.S. — ANOTHER PHASE OF WELCOME Salutatory by Evelyn McKinney Dear Parents, Friends and Teachers, One and All: How many, many times in our life are we forced to admit the inadequacy of mere words to express the sentiment of the soul. Although our hearts are tilled with emotions, our tongues falter, and our lips refuse to say what wew wish them to say. W e are very inexperienced as to the ways of the world, hut we have already learned how useless words are, when we try to express the deep feelings that are in our hearts. To you dear friends, this may be an interesting occasion, for it may bring back recollections of your early hopes and aims. As for our parents it is an hour of pride and live, while teachers think of the joy of our success and accomplishment. This occasion closes an epoch in our lives, it is the end of the most important period that we have vet known and one that will materallv affect our future career, because we want to be able to look back over the past few years and feel that we have done our best and made the most of every opportunity. My part in this programme is to welcome you here to-day. But what does the word welcome mean? Have we ever heard it before? Let us consider the word for a moment. To mv mind comes a picture of a great city decorated with banners and dropped with bunting. “Old Glory” was unfurled everywhere. Everyone was trying to do his part to welcome home our soldiers. The streets were crowded with people eagerly awaiting the coming of the big parade. At last the music is heard in the distance and soon you can seen the soldiers and sailors marching, in perfect line, up the street. Great shouts of welcome are given them as they pass. Every-one feels proud to call the soldier “our own boys;” and when the required marching is done they are escorted to the central part of the city where they are presented with medals. The soldiers were the center of attraction and no one thought of their own comfort but thought of how our boys fought to make the world free for Demoracy. But wait! to my mind comes another picture of a port in a large city. In the foreground are several large vessels from which many thousands of soldiers are descending. There is no one on the docks to welcome them, as no one knew the date of their arrival. Although they were some how disappointed at not seeing their friends, just a glimpse of United States filled their hearts to over flowing.

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20 THE CUCKOO true. Instead of being a type he is rather a composite of all the best American types. We are proud of him as typifying America and we want to produce more individuals like him if we can. Early in life he became distinguished as an author and until he became Governor of New York he thought that writing was to he his life work. When lie found that he could have better success in the political field he gave up the idea that he was to be exclusively a writer but kept adding to his works through his whole career and became a writer of great repute.. It is surprising that in the midst of his busy life, all through the years, he found time, or made time, to write so many important hooks. Few men who deserve to be considered men of action as Theodore Roosevelt was, have written as much as he, and still fewer have written as well. His writings were in amazingly numerous fields for one constantly engaged in things about which others might write. And just as it is hard to tell what were his vocations and what his avocations, so it is not easy to decide whether it was as an historian, a statesman or a naturalist, that he excelled. Most persons, however, regard his historical work, “The Winning of the West,” as his masterpiece. He was one of our greatest Presidents. He earned his wreathes not merely by being content to sit in the White House and sign his name “President.” Instead of the White House being an object to him, his great work only began when he was given the White House. He took the example of the mighty presidents who had gone before him. Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln and Grant were his exemplars. With such as his guides-and because he was true and bold and wise, and no man owned him—it is not strange that he gained entrance to Valhalla. If there he any worth while thing in experience, if reading and travel and the study of men be of great avail, Roosevelt had the making of a great President. Before he went to the White House he was taught how State laws were made as a member of the Assembly at Albany and subse-cpiently took lessons in executing those laws as Governor. He was shown the inner workings of a great city as a Commissioner of Police; as Chief of Civil service. Assistant Secretary of the Navy, soldier in the field, and Vice-President it was given him to look into every nook and corner of our national government. Even as deputy sheriff in the West it may be assumed that he was learning. His travels had been wide, also, and he knew from practical touch and observation every phase of American existence. He wandered East and West, and North and South, he ate and drank and talked and slept with the peoples of those regions. He knew what they thought and felt and desired; he could gauge their needs, and anticipate their drift of sentiment. It was well for the world while Mr. Roosevelt abode in Washington. He was not duped abroad nor deluded at home. The government M'as neither a plutocracy nor a mobocracy but a democracy while he prevailed. He was the friend of Capital and the friend of Labor but the fool and tool of neither. He did inestimable good for our country by starting the conservation of our natural resources while he was in office. He realized that the forest and water problems are the most vital internal questions of the United States. Another achievement and probably the most important one of his regime was the construction of the Panama Canal. He was resolved that American ships should be able to go from one ocean