Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

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the present devices and utilities the ra- dio is without the least doubt the most popular and the most promising. This remarkable little device has brought with it untold wonders. People are running wild with enthusiasm over this means of rapid, reliable, and long dis- tance communication by the use of which the human voice, music, and other desirable sounds can be heard distinctly for many hundreds of miles through the air without even wire or other physical connection. Think of it! Do you won- der then that the radio has become so immensely popular throughout the earth? Yet the radio is by no means a new invention or discovery. In fact, ex- periments of a radio nature were being tried as far back as 1827. The origin of the wireless, however lies in the ex- periments of Hertz, a German scientist. But it was not, to be sure, until 1896 that the mastery of air communication received its first real impetus. It was then that Marconi ' s valuable patents were made known and in spite of all the splendor and value of these inventions and in spite of all the extensive advertis- ing and publishing they meant nothing to the general public. Interest prevailed only among a few — a small technical class and a few devoted amateurs. Since then, however, interest has ever been in- creasing as scientists have contributed multitudes of inventions which have tended to make the radio take rapid strides towards its perfection. But with the advent of the radio telephone came the present great popularity of the radio and to-day we find this little device the most talked of and the most enjoyable of all objects. Pages of the daily papers, new books, and magazines devoted entirely to radio all remind us that we are living at the beginning of a new epoch in world wide communica- tion. The radio, although comparatively young, even in its present state of de- velopment has opened up new fields and new opportunities in the world of com- munication. But for all the valuable work that it has shown itself capable of, there are a few pessimists who describe ar.d insist upon terming the radio as only a passing “craze at the height of its popularity and development and soon to pass on forgotten. On the other hand there is a large class who are delighted with the results thus far accomplished and are looking forward to an even greater future. The question is often asked, “Will the radio ever displace the present cable systems or the present wire telephone? To my mind the an- swer to this question is of no real im- portance. Whether or not t he old wire telephone is replaced by the present ra- dio telephone matters little as far as the permanence of the radio is con- cerned. The wireless is in a class by itself with its own fields of communica- tion to take care of. It has opened up at least three new phases of communi- cation in the world which are now and will ever remain predominant. First of all by the so-called method of broadcasting, the radio telephone has made it possible to address an enormous- ly large audience scattered over wide and distant areas of land. At present there are scores of broadcasting stations which send out every day means of en- joyment, entertainment, and education to hundreds of thousands of eager and interested listeners. The farmer living in far off and isolated districts who was hitherto shut off from the rest of civilization is now receiving numerous bere ts of all sorts. He is now con- stantly kept as well informed about daily news and current events as the city population. Fresh weather fore- 19

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who made millions i n this business of profiteering. The end of the war found the farmers in debt and each raising just what he could handle himself. However, the situation seems to be brightening, the debts are being paid off and the farm laborers are coming back from the city, to which they had been attracted by high wages during the war. The reports point to good crops and gccd markets which mean renewed pros- perity not only for the farmer but for other industries. When one industry picks up it has an e: livening affect on the others either directly or indirectly. Already this is beginning to show for stock market re- ports mention a noticeable advance in business. Unemployment is becoming less every day. These things show the industries will soon be running on a normal basis if the average laborer will fo get his extraordinary wages of the past and do a fair day ' s work for a fair day’s pay. This war has increased the friction between capital and labor for it has made new millionaries at the people’s expense and the people resent it. More- over the business depression following the war has caused many hardships among the poorer classes in the city and they look with hatred upon the rich men. That is one reason why they are fighting the wage cuts so savagely. When busi- ness gets back to a normal basis this feeling will become less, for the work- -g classes will be more comfortable and satisfied. Since Europe is in a state of destruc- tion, disorder, and debt, many immi- grants are coming to this country to es- cape their post-war troubles. Such im- migrants should not be allowed to enter the country, for they are needed at home to rebuild their nation, and we have too much unskilled labor already as is shown by the unemployment statis- tics. Moreover their presence here means an added burden on every com- munity at a time when the community is least able to bear that burden. Con- cerning the Reds, Socialists, or Bolshe- vists little need be said, for any think- ing person can see that their claims and promises contradict themselves. Their reforms are so radical that the nation would be thrown into anarchy. Little need be feared from them, however, for they poll but a very small percentage of the votes and those votes are cast as a rule by the uneducated and the unthink- ing. America has a promising future be- fore her. Financially she is supreme, politically she has added to her prestige abroad, her industries at home, which were dealt a hard blow, are fast re- cuperating, and socially she is still sound for a majority of her population are educated and think for themselves. The United States should be a leader of the world for the next twenty-five years and it is up to everyone of us as citizens to do our best to keep her in the lead. Wilfred Dunn THE RADIO ERA All down through the ages of man- kind, history has taught us that with he passing of time there came about innumerable changes in the manners, methods, and general workings of the world. During this last half century we have witnessed a rapid and very remarkable progress in the realms of science. It has been a scientific age, devoted to eag°r and earnest research which in turn has been rewarded by the attain- ment of extremely valuable and prac- ticable results. During this busy period the radio has had its birth, and of all 18

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casts and market reports are at his in- stant disposal. In the evening when his day’s work is finished, he and his family can sit around the fireside and enjoy an opera or other musical concerts given by the best of talent just as well as if they were at the theatre, or even better, for when one becomes tired of this type of concert he can tune or regulate the ra- dio apparatus to give an instructive lec- ture or speech by some notable profes- sor or statesman. Radio sets are now being installed in large stores and schools as a means of entertainment and education. Police departments are sending out descriptions of criminals through the broadcasting service and are aided in locating and capturing es- caped prisoners. Our government uses the radio to send out various weather and market reports every day. In fact the system of broadcasting has so many uses and services to render that it is hardly possible to name them. Another phase of communication where the radio is now proving itself and in which it is bound to be of perma- nent value is in the case where it is de- sirable to communicate with moving ob- jects, in which case the barrier of mo- tion has been an obstacle in the way. The radio as a means of communication between ship and shore is no 7 an ab- solute necessity. This is also the means to communicate with airplanes. It is possible that the wireless will be used on trains to do away with the monotony of travel and will thus make it more en- joyable. Campers and travelers can be located by their friends and can enjoy a conversation with the home folks. So you see the really remarkable uses to which the radio is now put and the many uses which could be brought about by no other apparatus. W here there are natural barriers and obstructions such as mountains, forests, deserts, and large bodies of water which render it impossible or impracticable to lay cables or make any wire connection whatever, the radio has overcome the difficulty and made it possible to con- verse over these obstacles with the greatest ease. Because of its far reach- ing and wide range of travel and its comparatively small expense, the radio is recognized as an especially practicable means of international communication. It is not, however, serviceable as yet where absolute secrecy is desired, but for all that it is bound to bring the na- tions of the earth closer together and thus to produce better understanding. Since it is upon the communication and exchange of ideas and intelligence that civilization depends, the radio with its great future possibilities is bound to contribute greatly to the progress and happiness of the world. Ross Whittier. VALEDICTORY “VINCIT QUI PARTITUR “Vincit qui partitur!” He conquers who endures! We must all agree as we are about to take up the tesks for which our years of study have been preparing us, that this is a good motto to bear in mind. It is the man, the country, the nation that through constant toil, hard-think- ing, and sustained effort, has succeeded and risen to greatness. Nothing is gained but by hard and earnest effort and what we get without toil is not last- ing in its effect. To be conquerors, we need to have confidence in our work and in ourselves. The test that shows whether we are en- during the difficulties and disappoint- ments in life is whether or not we can answer in the affirmative to the ques- 20