Leilehua High School - Ka Leilehua Yearbook (Wahiawa, HI)

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THE CONSTITUTION AND NATIONAL DEFENSE Revocato Medina, junior, winner of The Star-Bulletin oratorical contest for the island of Oahu, placed fourth in the finals for the territory. Here is a reprint of his prize-winning speech. A CENTURY and a half ago, the far-sighted framers of the Constitution, in order to provide for the common defense and to safeguard the ideals and principles of liberty and democracy-made provisions in the Constitution for the nation's defenses. It was with a common aim, with the memories of having been under the rule of a king-of another nation, with the memories of tyranny and oppres- sion that they laboriously wrote in the defense clauses. Furthermore, having seen armies trample over people's rights in other lands, they divided the powers of the army and navy to prevent the return to monarchy -which Europe had predicted, to prevent dictatorship, or imperialism. The president was given the rank of Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, whose blood, in the words of Dupuy and Elliot, is the precious coinage in which the price of Liberty has been and may again be paid. To keep within bounds of the constitutional principle of checks and balances, Congress was given the sole power to declare war, to raise and support armies, to provide and maintain a navy, and to make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces. Today, with the world powers running in the greatest armament race in history, with international lawlessness on the rampage, with undeclared wars raging in the East and West, and with fascism threatening the world, the na- tional defense phase of the Constitution is becoming more and more important -for it may mean the life or death of that great document. It was in President Roosevelt's Chicago speech that the eyes of the world were first opened to the fact that the United States would use a strong arm in keeping itself out of war, in an active search for peace. Perhaps I can best illustrate what followed next in this Associated Press newspaper article lead printed in The Star-Bulletin : WASHINGTON, lan. 28.-President Roosevelt asked Congress today to authorize millions of dollars of new expenditures for the navy's fighting force and the army's land defenses to bolster armaments he termed inadequate for the purposes of national security. lust recently the billion dollar naval expansion bill has passed the House and is now in the Senate. I-'or the army's land defenses 447 million has been recommended by the House Appropriations committee. In a recent poll conducted by the American Institute of Public Opinion, it was proved that the vast majority of the Americans overwhelmingly favored more adequate defense. The result showed that 74 per cent voted in favor of Roosevelt's Big Navy program, 69 per cent for the increase in the strength of the army, and 80 per cent for the enlargement of the air force. The institute studies showed that while the people favored more adequate defense, they nevertheless, definitely, did not want to fight the wars of other nations. It was clearly demonstrated that the World War has taught the Americans a lesson hard to forget. Let's turn to Emil Ludwig's Life of Roosevelt for an interesting glimpse. It was at the brink of the World War when Wilson, with historic consciousness, refused the advice of Roosevelt, who was then the Assistant Secretary of Navy, to mobilize the naval forces explaining, Come here, Roosevelt, and sit down. i ll explain it to you. The eyes of history are fixed upon us. Yes, it is true that we shall probably enter the war. But look you, in the year 1980, some historian will be writing the history of this war . . . a German or a Russian. This man must say, 'AMERICA DID NOTHING TO BE PREPARED BEFORE IT WAS COMPELLED TO GO TO WAR'.

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ESSAYS Second Prize IERE SMITH, lunior ON SURFING THE OTHER NIGHT, while I was sitting at home chatting with some friends, the following remark was made: It seems certain to me that all island people are distantly related in some way. The person that remarked thus was referring to the nostalgia displayed by travelers whose homes are in Hawaii Nei. Fur- ther proof of his statement was made when he told us of a letter which he had received from a true son of Hawaii who is away at college. The most important cause of homesickness seemed to be the fact that surfing was not to be had there. Surfing, as you may know, was originated by the old ,Hawaiians-real chil- dren of the sea. It was the principal avocation of these people, and they were taught from childhood to master what they considered the art of arts. Each member of the family was afforded the wood for a surfboard, which he had to fashion himself. To the average individual, the ability to ride a board in the simplest possible manner, lying down, will come after about six or eight months of faithful prac- tice. Since this is a sport really typical of these islands, every visitor should make an attempt to learn it. The first thing the beginner must master is the ability to hold the wave 1 that is, to keep his board well in front of the wave without getting too far in front. He will find at first that he will slip off his board or that it will turn un- expectedly and he will slide off the back of the wave, sidewise. If he is lucky enough to get well in front of the wave, he will probably pearl dive 1 that is, his board will dive towards the bottom and in doing so will throw him off. As time goes on, however, the surfer-to-be will learn to stay in the wave and, perhaps, to stand up on his slippery toboggan as it slides swiftly shore- ward. He will learn the best spots in the wave, and also which way he must slide across the wave, left or right, to get the best ride. In addition to this, he learns the courses and strengths of the various currents. Later, he will endeavor to ride larger and faster waves, and perhaps if he is lucky he may be able to ride the Queen Surf and Castle Surf at Waikiki, Surfing has today become a tourist trade, much to the disgust of many true lovers of this ancient art. Men who have surfed since childhood now turn to surfing as a means of earning a livelihood: large hollow and pieced surfboards. polished and painted in gay colors, are imported from Los Angeles factories and sold at great profit. In the place of the clumsy boards made from the wood of the koa tree, these shiny new steeds ride the surf at Waikiki. Nevertheless, in spite of these modern additions, to anyone who knows the islands, surfing is still the sport of sports. To me, as to others who love the islands, surfing exemplifies the true spirit of Hawaii. fCoutinued from page S67 easily acquired and acquaint one with foreign lands and customs, with no expense on our part-unless our book is overdue at the library. Books for all phases of life are easily found, and most of them are enjoyable. By Blue Horizons therefore, I do not mean that point where the earth and sky seem to meet, but the point where knowledge blends with the unknown. When we go beyond those horizons, we go to new places, study new things, and can even transport ourselves from past to future. Practically all we need is patience and a good imagination to supplement any dry information and make life more interesting.

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THE CONSTITUTION AND NATIONAL DEFENSE CContinuedJ There are two differences between that World War situation and todcxy's dark clouds over the world, as far as America is concerned. First: Roosevelt is now at the head of the government with the incalculable experience and infor- mation he gained from the World War at his command: thus Roosevelt with a plan quite contrary to Wilson's, may be able to keep the U. S. out of the Next War: second: with modern airplanes, warships, submarines and other machines of war, the possibility of an attack upon the American shores, eastern or western, or simultaneously, with cities destroyed and millions killed, is not remote or far-fetched. The nation must be so defended, so prepared that an aggressor or combination of aggressors will find it unwise to meddle with anything under the American flag-in view of the grave consequences into which it is likely to fall. Perhaps no country in the world has been more reluctant to prepare for war than the United States. What course should we pursue in an active search for peace, in the preservation of the immortal Constitution? Will fascism or communism, stripped of its false idealistic front, revealed in its true color, dicta- torship, sweep democracy off the earth? Whether or not President Roosevelt's national defense 'plan works out, whether or not international lawlessness stops, whether or not the United States is drawn into another inevitable World struggle, whether or not the American forces will fight abroad or at home, whether or not democracy triumphs, whether or not peace is achieved, remains to be seen-but the fact is obvious that the national defense will play a big part in the life or death of that great, outstand- ing document of democracywthe CONSTITUTION. THE WATERFRONT IN HONOLULU RICHARD FERNANDEZ, Sophomore ANXIOUS CROWDS waiting, hula girls, lei sellers showing their beautiful flower lets, await ships which come in from distant ports. That is what one sees when he enters the beautiful harbor of the Paradise of the Pacific. When the ship begins to dock, the beautiful song, Aloha Oe, can be heard welcoming people to the beautiful isle of Oahu. Some stay a day, some a week, but what- ever the time, they will always remember the days when they used to lie on the beach at Waikiki, under beautiful palm trees swaying in the breeze. The day of departure approaches with incredible swiftness. As they board the luxurious liner with its streaming banners, they promise themselves that they will return as soon as possible, to this tropical isle. The ship begins to move, the strains of Aloha Oe can be heard, tears begin to stream down their cheeks and with a whisper they say Aloha to you, the Paradise of the Pacific-Aloha to Hawaii Nei.