North Andover High School - Knight Yearbook (North Andover, MA)

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THE GOBBLER-1947 JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORY ESSAY Communism is Un-American RLL true Americans believe in America and in the freedoms, ideals, and tradi- l-l tions America upholds. All true Americans hate that which in any way belittles these traditions, robs them of these freedoms, or destroys these ideals. But to hate such a foe of democracy, Americans must first be able to recognize this foe. Many Americans consider communism only a political or economic system. They believe that communists sincerely offer their theories as a panacea for humanity’s present economic troubles. But this concept of communism is wrong because it is only part of the truth. Not only does communistic government have absolute control over everything economic and political, but it also controls and dictates all man’s personal and social relations, including his marriage, his education, his thoughts and his religion. This is not surprising, since communism is a religion in itself, based on atheism and a denial of man’s God-given rights. The religion of communism has materialism as its god, Stalin as its high priest, Lenin and Trotsky as its prophets, and its enemies are all those, like you and me here tonight, who love and cherish the freedoms we are enjoying under our Constitution, founded on a belief in God and in man’s natural rights. We cannot be half communist and half constitutionalist. These ideologies will not mix. Their very foundations and principles contradict one another. If communism triumphs, Americanism will die. If America becomes darkened by the shadow of the red flag of communism, the American principles will fade into obscurity. President Washington never feared the foe from without, but he did express grave fears that some day we might bring about our own destruction through internal decay. In this country now communists are inflicting despotism upon us and trying to make us believe that Americans can be communists. Our form of government has survived to this date because it has recognized the dignity of man and the supreme power of God Almighty. Communism does not feed and grow and expand upon prosperity, but it does thrive and fatten upon decadent nations, undermined from within by treachery. There has come an admission from Washington that communism has entered into the innermost councils of our government. It has saturated the Depart¬ ment of State, the Department of Labor, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Commerce. It has been the hidden hand behind countless wage disputes and sabotage of man power, spreading dissatisfaction among our citizens against our present form of government by malicious propaganda. In 1943 a sedition case involving the activities of a group of communists came before the Court of Appeals. It showed the entire communist allegiance to the 4th International, complete disloyalty to America—even during the war—and the intent to overthrow this government by force and to establish a one party regime. It also revealed the shrewd and dangerous methods they intended to use for the accomplishment of their purposes. 16

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THE GOBBLER-1947 JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL MARY S. WENTWORTH Sub-Deb Club 4 We remember Mary for her friend¬ liness and honest-to-goodness sincer¬ ity. She plans to follow the business line and is surely going to brighten up some boss’ office. She’d rather go swimming than do anything else, and who can blame her? A fin er classmate could never be found. HERBERT T. WILD. Jr. Class President 1, 2, 3, 4 Student Council Football 1, 2, 3, 4 Chefs’ Club 4 Gobbler 4 Prom Committee 3, 4 Herbie’s great leadership and wil¬ lingness to oblige will carry him to his heights. MARGARET W. TULLIS Glee Club 2, 4 Student Council 3 Journal 4 Gobbler 4 Sub-Deb Club 4 Although Midge is very quiet, she has proven herself a real friend. She has a yen for playing the piano and likes S. B. T. We are all sure she’ll make a good secretary. ROSALIE CAMASSO Glee Club 2 Girl Reserves 1 Art Club Gobbler 4 Rosie with her secretarial ability and her nice personality will really go far. She will never be forgotten by the Class of ’47. D. WARREN FINN Journal 4 Gobbler 4 Art Club (Vice-President 4) “Finny” is a second Walt Disney. With his friendly personality and his art ability we are sure to see his works in the weekly funnies. He likes Eng¬ lish and loves to listen to the radio. JAMES McCOMISH Jimmie is very studious. He is one of the veterans whom Johnson was proud to welcome back. He is fond of hunting and fishing and is an all-round good fellow. With his good spirit and ability to work he will go far in what¬ ever he attempts. BARBARA E. M. GALLANT Journal 4 Sub-Deb Club 4 (Secretary) Girl Reserves 1 Glee Club 4 A pretty girl with a friendly person¬ ality, that’s our Barb. She’s a real pal to everyone and she’s a pleasure to have around. She loves dancing and swimming. We are sure she’ll be a success in whatever she undertakes. ROBERT A. JORDAN Journal 1, 2, 3, 4 Bob was always there to provide music for our dances and to run the movie projector in school. He finds enjoyment in watching the other kids dance. His future plans are to go into the radio business with his father. Maybe we’ll enjoy his music in the future. Happy radio listening! C. REID NORRIS Football 1, 2, 3, 4 Baseball 1, 2, 3 Reid is a sailor, home from the seas. He is a boy with many friends, a good athlete and student. Also, he is the apple of Janet’s eye, and who could blame her? ROBERT WILSON Tall, dark and handsome describes Bob. A quiet but friendly fellow. His fine personality and excellent manners will be an asset to him in the future. He will surely succeed in any career he chooses for himself. MARY C. CURLEY Sub-Deb Club 4 (Treasurer) » A small blonde who loves to swim (and especially to float.) She’s loads of fun and always ready for a good time. We are all sure that she’ll be a real success in her office work. EDWARD A. PEVINE Band 1, 2 Need a friend to go to the movies or take in a dance? Call up Eddie be¬ cause he’s always ready for fun. Ed¬ die’s the life of the party, and he’s also a very smooth dancer. Most of Eddie’s stay at Johnson has been spent in making new friends. HILDE GRUNDEL We, the Class of 1947, unique in many ways, add one more claim to distinction by presenting our friend Hilde, child of Vienna, to the world as our adopted classmate and the first Class Baby of ’47. Her picture, trav¬ eling over 4,000 miles, won our hearts, and we claim her as our brightest treasure. 15

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THE GOBBLER-1947 JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL These same methods of undermining from within have already drawn, one by one, the weaker nations of Europe behind the Iron Curtain of communism. It took a mere handful of revolutionists to overthro w the Russian czar and raise the red flag over Russia. What the communists lack in numbers they make up in determination and zeal. This must be evident, for they are a decided minority in Russia itself and in every one of the Red puppet states they now rule so ruthlessly. Every communist is a potential enemy of the United States and we cannot afford to ignore the menace. No one can fail to be aware of the communist invasion of our country. We cannot fight communistic propagandists with their own weapons of deceit because we believe in justice and liberty. Nevertheless, it is our duty and our right to meet the challenge of communism with active loyalty, understanding, determination, and unity, and if we do so, no party or nation on earth can ensnare us. James L. Greenler SALUTATORY ESSAY Democracy I N THE early days of this country the word democracy was suspect. Not even Jefferson, the revered saint of the great Democracy Party today, used the term. But as the years rolled on, the word came into general use, grew to be a part of our political vocabulary, and by some unconscious alchemy on the part of the public was transformed into a sacred rallying cry. Now, like most national slogans, it was accepted and enshrined in every patriotic heart, but few, were they asked, could define it. All, without any conscious analysis, knew that it meant political equality. All knew that no man or group of men, at least in theory, enjoyed any superior political rights over any other man or group of men. With the mounting insecurity throughout the world caused by the cyclic periods of depressions that systematically made the rich richer and the poor poorer, the emphasis on economic freedom as an essential element of democracy became more pronounced. The word democracy was held to be a sham if it meant only the right of all men to vote once a year and to live in want or baleful insecurity for the rest of the time. Then with the advent of World War II and the grotesque bed-fellowship that international politics made of the United States and Soviet Russia, the word democracy suffered a rare sea-change. Red Russia, stigmatized by Roose¬ velt as a brutal dictatorship, vaunted itself as Twentieth Century democracy. In a world where a word as sacred as democracy is to us has fallen into such confusion and double-talk it is time to make some attempt at definition if we wish to free ourselves from a political Babel of chaos. Here in the United States we hold that democracy must contain the idea of political and economic freedom for all. But we insist that democracy is more than any set form of government or disposition of offices. It is and it must be a suffusing and vivifying spirit. 17