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

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THE GOBBLER-1948 JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORY ESSAY Is War I nevitable? | HE United States is on the brink of another war. How many people today I tell us that? Columnists, army generals, secretaries of our military defenses, J| even our President. Is it inevitable that after every war, another one begins to brew? Is it a normal, healthy reaction to prepare for a war two years after one slaughter has ended? Most emphatically no! Yet according to the prominent and even the not-so-prominent people of our day we must fight a war with Russia—not to rid the world of the terrible menace of Communism—but to show her who’s boss! We must set up Universal Military Training to be prepared in the event of another war; we must cease attempting to compromise with headstrong Russia; we must increase our output of atomic bombs; we must guard exclusively our secret of manufacturing atomic bombs from every other nation in the world. Are we being over-ridden by Russia or by any other country, or are we doing the over-riding and antagonizing? Are we striving to maintain world peace or are we willing to enter into another war from which no nation will or can arise? Is it easier and cheaper in lives and money to engage in an atomic war than to iron out difficulties in such beneficial projects as the United Nations Organiza¬ tion and the Marshall Plan? The answer to that again is nol There is no difficulty too great to surmount in order to avert that nefarious method of slaughtering the young men and wo¬ men of our country—war! The millions of lives lost, and billions of dollars squandered are dismissed lightly by avid radicals who forget that we have just fought a war for justice and peace. They forget that the number of children who have died in Europe today as an aftermath of World War II far exceeds the number of boys who died in the first five days of the war itself. They forget that if atomic bombs are used to fight another war, the whole world will be affected radioactively for hundreds of years after. Every war in our history could have been averted by peaceful, reasonable negotiation and compromise around a peace table. In 1775 if England had not suppressed and subjugated her thirteen American Colonies with unjust taxation and had recognized the rights of Americans, there would not have been a Revo¬ lutionary War. In 1812 if fiery-minded young Americans had not cast covetous glances at Canada and the profits of the fur trade, there would not have been the War of 1812. In 1861 if the narrow-minded intolerant South had been willing to compro¬ mise with President Lincoln, he would have been more than willing to maintain slavery in order to preserve the Union, and thus prevent the Civil War. In 1914 if Germany had been willing to jtiate peacefully with the other 1 7

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THE GOBBLER-1948 JOHNSON HIGH SGHOOL ELEANOR M. GEORGE ‘‘‘Gentle thoughts and calm desires.” Journal 4 Sub-Deb Club 3 Dramatic Club 4 Gobbler 4 Class Prophecy Tranquil Eleanor, our gal with the endless wardrobe, does a quick change when she’s watching her idol, Ted Wil¬ liams of the Red Sox. She really gets excited and even yells at the “blind umpire!” Remember how you loved chorus, El? LEON C. WOOD “Smile and the world smiles with you.” Hobby Club 3 Debating Club 4 Journal 4 (Business Manager) Gobbler 4 (Business Manager) I think we’d all agree that Woody is one of the best-natured and happiest kids in our class. With his ability in math and type he’ll go far in his ca¬ reer as an accountant. WILLIAM B. DRISCOLL “It’s an easy world. to live in.” Basketball 2, 3 Football 3, 4 “Big things come in small packages” sure fits Billy. He carried a lot of the board on the football field. Thanks for the first touchdown, Bill. It made the difference between a good or a bad season. Good luck to you at Mount St. Michael’s next year. EDWIN J. FARRELL “Silence that spoke, and eloquence of eyes” Hobby Club 3 Boosters’ Club 4 Football 3 Tall, blond Teddy always has a long line of lassies at his beck and call. Those twinkling eyes and that roman¬ tic, husky voice have charmed every¬ one, but they’ve not changed our Ted¬ dy! He’s always a perfect gentleman. VIRGINIA GAUDET “And good luck go with you ” Basketball 1 Journal 2 Class Sec. and Treas. 1, 2 Glee Club 3 Dramatic Club 3, 4 Ginny is a girl who always has a smile. She is the feminine represent¬ ative in the Senior Math. Class, and those in a previous Latin II will re¬ member her crush on Ulysses. Her fa¬ vorite pastime is reading. Whatever she undertakes she is sure to do well. I ft 1

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THE GOBBLER-1948 JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL greedy nations instead of marching into and seizing control of smaller ones and their profits, the First World War would have been averted. After the peace was declared in 1918, if the United States and the other nations had worked as zealously to perfect the League of Nations and to free it of flaws and weak spots as they did to force Germany to submit to their revenge by imposing upon her their exorbitant demands as victorious nations, the Second World War might have been averted. And if we today think only of the fanfares and bugle calls of battle, we will have started World War III. But if we, along with every other nation, strive to remove all ineffective policies of our peace organization, by being as tireless in our offorts to prevent wars as we are in fighting them, we will have achieved that One World of Wilkie’s with no more thoughts of future conflicts, but only of harmonious peace, prosperity, and true progress. Louise R. Consoli SALUTATORY ESSAY Break That Line! I ET us go back to the beginning of our nation. Certain groups seeking refuge here from discriminations in their own countries brought with them the spirit of faith, hope, persistence, love, co-operation and an eye constantly viewing the fruitful future. However, they also sowed the seeds of hateful preju¬ dice when they set up the slave trade, which incorporated in this country a lowly class of people subjugated to their white masters who cared little for them when they were working, and even less when they were not. A superior attitude was readily, easily, and naturally exercised over them—a superiority that was taught to succeeding generations and inscribed upon their hearts. As the nation expanded, crises after crises arose to determine to what extent this slavery would be carried out. Finally, after the Civil War ended in 1865, slavery was abolished, which meant this dark-skinned race, held in bondage for so long, was now free. Nevertheless, freedom in actual practice was something quite different from a declarative freedom. The free man needed a home for himself and his family, he needed work to support himself, he needed friends to help him, but he searched in vain to fulfill his needs. The door was closed to him everywhere. Slowly, as the years progressed, that door was opened a crack —a crack and no more. A few tried to help him open it wider, but there was an immovable wedge on the other side with no way to reach it. Why do we persist to degrade the Negro? Because he lives in the slovenly holes of the city or town where no one else would live, because he is illiterate, because his appearance is one of filth, tatters, slackness and laziness. Is it also because we are truly afraid to let him come into our sphere of life? We rapidly thrust the Negro into the sea of destitution, but have we even tried to throw in a life line to help him save himself? Have we offered or even allowed him a decent education to overcome his illiteracy and make him a better citizen? Have we given him a chance to do decent work that will enable him to 18