Northampton Area High School - Amptennian Yearbook (Northampton, PA)

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impossible if 11. had not been for XIHCTICAN achievements along Sclcn tifrc limes VVn.1t did thc changing of one of the moSt unbanitarv spots on the fact of the globe into 1 beautitul Floxx cr Garden mean to the xx orlda Did it onlv mean the cleainnv up of one Qpot or the beatmg back of disease in one section? Yes it meant both of theee but rar more im portant it meant the construction of the Panama Fanal lNo class of men could have woilxed in that section if the spot had not that been freed of its diseaae 47611115 and their carriew ls it anv xvondci thc people of Furope aak what Xmenxcans really ai e, that 111 one stioke thcx divided a hemisphere and united the xx orld No less a person than the llon lames Bryce, late hnfflish mnnbter to the l mted qtatts said Not only ie the Panama Canal the greateat 21Cl'1lCVEll1L11f of the paat and preaent but it is doubtful whether the future will ever piment another of ite kind flue shown the world 1'CCOgI11ZtS the greatnebe ot this aclnevement or never xvould She utter auch pralsee. 7 malxeq the xvorld recognuze her gleatnees all the more It is the su prune achievement of ill the xvolld it is the achievement of Peace Today Xmerica can boast of an international border line between two IIHTIOHQ across which neither nation has launched a l'l0QtllC armv or filed a hoetlle shot within one hundred ycare To our north hes the British Province of Canada in common with xvlnch xve have a thouband miles up thc nnghty Qt lawrence thousand nulea along the Great Lakes, a thousand nnle: of open pldlfle '1 thousand mules over a Qea of mountains four thoueand nnles xx here nation meets 1161111011 yet not a fortress, not '1 battleship, not .1 gun that 19 Xmericas greatest achxex ement .nd it 1s an achievcnient the world cannot rival VVould to God that the xx o1ld could have lived in such 1 peace that the entire woild could boaat of thnia achievement' Fhen lov would Qtlll :llJ1ClC 11'1 the homes of Europe where sorrow noxx claims its Qxvav then could mother and child st1ll Jovfully plav on thc hearthetone while father would cheei fully toil to supply the dailv bread for the dear ones at home But Europe xvas blind to th1S she sought armament and armament alone, till to dax ahc ahfoide us an example of oveigfroxxn ainnec and tw J l 1 - ' A - ' 5 I ss ' , . -x - ' 2 1 ' ' I, , ' V' ' A . ' ' P I D ' A 1. 7 ,X ..J A ' S3 .' u :Y K' , h V ' ' - ' . . ' T - C T . b ' ' ' i :F ' A .' l A i . u : 3 5 Q r ' ,. . ' . 44 1 ' Xet America has a greater achievement and one that at this time 'x e ' . 1 x 2 A x' , ' 'J '1 ' -. - L ' 1 s - ' J ' ' Y x ' x ' - -1 e ' - ' e . J 1 , a f .f ' . .. ' :-- , ' f 1 f - ' A ' 3 , 2 1 N ' Y. ' ' , 1 1 V. V , X- I L. Q ' ' : P :- V 1 C , -2 '-

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proclaimed 'lliberty thruout the land , the masses of the world heard its sweet music and were enraptured by its glorious strains. Then men's hearts beat faster, as the great sun of liberty began to appear above the horizon. Then tyranny and oppression trembled in their foundation and then it was that the seeds of that liberty, for which all humanity craves, were sown in American toil, where they have grown into a glorious vine whose mysteri-ous fragrance has charmed the world, till every race has craved to burst the monarchial fetters that bind them and to enjoy with America the sweet fruits of the vine of Liberty. To give to man that blessing, personal liberty, which to life is the greatest human blessing, is not a slight achievement and to accom- plish- such a task, a people must have m.ore than the natural tendency for that object. This fact has caused many people to believe Ameri- cans are a people chosen by God to be the propagandists of liberty, or they could never have achieved as they have. Every nation that to- day has a republican form of government or that gives her people their deserved liberties must admit they were spurred on to this by Americas example. Showing the oppressed people of the world that liberty is not an impossibility and pointing out the way by which it is to be obtained. is Americas first and one of her greatest achievements. From an economic standpoint, Amenica has also made some won- derful achievements, foremost among which is the construction of the Panama Canal. This great waterway is at the same time, a great scientific and engineering accomplishment. Nothing in the history of man can be compared to it. Even the old pyramids of Egypt and the beautiful temples of ancient Rome, which for years stood unrivaled as the wonders of the world, had to give way to a product of Ameri- can genius when the Panama Canal was completed. As an economic achievement, the Canal effects the world. lt cuts the distances between most of the trading centers in half and it forms a cheap-er and a great time saving route between all the nations of the earth. It has revolutionized commerce, it has changed the pathways of the oceans and it has opened a new age in the world of trade. an engineering achievement, it is an unrivaled structure, no machinery on earth is so complex and yet so simple, no work ever undertaken required so much excavating and filling in, never before was the course of nature so changed and yet all this would have been

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navies, of mistresses of the seas, of huge unreasonable land 'forces and of mighty siege guns whose devastating power is unequalled. For years Europe has used her genius, not to ohtain peace, but to perfect a death dealing machine. today she is paying the price of her folly, while America rests in peace. Now the world can see the real greatness of Americas achieve- ments. No longer need she ask, how do the hopes and fears of human- ity rest on the fate of America? The answer is only too evident, for it is written in the blood of nations, it is engraved in human flesh. Yes, America has shown the world that international peace is pos- sible, but our task is not finished yet, for we in America hold in our hands the fate of the coming years. the destinies of the world, but shame and disgrace will he ours, if we allow the lustre in our eyes to become dimmed. if we train in the dust of golden hopes of men . And since this is the task for us to fulfill, let us show ourselves competent. let us put our shoulders to the wheel and strive to achieve as we have achieved. let us make a monument of our nation, an imposing structure dedicated to achievement, upon which individuals as well as nations may gaze, and when in the hour of despair, they behold its grandeur, they may again take heart and strive to achieve once more. Then will we have accomplished our share, then will the first and only world empire he formed, not one of power and dominion such as Napoleon sought, but one of ideas and achievements in which Ameri- can productions will be the ruling factor. ELMIER Sn.xr12R. Q4 E., .., L, gi me A A