West Paris High School - Nautilus Yearbook (West Paris, ME)

Page 15 text:

' 12.61, Wartime is a time of tense emotion and it takes but a little friction to set off a great explosion. Will a few lost lives be the cause of our entering another war, causing the loss of millions more, as it has in the past? We cannot say. It is impossible to predict anything of this sort in advance. We stated that never again would the United States en- ter a war on foreign soil but will we? We may not, true, but what about our own territory? We must defend it against invasion even though we remain neutral. It is the law of self preservation that justifies re- armament though we do not intend to enter war. There is the argument that forces could not be landed on our coast in sufficient numbers to harm this country, but this argument is ancient. with the high speed of trans- portion an air fleet could take over one of our outlying possessions and make it their base for attackg it would ': within striking distance. They could engage a part of our country while their forces were forming and cripple a part of our defense. This may seem like a dream but it could be a reality in the modern age of machinery. If we had a strong defense,would a nation attempt at- tack? They would not,but our country is too extensive to be adequately protected by the present defense. In brief, I sum up my whole argument by saying that we must rearm since, though it may not be aggressively, we have not enough resources to enter war at a moment's notice, defensively. ' V W We Ao '59 y y vt w ty,e l fggggiamn:wFMQ mk

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SHALL WE. KE ARM ? The United States hasn't a defense large enough to hold the respect of aggressive nations and she must rearm to hold her place. The United States is a large nation but once, she is weakened other countries will look down upon her as inferior to them. Nations are much like people, in fact, they are exactly like people for it is the rule of the survival of the fit- test that governs the world. The United States would not be justified in not rearm- ing. What are the other countries doing? They are rearm- ing, why should not the United States. I admit that pre- paredness often brings on war because a nation wants to prove superiority, but why be the victim by not rearming. Leagues have been formed, alliances, treaties signed but to what avail. It is only human nature to want to be the stronger and no promise written or oral can survive in the greed for supremacy. To hold one's place in the world he must fight his way, no one will help him, for long, un- less it is to his own good and so it can be said of nations. Hitler, for example, has made numerous promises to the effect that he would ask nothing further but what has he done? He has gone on and taken what he pleased with other nations afraid to intervene because they were not strong enough. His promises existed for s short time only, then, they were cast aside in his selfish conquests for power. The World War was a war to end wars, it was said, but humans learn noth ng from war except more ways to kill more people more quickly. Will we be the innocent victim? One nation cannot oppose a score and survive. Is the United States so situated that she can ignore the rush for armament? Can she sit back? Forces stationed at Panama are not strong enough to withstand attack and to send aid would mean weakening our coastal defense. In other words there would not be defense enough to go around if any portion were attacked. The only solution is to rearm and rearm we must if we are to remain the independent nation we are. f The President himself hhsioutlined a plan for rearm- ament and the strengthening of our defense.

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WHY GET AN EDUC ATJON ? Ever since the founding of William and Mary, in the 16th century, schools and colleges have been increasing, until today the United States has schools everywhere within its boundaries, even in the remote rural districts, to give to the children an education that they need to make a suc- cessful livelihood for themselves and their families when they have reached maturity. An education today means much more to the child than it did to its parents, for today few important positions go to men and women who have not at least a high school education. It pays in dollars and cents, and in many other ways to re- ceive an education. If one leaves school before he graduates, he is shut out from all professions, before he even begins. He can only work with his hands and feet receiving little compensa- tion for the rest of his life. A girl or boy may leave school, when the law permits, and go to work in a dime store or be a Usoda jerkeru. Both of these positions are good for a summer's vacation but not for a livelihood. Not only do professional positions require training but also farming. Small time farming is almost of the past. Today workers have gone to the city and the farmer is come pelled to use labor-saving machines. He must know how to operate and repair these, for which he will need training. The natural fertility has been taken from the land, and it must be replaced expertly if anything is to thrive abundant- ly. Because farming has changed to scientific and mechan- ical farming, agricultural courses are offered to boys. There are, of course, geniuses who did not receive training in special schools, such asz' Edison, Lincoln, Ford, Franklin and Hetty Green. All of these are outstand- ing in their field, ye , hey taught themselves. They took the hard road and succ eded, but many others have tried it and failed. They were the exceptions, but we, not being geniuses, should go to school to get education. An educated person is well able to acquire many friends while an uneducatc person has little chance to broaden his small circle of ac uadntances. f Thus, with an education of the right sort, you will be able to make a place in the world for yourselfg without it you are lost. Pl Pl