Woodstock Collegiate Institute - Oracle Yearbook (Woodstock, Ontario Canada)

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And Now We Hove Peace The first peacetime Oracle in six years is going to press. Most of us have been attending collegiate during the war years, and we have often wondered what peace- time would be like. The education of many has been interrupted. Perhaps it has been tc their advantage: they have met new people, seen new places and thought of new things. Some have paid the supreme sacrifice: others are returning to take up where they left off. Still others of us have remained at school so that we might be trained to take our part in the planning of a peacetime world, which we knew would come. We've missed he Oracle the last three years - it, also, became a wartime casualty. ln another quarter-century those years in collegiate will only be hazy memories, but we have tried to produce for you a record of the faces and activities of those at W.C.l, in 1945-46. lt's been hard work, but We've had fun working together. We hope you like the result. Now we present to you our 1946 Oracle with a suggestion from the pen of Francis Bacon. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. -Editor Foundations For A Lasting Peace One of the most prominent topics in the newspapers and on the radio today is the question of a lasting peace, Almost every day of the week editorials are written and radio speeches are heard relating to this topic. This is not susprising, since the solu- tion of this problem is the key to the future of the world. lf we do not provide a solid foundation for peace now, we are sowing the seeds of world chaos later. The whole future of the world rests on this problem of today. How can we build a secure foundation for an enduring peace? As l make no claim to being a magician nor a medicine man with a panacea for the world's ills, I do not pro- pose to submit a simple solution for this vex- ing problem. It seems to be giving the ex- perts a little more trouble than they are able THE ORACLE to handle. What l shall try to do is give some idea of what is required to produce a lasting peace. The problem of whether or not we re- quire a world organization, such as a league of nations, has already been decided. I think that everyone feels it is one of the requisites for a lasting peace. We must be able to talk things over rationally. But in addition, we must have in our hands the power to en- force the peace, if it is necessary. A body such as a league of nations, combined with an international police force would give us just this protection. There is no doubt that the aggressor nations should be disarmed. They should not be given a chance to strike again while our backs are turned. I believe that one of the primary causes of war is man's need. ln Germany after the First World War the average German civil- ian led a far from attractive life. Cold and hungry, he felt that he had been cheated. Hitler was the solution to his problems. Hit- ler clothed and fed him. Hitler told him he was now better off that he had ever been be- fore. Der Fuhrer filled the disgruntled German with both food and propaganda. lt was the promise of new and better things that the Nazis used, to influence the German people as they desired. We have seen the sad out- come of it all. We must banish man's need as well as his fear. lf a man has all he needs, he is generally content. If he is happy, he does not usually think of war or conquest in order to secure more than his just share. In both Germany and lapan before l939 the people were kept in ignorance of the true facts about what went on in the outside world. These people must be re-educated and given a new sense of values in life. They must be taught to live at peace with one an- other and with the world. We are the only ones capable of teaching them and we must make a good job of it. Both social and moral reforms must be achieved. The key to the Iapanese sense of moral values lies in their religion - Shintoism. One would suppose at first that changing an entire nation's moral and religious outlook would be a gigantic, even an insuperable, undertaking. However, Fifteen

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General MacArthur has already told the Em- peror to tell the lapanese people that their being a divine race is nothing but a myth. Government sponsoring of the Shinto shrines has been abolished, and at last, the Iapan- ese people are beginning to learn the truth. So far there have been no violent repercuss- ions to this change. However, building the foundations for a lasting peace entails more than a number of reforms in the conquered countries. When the late Will Rogers was asked some years ago what was wrong with the world, he replied in his usual off-hand manner, Oh, people, l guess! Probably the same answer could be given to the world's ills at the pres- ent time. What are you and I going to do about building this foundation? The power lies in our hands: we must not misuse it. Our wishes govern the policies of our country. lt is up to us to do the right thing. The problem of laying the foundations for a lasting peace is a grave one. The future of the world depends on how well our job is done. Elizabeth Kenny Elizabeth Kenny, an Australian nurse famous for her treatment of poliomylitis, came to America in 1940. She had found it diffi- cult to convince Australian doctors of the success of her treatment, and an equally long struggle awaited her in America. When she first arrived in America, she appealed to both the National Foundation for lnfantile Paralysis and the American Medical Association in vain. Finally she was sent to the University of Minnesota Medi- cal School and the Minneapolis General Hospital. Here she demonstrated her treat- ment which succeeded in practically abol- ish-ing polio crippling in Minneapolis. By the old method polio was treated by apply- ing splints and braces. Sister Kenny be- lieves this only helps to cripple the patient, that the crippling effect is caused by the pat- ient refusing to exercise his muscles because of the pain caused by the muscles in spasm. Her treatment is to relieve the pain by hot packs so that the stricken muscles may be exercised. This method sounds simple, but a skilful operator requires from three to six months training. Apparently American doctors did not like to admit that a nurse could teach them Sixteen anything. Now the majority of people are in favour of her treatment, but there are still a few doctors prejudiced against her, despite her overwhelming success. Her life in Amer- ica has not been easy. During the past few years many articles have appeared in medi- cal papers criticizing her work. However, now, people all over America are clamour- ing for her treatment, and it is to be hoped that soon all doctors will realize that a nurse has taught them how to treat infantile par- alysis. Sister Kenny's treatment is indeed one of the most outstanding advances ever made in orthopedic surgery. Our War Memorial With the cessation of hostilities after six long Years of war, we, in our school, turn our thoughts to other matters. However, be- fore we do so, let us put some time on a suitable memorial for the fifty-one boys whom we lost. After the last war, students and teachers in the school felt it most fitting to procure a bronze memorial tablet with the names of those who were lost inscribed on it. Now, ideas are changing. People feel that it is more fitting to have something which will benefit those who are left, rather than some- thing which will remind us of them only sev- eral times a year4particularly at our Mem- orial Day Service. lt has been said that our principal and some of the staff would prefer another bronze plaque to be placed near the first one. But is this what the boys themselves would pre- fer? I believe they would rather the school would choose something which it needs- something which might remind us of them more than just seeing their names written on metal. Students and other teachers have thoughts along this line. But, you ask, what would be most suitable? There have been several suggestions. The first one is a school Swimming Pool. We wanted one when the new school was built. Could we have one now? No. There is no place for one in the pre- sent school. But we are not to be entirely disillusioned. The Board of Education is plan- ning to build a new addition to the school within ten years. At that time there will be supplied not only a swimming pool but also another gym! THE ORACLE