1937
Carnival weekend, as this is being written, and no more fitting climax to a wonderful winter could be devised. Strange how the point of view one takes shapes the conclusion as to whether this has been one of the best or the worst winters of recent years. The laments from the cities mingle with the shouts of joy from the countryside, one damning and the other praising, but no one being neutral on the subject.
Personally we have found it to be the most enjoyable winter-sports season of a lifetime, because our hobby for the last two months has been the formation of a ski team made up of youngsters ten years old and under, and we wish everyone in the class could spend an afternoon watching these tots ski to as near a point of perfection as it is possible to reach at their age. So far, a meet on Oak Hill and a return match with the Eastern Slopes Juniors at North Conway has been the entire competitive schedule, but there have been many hours of training and fun in between, and in every respect it has been a memorable experience.
For those of you who still have the old skiis in the cellar and can find youngsters to organize into a team for competition, we recommend this hobby to you and will gladly send details to help out.
Art Guyer has a word or two on skiing in a letter received during the month and also first-hand information on his last European wanderings.
". . . . This ski teaching is a pleasant life and keeps me out in the open, but it is an artificial type of existence for this day and age. . . .
"As you know, my real interest is the exchange students between nations in an attempt to build up international understandings and friendliness. My trip to Europe last fall was to make some arrangements for that exchange. As it turned out, I was disappointed a great deal by what I found. Even though I knew from earlier trips and my war-time experiences that things would not be bright, I had expected that recovery would be farther along than it was. Even though I had seen devastation caused by the war, I was still amazed at the destroyed areas still left. It seems that cleaning up after a war is a longer process than any of us realized. Europe has a long way to go yet and even the tremendous outlay of the Marshall Plan isn't going to anywhere near get things completely back in shape
"On top of the purely physical damage, I am troubled by the loss of health of many people who after years on a sub-minimal diet are still not getting the vitamins and other necessary food fractions they need even when they can get volume enough to meet their hunger. Although the children of England, where rationing really works, are chubby and healthy, those of other countries are in many cases thin and weak with rotten teeth and lusterless eyes. Stunted and sickly as children, they will not make strong adults. It may be many generations before those people get back their former vitality.
"Even worse is a certain moral degeneration which one can see here and there. Black market operations, a necessity during the war, have in many places become standard procedure. Stealing and general destructiveness have increased. Those who live by their wits, and unfortunately, even those who are in a position not financially uncomfortable are not at all concerned with any moral code. Basically the lack of moral feelings is probably due to a lack of security. Children living with distant relatives, or older orphans who have little parental control, roam around living on what they can get away with. They have few roots in the past and no hope for the future, living only in the present, and obeying only the whim of the moment. Illustrative of this was the group of five boys, about twelve or thirteen years old, in Rome who appeared in the street as I was driving by in a carriage. They had some heavy vegetable stalks and as they passed, beat the sides of the carriage and struck the horse with them. The driver yelled at them and a cop came along, but they finally knocked the horse down and ran off up an alley. The driver said that had happened several times and that it made no difference who was in the carriage.
"As to the exchange work which I was attempting to do, I was deeply disappointed because I was unable to arrange a single exchange. There are several factors involved. One is the lack of food. Even those who were otherwise interested refused to take the responsibility of feeding an American child or felt that it was impossible to heat the house enough for the child's health. There was some official resistance by the educational authorities who believed that American education is not up to European standards at the same age levels, but in general it was social and economic difficulty that hindered the plan. Many said that by 1950 something might be done, but I have had to give up the plan for the coming summer. "Hope to see you and best to all the class."
Emory Bentley has announced the formation of a partnership for the general practiceof law under the name of Walsh and Bentley,and with the formalities dropped this notefrom New Bedford, Mass.
"The formal announcement enclosed herewith fails to show the warmth of my heart when I think of Hanover. I would like to be able to give you some material for your monthly stint in the MAGAZINE, but recently my contacts with others in the class have been at a low ebb. Occasionally, I get together with Dex Smith and Dick Wood, but the growing families of all three of us limit the number of times that we can get together.
"There are a number of Dartmouths in this area, but most of them from older classes. We have been intrigued by the advertising relative to Hanover Holiday, Monday through Friday, and would like to get up for some skiing, but, as usual, won't be able to get away. "Best regards to all."
And Art Sprague has proven that he wasno optimist when he predicted a boy. DavidArthur was born February 7, and was all boyto the extent of 7 lbs. 131/2 ounces.
Secretary, Alumni Gymnasium, Hanover, N. H. Treasurer, Box 121, Deerfield, Mass. Class Agent, U2i Park Sq. Bldg., Boston, Mass.
