The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-04-23
B. H. s. NOTES
By IDA CLARE

The students were favored with a very long assembly yesterday morn ing. Rev. Alexander Alison, Jr., was 1he speaker and used as his topic lSsInfluence" The course that Rev. Alison pursued during his talk was very clear and interesting. He spoke on the influences friends have on one and other. This influence he com pared with a magnet which draws i, the little particles of steel to it. Therefore" said Rev. Alison, "be- cause of this inevitable influence you should be exceedingly careful of the friend you select, for when you are least aware the change is going on. Influence reaps an act; an act reaps d habit; a. habit reaps a character; a, character reaps a destiny. This all relates to your personal influence but then there is another influence you t ye by the important position you class or of any club be careful of what you do or say for you are un- knowingly, perhaps, influencing someone else. United States and the American people have a. great inter national influence. Every part of the world is watching us and study ing our policies. When you have this influence you should not choose the path that benefits yourself alone but a path which will be also for the good of those who are watching you. With her great influence America can no longer live by herself. At the present time we have TO groups of ships by which we are able to reach .prarticaiEty every part of the globe. In very few hours, now, we can get into communication with lands across the sea- All this goes to show that the nations are no longer little dis tinct parts working for themselves but that they are one big world working also for the other fellow.''
 ''The day has gone when it is right for a soap box orator to get up and shout America for the Ameri- cans; America for ourselves, first, last and always That orator does not love America one~lbit better than I do but I do not repeat his prayer, I say T hope America will soon take her place among the nations of the earth as the great friend. Private spirited. men and women are wanted by the world, no more, the public spirited person is in demand Speak ing of the influence of America as a great friend to other nations, hap pen to think thNt recently I read that a Chinese labor leader at one of the meetings for the development of his native land, nadesthis. prayer, O God, make China like the United States He did not mean the mean and small centered@ America; but the kindly, friendly and helpful nation that her influence makes her; like the America wA1osat the time of the Boxer uprising refused the indem- nifty from China for the loss of American lives but rather said, No, take your money and each year send Chinese men and women to the great universities of of,America4and ed- ucate them That is the United States they are prayingzto be like.
 'The world can no longer say, We live for ourselves dfone,' because the world is all living together and is bound together by such ties that it is impossible foE+t them to resist one and other
 Pupils of Bridgeport High, I have but one thing to,eask. Won't you try always to exhort your influence in wholesome firectfDnS~so+yous swil~ever include the whole world in your