The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-06-22
Degrees, Diplomas
Presented at
Clearys

I College commencement exercises
Saturday afternoon in the auditor
ium OF the college. Diplomas and
degrees were presented 10 total
OF 1875 students.
In his commencement talk DR.,
Cleary said, In part.
Because my duties as State
Chief Air Raid Warden have made
it necessary for me 10 be away
from the College a great deal this
spring, welcome this opportunity
TO say few words to those who
are being graduated this after
noon
These are times when every
man who is asked TO do a line of
work for which it is believed he is
qualified, and which is for the pub
lie good, has no course but to &C
cept. have felt that that which
was for the good OF the nation and
for the good Of the state, primarily,
had first claim upon my time.
81 wish TO congratulate not
only members of the graduating
class but parents as well. whose
sacrifices have made possible the
training which you, who are grad
uating, have now completed, and
which has qualified you to play
an active and vital part in events
which will determine ultimately
whether the nation shall continue
to exist as a democracy with free
dom. liberty and justice for all the
people.
Heavy Responsibility
! Upon you and upon thousands
of other graduates this year there
rests a tremendous responsibility.
1t would be. perhaps. an exaggera-
ton to say that you will determine
the outcome of this great strug-
gle in which We are engaged, but
1t is not an exaggeration to say
that, as representatives of youth,
you bear the larger portion of
the burden of preserving for your
selves and those who are to fol-
low you the American way of life.
I'VE cannot. even though some
of US might like to. disregard the
terrible facts Of war. Men and
women will give their lives for the
cause we have proclaimed.
Or. Cleary paid tribute to two
former Cleary students, Leroy
Grindle, of the class OF 1888, and
Chester Nowack, Alpena, class of
1910. who have given their lives
in the conflict; and then contin-
ued. AN issue has been drawn.
We should clearly understand that
that for which we are fighting
is survival, If we mean by that
the preservation OF those quanti-
ties and qualities which make life
worth living. In the end We shall
win or we shall lose. There can
be no middle ground of comprom-
mise
War always follows a general
pattern, but there are facts in
this war which differentiate 1t
from others. While We have two
fronts. the front OF battle and the
front of production, the number of
persons needed TO support the
Army is vastly greater than in
wars of the past. 1t is estimated
that is civilians are required for
the maintenance OF each soldier
in the field. IL we would draw a
line from Sault Ste. Marie TO Chi
cago, another line from Chicago
to Detroit, and complete the tri-
, angle by drawing line from De
troit to the 500. we would find
embraced therein more than one
third OF the productive facilities
for war in the United States.
"On the one hand. we on the
home front must produce guns,
tanks, airplanes, weapons of all
kinds, and ammunition, for those
who are doing the fighting. On
the other hand. because of the vast
changes in methods Of warfare,
VIC must furnish protection not
only for our homes and families,
but for the units which are en-
gagged in production. For that
purpose we have organized the
Citizens Defense Corps. through
which thousands of our people
have volunteered TO devote time.
which they can i'll afford to take
from their businesses under nor
| NAL circumstances. for training
and operation in Protective Serv-
ices.
Total War
"The President has said that
this is total war, and as such II
requires total participation Of all
citizens. ] receive total partici-
patton - Je- mat degree of per
sonal activity in the war effort
which is included and extends in
service beyond the various profes.
sions and vocations in which we
shall engage. In short, the war
must be lived by every person in
the country "a hours a day for its
duration. Those on the home
front must regard themselves as
soldiers and prepare to render the
services thereof as surely as must
front. So. then. II you work in
those who are on the battle
defense plants. you should also
participate in Civilian Defense.
Sufficient lnknlration
There are those who may
say to you. Isn't it a shame that
YOU are graduating from college
during a period Of war. What can
I you find Of inspiration in your
outlook May remind you that
in a war. the issue OF which is the
survival OF a nation whose preser-
} See CDEARY-Page .