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Sir Robert Watson-WattInventor Of Rad ar Comments OnctOn The House Of TheSir Robert Watson-Watt, inventor o{ radar, was the special speaker it a banquet Saturday night winding up the one day convention of the Newfoundland Housing Conference.The ballroom of the Newfoundland Hotel wlt;s crowded and an additional table had to be set up to seat all conference delegates and others interested in hearing the distinguishedComplete PlansKennel ClubPet ShowPlans are well in hand aiul entries ire rolling in for the popular one-day Pet Show to be held in the CLB Armouries on Saturday, November 22nd. Thii annual event, started by the Nfld. SPCA, promises to be even more successful than ever this year as the St. John’s Kennel Club has joined forces with the SPCA.The Pet Show, which is open to exhibitors of all types of dogs, opens in the morning of the 22nd., next Saturday at 11 a.m. with classes for children’s pet poochei of any breed. The judging in this first section of the show will be based on suchqualifications as the dog withthe longest tail, the dog with the shortest tail the largest dog, the smallest dog, the dog that will do the mpst tricks,' and so on.The evening section, set aside for the judging of pedigree dogs, begins at 3 p.m. Dogs exhibited in this section will be judged in six groups, sporting dogs, sporting dogs (hounds), working dogs, terriers, toy dogs and non-sporting dogs. Judging of entrants in this pedigree section of the show will be based on the procedure followed by shows sponsored by authorized kennel clubs, Thus ultimately a winner will be chosen in each group. These winners will in turn compete for the Best in Show award.* visitor,Entry forma are needed onlyBecause of his Invention Sir Robert has been credited with saving Britain from defeat during the Battle of Britain and his name is associated with the other British leaders at that time—Churchill, Montgomery,Alan • Brooke, Cunningham, Alexander.Sir Robert interspersed his speech with some witty remarks indicating that he is an accomplished after - dinner speaker as well as a distinguished scientist.Sir Robert, in developing his topic, spoke of the prewar days in Britain and of how he had something to do with saving Britain from Brinkmanship. He said he could not go along with the trend of thinking concerning the space age and could not say where we are in the space age. On housing, he was more familiar is he was born on a heap of sawdust and histoys were putty and screw nails. He said he was a son and grandson of what they called in Scotland wrights (craftsmen). He traced land development through industrial activity and how hard it was now to get sufficient urban land for building, It was impossible to findsewered land for houses sobadly needed.There is he said, the association ’of the network of communications - roads, electricity and water and the distribution inward and outward. All my own life has been spent on one aspect of communications, he added. He began his chequered career in physics, then weatherreporting and finally radio and communications. Here he recalled that St. John's Is still the traditional terminal in communications,Sir Robert said, I am againstthe space age—formally opposed to it. It is just possible that I brought on the space age by ten years or so because of my conduct in the war.” If radar had not been invented and used against the enemy and the air war were lost we might now be speaking some kind of pidgin German, he said,Sir Robert here quoted from a poem or ditty concerning his own experience in Port Hope, Ontario, when he was pulled in by police for driving too fast-42 mph. in a 32 mph. zone. He was a victim of his own invention.He said he would like to tee the outer space age limited to that kind of science referred to by an Oxford Don: Never have any use for it anyhow. Thst was the kind he would support said Sir Robert..Sir Robert said Spaceism Is no more than a garballed form of escapcism. He thought we had a most monstrous cheek to mismanage the globe and think we have asy right to make in equally bad mess on th* moon or further distant heavenly bodies.The big problem the world has to face is population, he declared and soon there would be standing room only. Science, he said, must find better utilisation of food production, I'm not sure the politicians know how hard they have to drive the scientists to prevent the age of starvation.Sir Robert digressed for a moment on apace age structures, especially on Jupiter and otherplanets. He warned against too much dependence on artificial artistry and urged architect and builder to cooperate in making the modern home a machine for living but not a machine shop, Keep out the wet and let in the sun, kept out the draft and let in fresh air. Soundiwas an increasing problem from the inside and out, he declared.Sir Robert returned to the early days of radar experiments and of his visits to the Pentagon in Washington concerning wider use of the invention for the joint armed Allied forces. He said a uniform was not made to make people uniform.Concerning his visit to St. John's, he said he had to find some excuse for getting here to this centre of communications. The first cable, and the telephonic-cable. “I satisfied myself in good order,” he deFutureIiIIclared and visited Signal Hill because of Signor Marconi. He recounted the circumstances aurrounding Marconi's experi ments in wireless in 1601 and how he had dumbfounded the skeptics, He thanked all present and referred to one Newfoundlander who had almost convinced him that the sunset over Newfoundland was as beautiful as it is over the Western Isles.The chairman of the banquet,John Caulfield Smith, introduced Mr. Justice Sir BrianDunfield as Mr. Town Planner. Sir Brian proposed a rote of thanks to Sir Robert and praised the distinguished visitor for his exceptional efforts during the war. He produced the book Three Steps to Victory, written by Sir Robert, whichSir Brian said he had obtained at the Gosling Library, He urged all his listeners to resd the book as it outlined the battla of Britain and the part radar had player in helping save Britain,The invention of radar, aald Sir Brian, eame at tha right moment. It gave tired air crews of the gallant R.A.F. a little more time to rest and warned them of approaching enemy planes and where to find them.ck1clt;t1((1i(Continued on page 17)Two Hit-RunOccidentsTwo hit and run accidents were reported over the weekend. Kevin Gibbons of 1B9 Campbell Ave. had his 1956 Studebaker parked in front of 102 Pleasant St. and reported it was sideswiped by an auto that didn’t stop. There was $60 damage to the left front door.William Hillier of 520 Empire Ave. had his car, number 5346, driven by his ion Harold side-swiped by a red itake body truck on Merrymeeting Road onSaturday.
Newspaper Details
Saint Johns Daily News
Saint Johns, Newfoundland, CA
Mon, Nov 17, 1958
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Blake P.
CA 02 Sep 2020
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