Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

It's like the old overshot water- wheel—and I have often used this figure—where the water comes in at the top and the buckets move on, and at first, after the water comes in, it hasn't quite so much power, but it moves on until it reaches its maximum leverage. Then the wheel goes on and regretfully those buck- ets empty. And when the last one empties you go down into oblivion which is known as history. And so we go through this busi- ness of generations, three genera- tions: your junior, the second gen- eration—where you meet your con- temporaries and competitors, and then the new juniors come on. I see none of those seniors of my time around this table. Mr. Nally, I include you and General Harbord as my contemporaries. I have spent several weeks in Paris with you both, and I have reason for that statement. (Laughter) There are around this table a few of my contemporaries and my competitors; and then there are more of you younger men, one of whom we honor tonight. You see, David had sensitive ears, and his great introduction to radio was when he translated to the world one of the great tragedies of the sea. He didn't lose his sensitive ears altogether later either. His ears were sensitive to the scientists who were producing real things. And the mountebanks of science, those who spoke loudly and reiter- ated often, so paralyzed his sensi- tive ears that he couldn't hear them. I think he did a little better with those ears in politics; his ears were sensitive to politics,—even though they spoke loudly. And so he came to know most of the important people not only in this country but —as he had to know—most of the important people in politics in the world. It's a strange thing that he had this vision of the music box way back in 1915. He tried to convince the Radio Corporation about it in 1921. "Why," he said, "you'll see; one in every seven families in this country will some day have a music box, and there will be a business of $75,000,000 a year." Think of that —great vision and practical busi- nes.s—$75,000,000 a year! And that has been one of his great traits, you know, because I have discovered in most of these organizations that it takes about three men with their feet on the ground to one man with his head in the clouds to go forward and save the company from bankruptcy on the one side and make progress on the other. (Laughter) David has that rare combination, you know, of permitting his head to be in the clouds and keeping his feet on the ground. In one single package you have those several men whom I am describing. I don't want to talk about David's contribution to radio—I don't need to here particularly. I'd like to talk about his contribution in at least one other field. I had the good fortune to have him as an aide in Paris in 1929. Perhaps you have forgotten, so let me remind you that that was the time when David and I "saved the world." (Laughter) There were to be no more wars. Currencies were re-established. The world every- where was starving for goods. It seemed that the opportunities to lift the living standards of peoples everywhere were the greatest in the history of our recorded civilization. How could anyone have thought then that in a very few years vast cities would be destroyed, men by the millions would be dead and mil- lions more, though living, would be maimed? How could David and I have dreamed in Paris—think of this!—how could David and I have dreamed in Paris in 1929, that one or more of the men with whom we were then treating would tonight lie sleepless because of his unknown sentence tomorrow? Even though a great nation with a wounded pride, under a psycho- pathic leader, ruined our work, I would like now to express again— as I have many times before—my appreciation of the great service which David Sarnoff performed in that trying time. Then came again a great and another devastating war. Then ra- dio and the vast extensions of its art—as Dr. Compton has told you —were to play a most important part. Then one man of illuminating vision, of hard-headed practicality, a man of courage, was to be called to the service of his country, and then I could no longer call him "David." And so I salute him to- night and introduce him to you as Brigadier General David Sarnoff. RESPONSE BY GENERAL SARNOFF Mr. Toastmaster, Honored Guests, Friends and Fellow Work- ers. I am sure that you can ap- preciate how overwhelming all this must be to me. It is a uniciue ex- perience to be alive and to hear your own obituary recited. (Laugh- ter) Who could fail to be moved by the handsome evidence of friend- ship all around me tonight, by the great honor which you do me by your very presence here, and who could hope to find words that would adequately express the depth of my feeling and of my gratitude to all of you ? To you. General Harbord, let me say that I am, with pride, your junior, and I salute you as my chief not only in the military world, but also in the industrial world. I salute you as my chief and I thank you as my friend. And to you, Dr. Compton, I am most grateful for the honor that you have done to all of us by your presence here tonight and thank you for the illuminating address which you have given on this little busybody known as the electron. I don't know whether I would normally have claimed any relation- ship to the electron, but now that you have set it in such a legitimate frame of paternity, I have no fears of admitting some relationship. I would like to say that of all the relatives I have ever had, the elec- tron was the best. (Laughter) It has supported me quite well for all these forty years, and—what is more—it has remained invisible. And to you, my friend, Mr. Young, I shall always be "David", I hope. As my mentor and as my teacher in the gentle art of indus- trial statesmanship, you have marked my report card tonight very generously. But now that you have done it, perhaps I should con- fess that I haven't yet learned all the lessons you have taught me. And I would like to pay tribute RADIO AGE 51