Marconi and Miss Earhart In the furthest corners of the
earth the name of Marconi is familar to those who have never heard of the ephemeral great men of modern Europe ; nor is his fame likely to fade with the years. Such world renown is the best monument for one whose discoveries have girdled the earth and leapt the barriers of years. Marconi is an inspiring name for a generation which toils painfully after the destruc- tion of international barriers. Though not actually the discoverer of wireless waves, nor even a great scientist in the strictest sense, it was Marconi who first realised their wider possibilities and turned what had hitherto been a limited technical invention into a force without parallel in its effect upon human society. Not only travel and communication, but the art of government itself has been revolutionised by a discovery which enables a man to " speak with the voice of a Stentor." By a combination of good fortune and initiative Marconi secured commercial success, but he never let success dim his ardour for discovery, and beam-wireless and television are later developments of his early ideas. It was said of him that the word " impossible " had no place in his vocabulary. Miss Earhart was another pioneer who modestly achieved the hitherto impossible. She always denied that her flights had any scientific value, but her career of dauntless achievement was certainly not wasted.
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