DIAL 4-5444
STUDENT SUMMER
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF
TEXAS A. & M. COLLEGE
The Battalion
DIAL 4-5444
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
OF THE CITY OF
COLLEGE STATION
VOLUME 3
122 ADMINISTRATION BLDG.
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 23, 1941
NUMBER 7
* tj
Registration Fails To Reach First Session Figure
Firemen’s
Attendance
Reaches 576
Preparedness For
Possible Invasion
Short Course Theme
The Twelfth Annual Firemen’s
Short Course, which began with an
active program Monday morning,
has drawn an attendance of 576,
Dr. C. C. Hedges, head of the de
partment of chemistry and acting
director of the short course, an
nounced Monday afternoon.
Although final figures are not
yet available, the enrollment is a
decided increase over the enroll
ment of last year, Dr. Hedges
stated.
“We are designating this 1941
session as ‘National Fire Defense
Program’,” Dr. Hedges said, “for,
during the coming year, should at
tack come to our shores or should
fifth column activities, arson, and
sabotage develop, we realize that
our American firemen must be our
first line of defense to keep the
wheels of industry rolling and to
keep our people living in the Amer
ican way.
“With these thoughts in mind,
the Advisory Committee has plan
ned a program of training for the
Texas Firemen based on fundamen
tal modern fire fighting methods,
brought up to date with the latest
information available.”
Unique in the equipment in
stalled on the campus for the short
course is a gas chamber which is
constructed near the Academic
building. Here, firemen come into
direct contract with tear gas and
other gas common in modern war
fare. Through this facility exper
ience in actual contact with gas
as in actual warfare will be gain
ed.
•Major R. A. Eads, Chemical Of
ficer, Headquarters Eighth Corps
Area, assisted by Master Sergeant
Jackson, Fort Sam Houston, has
charge of the gas warfare divi
sion.
The short course was divided in
to lectures and drill periods. Prac
tical inspection was made of the
campus biuldings. The group was
divided into four or five men and
an inspector for the purpose of
inspecting buildings with different
types of occupancy. Reports, dis
cussions and analysis of various
hazards were made near the build
ing inspected.
Principal lectures were delivered
by Gene Sanders, Fire Prevention
Chief, Department of Insurance,
Fire Insurance Division, Austin;
Horatio Bond, Chief Engineer, Na
tional Fire Protection Association,
Boston, Massachusetts; Dr. C. C.
Hedges, head of the department of
chemistry; W. Fred Heisler, di
rector, Oklahoma Fire School, Ok
lahoma A. & M., Stillwater, Okla
homa, and Major Eads, San An
tonio, Texas.
Entertainers
The Deep River Singers, former
members of “The Swing Mikado”,
comes to the Assembly Hall Thurs
day evening at 8 as the joint pres
entation of the Firemen’s Short
Course personnel and the summer
entertainment committee. The
varied program of the Deep Rover
Singers features spirituals, work-
songs and ballads in the planta
tion manner.
The Struder Brothers, who will
be presented Wednesday in the
Assembly Hall, brings to the cam
pus a unique concert of native
Swiss music and yodeling. High
lights of the concert will be brief
talks given by Jesef describing the
costumes of his native land and
people.
Struder Bros. And Deep River Singers
Named 2nd. For Entertainment Series
Quartette To Sing
Novelty Numbers,
Songs From “Mikado”
A unique concert of native Swiss
music and yodeling will appear on
the stage of the Assembly Hall
here on the campus on July 23. The
famous all-star Negro quartet, The
Deep River Singers, will also come
to the stage of the Assembly Hall
Thursday evening July 24 at eight
o’clock from recent stage, radio
and floor show triumphs, added to
their many laurels as a concert
company.
Three brothers arrived in the
United States a few years ago
from their native land, Lucerne,
Switzerland. They are Josef, Louis,
and Fritz Studer. Their mission in
this country is to bring to us some
►of their wholesome^Swiss folk mu-fSwiss'Program Will
sic and to acquaint American au-.
diences with the manners and cus
toms of the Alpine People.
These three brothers, jovial am
bassadors of good will and smiles,
are making their second summer
and fall tour in the South and
Southwest. They filled sixteen en
gagements for us in the summer
and fall of 1938.
With a beautiful stage back
ground of Alpine Scenery, and
wearing colorful native Swiss cos
tumes, this trio carries you into
Ashton Returns From Nine Months Stay
In Nicaragua As A Consultant Advisor
Returning to the A. & M. facul
ty this summer after spending nine
months in Nicaragua as one of the
American Representatives at the
Convention for the Promotion of
Inter-American Cultural Relations
is Dr. John A. Ashton of the Rural
Sociology Department. Thirteen
countries had representatives at
this convention, which is one of the
examples of President Roosevelt’s
good neighbor policy.
Acting as Consultant Advisor to
the minister of Agriculture, Dr.
Ashton had an opportunity to be
come thoroughly acquainted with
conditions in that Central Ameri
can country. He kept a diary of
his experiences and he plans to en
large on that record.
Accompanied by his wife, Dr.
Ashton lived in the city of Mena-
gua, capitol of Nicaragua, the larg
est of the five Central American
republics. Nicaragua, to the aver
age citizen of the United States,
suggests the as yet unbuilt canal
that may some day rival the Pan
ama Canal.
Nicaragua has a large coffee
industry as well as a sizeable rub
ber production which are of value
to us. The livestock of the country,
although large in amount, is poor
in quality. Dr. Ashton spent much
of his time studying the livestock
and in finding ways to improve
it. A few local Jersey and Holstein
cows were sent there. Also other
types of cattle from different sec
tions of Texas were sent.
Dr. Ashton was impressed by
the discovery that both the Presi
dent of Nicaragua and his wife had
been educated in the United States
and could speak English fluently.
The Ashtons flew to Guatamala,
where they spent a week exploring
the fascinating remains of Mayan
civilization, before returning to the
A. & M. campus.
Modern Interior
Designed By Norton
For Guion Theater
Although final specifications for
the remodeling of Guion Hall have
not been drawn up by P. G. Norton,
assistant college architect, present
plans indicate that the new theater
which will be constructed using the
present Guion Hall will be modern
and attractive. Drapes in har
monizing color with those now in
the building will be hung over all
the windows and along the brass
rail around the balcony. There will
be three rows of border lights on
the stage and one row of foot
lights. These lights will probably
be colored.
Other lights will include six
white spot lights which will be
mounted at various points in the
building. Specifications for
screens, sound, and projecting
equipment have not been drawn up
but will be available soon.
A picture projection booth will
be built behind the balcony and
a new ticket booth will be built in
th elobby. The isles will be car
peted and cast iron gates will be
placed on the sides making it pos
sible to enter only through the
front doors.
Feature Yodeling
And Flag Throwing
the heart of their picturesque
land.
They are an unusually versatile
group of musicians and entertain
ers. They play such instruments as
the bass violin, three accordions,
six clarinets, and concertina. Each
of the brothers plays two or more
instruments and each is an expert
yodeler. The brothers also feature
solo and harmony yodeling.
Highlights of the concert are
the brief talks given by Josef de
scribing the unique costumes of
his native land and people and also
his Swiss dance. Included in the
program will be a demonstration
(See ENTERTAINERS, page 4)
BenefitShows
Discontinued
ForNextYear
New Plan Calls For
Central Fund Which
Will Give Mutual Aid
Following a new policy, motion
pitcure shows which have been
held for the benefit of the var
ious clubs on the campus will be
discontinued during the coming
long session, M. L. Cushion, secre
tary of the Y. M. C. A., announced
Monday.
As a substitute for the benefit
shows which in the past has been
a source of finance for the var
ious student organizations, the Y.
M. C. A. will give twenty per cent
of the total accrued profits to a
special central fund from which
clubs will receive pro-rated divi
dends.
A disinterested committee will
be appointed in the near future
to determine the basis on which
clubs will receive allotments from
this central fund.
“Contrary to any rumours, all
clubs will benefit from the proposed
plan,” Cushion said. “Last year
the clubs received a combined total
of $503.50. Under the proposed
plan, the central fund will receive
around $2,000. Thus, the proposal
will benefit the entire group of
clubs.
“The old system of benefit
shows was far from desirable. As
a rule, the students were unfamiliar
with the set-up. In some cases
this unfamiliarity resulted in the
loss of a show because of insuf
ficient booking time. Then too, it
was not always possible to book
pictures for the entire group of
clubs on an equal basis. Conse
quently, some shows failed to draw
as well as others.”
In the past, each club was giv
en the opportunity to give a mo
tion picture show and to receive
all profits above the actual costs.
By dint of ticket drives or un
usual shows some clubs were suc
cessful in clearing good dividends.
However, due to inclement weather,
a poor show, or a bad book date,
many clubs failed to receive the
profits anticipated.
While no definite plans has as
yet been given which will form the
basis for the distribution between
the clubs, indications suggest that
some sort of merit system will be
developed which will take into ac
count the activities of the clubs
during the past year.
“With Guion Hall converted into
a modern theater with improved
facilities, a heavier attendance may
be expected than in the past,”
Cashion said. “This should result
in greater mutual benefits to all
clubs concerned.”
New Staff
Tom Gillis
Don Gabriel
Gillis To Edit
Battalion During
Second Six Weeks
The Battalion staff for the sec
ond session of summer school will
be headed by Tom Gillis, editor-
elect of the Battalion for the
coming year, 1941-42, and will be
assisted by a group of seniors,
most of whom will hold major of
fices during the coming long ses
sion.
The staff appointed by Gillis is
to consist of Don Gabriel, asso
ciate editor; V. A. Yentzen, man
aging editor; Dub Oxford, sports
editor; Ralph Criswell, advertising
manager; and Orville Allen, circu
lation manager.
In an election held last spring,
Gillis, Coast Artillery senior from
Ft. Worth, was elected editor-in-
chief of the Battalion newspaper
and magazine which also included
the editing of the Battalion of
the summer paper, but because
of camp, he was unable to attend
school the first six weeks.
The rest of the staff will con
sist of junior editors Jack Decker
and Charlie Babcock, and photo
graphers Jack Jones, Bob Cx - ane,
and R. W. Stenzel.
Insufficient
Influx From
Army Camps
Monday Afternoon
Class Attendance
Overcomes Loss
By Jack Decker
The enrollment of students reg
istering for the second six weeks
of the summer session reached, a
total of 999 by Monday night,
H. L. Heaton, acting registrar, an
nounced yesterday afternoon. The
influx of boys attending the sum
mer military camps did not swell
the enrollment as was anticipated
before the registration began, al
though a large number have regis
tered for the second six weeks.
The number of students enrolled
was a drop of 134 under the en
rollment of 1133 for the first
session.
Forty-two girls have enrolled for
the second session. The majority re
side in Bryan or in College Station.
A small percentage of single girls
are occupying Walton Hall which
is also occupied by married couples.
Of thet 957 boys registered, the
majority are staying in Puryear,
Mitchell, and Legett, although a
few are staying in project houses.
A small number are staying in
private homes.
Milner was occupied during the
first six weeks, but it has been
vacated for the second session in
order to make some repairs.
Classes were held Monday after
noon to make up for the time lost
in registering Monday morning
and also to enable the students to
obtain their assignments for the
following day. Regular classes
were begun Tuesday morning at
the scheduled time.
The Butcher Gave You A Clay
Tablet For A Bill In 2000B C
The student who attended school-fcharacters
six thousand years ago would have
^been amazed to attend A. & M.
college and see the type of writing
prevalent on the campus today,
for the student in that day used a
form of writing which is now call
ed cuneiform writing. No doubt,
there are professors on the campus
today who—, after vainly attempt
ing to decipher certain quiz pa
pers, might insist that a degener
ate form of this writing is still
used.
Webster attempts to describe
the writing and gives up with
“wedge-shaped;—applied especial
ly to the wedge-shaped or arrow-
headed characters of ancient in
scriptions of Assyria, Babalonia,
Persia, etc., and hence also to the
inscriptions themselves. . . . The
form assumed by the cuneiform
was due to their being
most often inscribed on soft clay;
on which the easiest stroke was a
straight line. Their characteristic
arrow-shaped heads were probably
from the initial touch of the styl
us. The cuneiform characters go
back to pictographic writing.”
A collection of tablets which bear
representative types of this writ
ing is featured in the center case
in the entrance room of the mu
seum. The specimens displayed in
this case were obtained by Dr. O.
M. Ball, former head of the de
partment of biology, some years
ago from a collector in Florida.
Cuneiform writing is thought to
have originated with the Sumer
ians about six thousand years ago.
It became widespread and remained
in use until about the third cen
tury B. C. The earliest cuneiform
characters go back to pictographic
writing, but in time these gave way
to syllabaries. A true alphabet was
never developed. The characters
were inscribed on soft clay with
a stylus; the clay was then fired.
Frequently it was enclosed in a
clay envelope.
The tablets on display are of
varying sizes and shapes. One was
found at Warka, the ruin of the
ancient Biblical city of Erech, Gen
esis 10:10. The tablet is a votive
cone, made by the priests of the
temple of Ishtar, the Goddess of
Love, and sold to the visiting pil
grim, who thrust it into a hole in
the temple wall as an offering to
the King. Thus a part of the tem
ple income was derived. The in
scription reads, “For Sin-Ga-Shid,
the mighty hero, King of Amanu,
(See MUSEUM, page 2)
Requirements For
Lieutenant Ratings
Announced By Dean
Information concerning the ap
pointment of Second Lieutenants,
Signal Corps Reserve, has been
received from the Adjutant Gen
eral’s Office, War Department,
Washington, Gibb Gilchrist, dean
of the school of engineering, has
announced.
Vacancies exist for the imme
diate appointment of approximate
ly 500 Second Lieutenants in the
Signal Corps Reserve under the
following conditions:
The applicants must have a col
lege degree, or its practical equi
valent, in electric engineering and
have specialized in radio commun
ication, or be an electronic physi
cist.
The applicants may be civil
ians, or commissioned or enlisted
personnel in any component of the
Army of the United States in
either active or inactive status.
The applicants must be unmar
ried, without dependents and be
tween 21 and 36 years of age, and
able to meet the physical stan
dards prescribed for appointment
as Reserve Officers.
The applicants must agree to ac
cept active duty, outside of the
Continental United States, if ne
cessary.
Walton To Help
Re-Organize L.S.U.
Agriculture School
President T. O. Walton, of Texas
A. & M., has been asked to be
one of a committee of three of
the nation’s outstanding agricul
tural educational leaders to formu
late plans for a rehabilitation of
the agricultural school of Louisiana
State University. Other members
of the committee are Dean H. H.
Kildee, of Iowa State College,
Ames, Iowa; and I. O. Schaub, of
North Carolina State College,
Clemson. The committee will meet
in Baton Rouge to study the Louis
iana State University situation and
report to that school’s trustees.
I