BILL MURRAY ....
LARRY WEHRLE ..
James Critz
E. C. (Jeep) Oates
H. G. Howard
“Hub” Johnson
Philip Golman
John J. Moseley
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Associate Editor
Sports Editor
Circulation Manager
Intramural Editor
Staff Photographer
Staff Artist
THURSDAY STAFF
Ray Treadwell Managing Editor
Don Burk Asst. Advertising Manager
Don McChesney Asst. Circulation Manager
Phil Levine Editorial Assistant
Junior Editors
Bob Nisbet Cecil DeVilbiss Billy Clarkson
Senior Sports Assistants
Mick Williams Louis J. Lippman
Reportorial Staff
Jack Aycock, H. D. Borgfeld, P. H. Brown, R. A. Doak, Jim
Dooley, Walter Goodman, Guy Kane, R. R. Mattox, R. B. Pearce,
R. G. Powell, Walter Sullivan, Delbert Whitaker.
We Owe Our Team
Support
A. '& M. is thrice blessed in the matter of school
spirit. Freshmen may not fully realize it yet;
but after a few of the yell practices to come, the
realization should soon come to them.
With the student body a large one—with twelve
new dormitories and the new mess hall, vastly
enlarging the institution—with the many changes
being instituted—there is grave danger that the
“Aggie spirit” may suffer. School spirit is usually
manifest better in smaller colleges, but this has
not been and need not be the case with A. & M.,
even though we long ago outgrew the small col
lege class.
Upperclassmen should do their part to make
yell practice what it should be, and encourage the
freshmen to do likewise. We all ought to cooperate
with yell-leaders Bodie Pierce and Bert Burns to
make the Aggie yelling louder and better than
ever before.
Addressing this primarily to the freshmen, we
might point out that while it may seem unimportant
now, the school spirit which has made A. & M.
renowned throughout the Southwest is a matter of
''‘\__great' importance. After witnessing a few games
this year and noting the lack of school spirit in
many students of other institutions, a better under
standing of why the upperclassmen of A. & M.
are proud of the “Aggie spirit” can be gained.
The important point is that A. & M. is our
school, football season is under way, and we should
do our best to furnish a great “twelfth man” for
the eleven on the field.
Delay on the New Halls
The Battalion believes that the twelve new
dormitories are very fine indeed, and that the
main construction of them has been a remarkable
feat. We like the halls. But the time has come' to
point out a fow sources of much annoyance.
For one thing, we cannot deplore too much
the fact that the extensive system of complicated
built-in radio aerials installed on the room of each
of the new halls is not yet working as it should.
A new feature, undoubtedly costing some
thousands of dollars, and eagerly looked for by many
hundreds of radio-owning Aggies as providing the
ideal solution to the old problem of poor reception
on the radios in the new halls, it does not function
anywhere near properly. This is unfortunate, be
cause a worse condition tends to exist now as a re
sult than that which existed and remains in the old
dormitories.
Fully eighty per cent of the rooms in the dor
mitories, it is estimated, have radios. Everyone ex
pected that such an elaborate and expensive system
as the new one is would give from the start the
most nearly perfect reception possible on the radios
in the new dorms. But it hasn’t yet.
This condition is not the fault of the college
officials, we wish to point out. The electrical con
tract remains to be fulfilled by the contractors.
Countless radio-owners have complained that
the reception is weakened by hooking into the built-
in aerial and ground plugs. Static and “fading” are
bad. Many stations usually among the strongest on
the air can scarcely be tuned in. Many radio-owners
have thought that it was the fault of their radios;
but it is the fault of the new aerials instead.
In order to get good reception, a number of
radio owners have so far been forced to resort to
“home-made” aerials strung about the rooms, at
tached to the screens, or hung out the windows to
the nearest tree or lamp-post. Unsightly as these
temporary aerials are, they function several times
better than the permanent ones do as yet. But their
existence is tending to create the very condition
that the new ^permanent aerials were meant to elim
inate: wires of all kinds strung every which way
about the new halls, thus max-ring the otherwise
pleasing impression made. This state of affairs
should be remedied immediately.
Such a fine-looking and costly aerial system
should be more than a mex-e expei-iment. Logically
it should give the finest reception possible on
x-adios around here. Therefore, the only desirable
solution, and the one The Battalion urges be
reached as quickly as possible, is the repairing of
the new system just as speedily as this can be done.
* * *
There has been delay in equipping the new
halls in a number of ways. Of course, some delay
n p rfecting such a “rush job,” finished in a re-
uia d ably 'short dux-ation consid ring its vastness.
Sug-areff
In this enlightened age people lauvh at the
superstitions of their grandmothers and grandfath
ers.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the Maze
of Superstition in the Hall of Medicine and Public
Health at the New York World’s Fair, 1939.
This exposition of the whimsical medical beliefs
that have been exploded by modern scientific re
search is daily dx-awing thousands of Fair visitors,
and they are all' highly amused at the fantastic
superstitions which served as curative and preven
tative medicine in a less enlightened day.
There is for example, a model of a hand cover
ed with toads to explode the popular belief that
toads cause warts. Some of the truths which the
show preaches include:
Fish is not brain food.
Scaring is no cure for hiccoughs.
Cobwebs are germ traps and will not heal
wounds.
An amber necklace will not cure goitre.
Inhaling camphor will not prevent disease.
Eating ground glass will not cure tapeworm,
but it will ruin the lining of the digestive tract.
Carrying a rabbit’s foot or an old potato will
not cure or prevent rheumatism.
Wearing red clothes is no substitute for vacci
nation for smallpox.
The superstition that the color red was a cure
for smallpox was one to which Francis I, Emperor
of Germany, clung until his death from the dread
scourge. That was, of course, before Pasteur’s vac
cine was discovered.
As the World Turns
By V. K. SUGAREFF
The Russian Riddle
In a world already full of
shocks to international confidence,
the Berlin-Moscow announcement
of a seven-year trade agreement
dealt a stunning blow to the Anglo-
French negotiations, aiming to
bring Russia within the orbit of
Chamberlain’s “peace fx-ont.” Next
day (August 21) Germany and Rus
sia reveaLd that they had agreed
to sign a non-aggression tx-eaty.
This announcement sent the Anglo-
French negotiators back home with
the hope that, at least, Russia
would remain neutral in the war which it seemed
impossible to avert.
Such a treaty between the two arch-antagonists,
Hitler and Stalin, appeared well-nigh impossible.
Both have engaged in verbal recriminations which
led cunning diplomats, as well as the man on the
street, to think that the two countries would never
come to an understanding. However, “international
politics is a fluid thing,” Bismarck, the Iron Chan
cellor, used to say. In the present situation Russia’s
interests more than logic or ideology of words are
the potential factors: (1) Russia and Germany can
be of mutual help during the war—the seven-year
trade agreement provides for large-scale purchases
by both countries of each other’s goods; (2) England
and France disregarded Russia’s possible influence
in world affairs during the Czechoslovakian crisis;
and (3) Russia could stand aside while the demo
cracies and the totalitarian states fight it out, and
then come in as Europe’s arbiter and spread Com
munism in a war-toim Europe.
Whatever motives one ascribes to the Nazi-
Bolshevik rapprochement, some results are already
evident. Russia has concluded an armistice with
Japan. Queer! No one knew that they were at war.
The armistice was followed by Japan’s change of
military command in Asia, which seems to indicate
a new policy. Already there are new hints that
Japan is eyeing the English, French, and Dutch
possessions in the Far East. Only the United
States, if she chooses to do so, could restrain
Japan from venturing such conquests. As a result
of the meteoric speed of the German advance into
Poland and the collapse of Polish resistance, Rus
sian troops have occupied the pre-Woidd War Rus
sian territory included in Poland by the Versailles
Treaty. Russia’s haste to re-establish the old Uk-
x-ainian boundary with Hungary indicates that
she had rather have a shrunken Poland than Ger
many for a neighbor. Premier Commisar Molotoff
has announced his country’s neutrality toward Eng
land and France and, however doubtful, it has been
accepted by the latter powers.
Other probable results of the Nazi-Bolshevik
agreement may soon materialize. The Turkish
minister of foreign affairs is now in Moscow.
Turkey, like Poland, has a reciprocal treaty with
England and France but the quick collapse of Po
land may call for special interpretations of that
treaty. Should the visit of the Turkish envoy re
sult in a neutrality parallel to Russia’s, it would
seriously weaken the allies in the Mediterranean,
the Balkans, and the Black Sea.
Rumor has it that a million and a half Rus
sian troops are on the Russo-Rumanian box-der in
Bessai’abia. If Hitler forces and helps Hungary to
attack Rumania, Russian ti’oops would occupy Bess
arabia and, perhaps, a large portion of eastern
Rumania. Thus, the map of southeastexm Europe
might be re-drawn and the Russian riddle unfold
itself as the old Czarist plan: march toward the
Aegean Sea, which will ultimately conflict with
rmany’s march to the East, and Italy’s interests
in the Balkans.
sembly Hall. Here is a detective Bryan this weekend. A write-up of can teach anyone to play the piano
story with a slightly new angle. It it is in September’s magazine, but in 10,561 easy lessons . . . The
is different enough to be good fun I want to repeat that it is not a telephone operators really get
and entertainment. Rather than show just for the kiddies. Anyone around—One of the boys in the
the actors pulling a lousy plot out can laugh at the silly antics of the office asked information for the
of the fire, this case is just the re- Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow, number of the Commandant’s Of-
verse. However there is enough A picture all in technicolor, with fice whereupon he was asked “Col-
novelty about the show that, per- some very popular new tunes and lege or Bryan, puleese ? ”
sonally, I enjoyed it thoroughly, an entertaining story, it is said by
Joan Bennett switches to a bx’unette most people to be highly enjoyable,
in the middle of the show. When
she did so, she looked so much like
Hedy Lamarr that it seemed as
though the other actress had been
added to the cast.
The story of “Trade Winds” is
about a detective—young and
handsome—who is sent out to find
a girl wanted for the murder of
her sister’s husband. First, he
learns as many facts as he can
about the life she has led, discov
ers her small mannerisms, finds out
her hobbies and interests. He traces
her through Bombay, Shanghai,
Knockin’ Around
By Paul Ketelsen
The most important question be
ing circulated on the A. & M.
campus at present is what effect
will the new dormitories have on
the unity of the school student
body.
There have been many answers
rendered as to this and after sep
arating them, this answer, given
by a junior living in the new dorms,
seems to be the solution or rather
a medium through which none of
the school spirit will die. His opin
ion, whether important or not, was
that the yell-leaders were respon
sible for most of the school spirit
and that it would fall on their
shoulders to stress the impoi’tance
of “Aggieland” and Aggie spirit
from the very first of school and
through the repetition of this fi
nally drive home to the new stu
dents their responsibility for “car
rying on.”
The new doirns, while not act
ually so far away from the center
of the campus, have been made to
seem as though they were miles
away. With such sayings as “sit
ting in my room and window-shop-
Hne- in Houston,” “the foreign le
gion,” “the last outpost,” and many
otners that have merit for origi
nality.
The fact remains that in the
course of a day the old students
can’t help but run into their
friends, but the new students will
have to be content with “knowing”
their own organization. From this
can be drawn a more closely knit
ted group in each outfit, creating
keener competition in sports and
other outside curricula activities.
ry
WHATS SHOWING
AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL
Thursday and Friday—
“Trade Winds”, with Fredric
March and Joan Bennett.
AT THE PALACE
Thursday, Friday, and Sat
urday—“The Wizard of Oz”,
with Judy Garland, Jack
Haley, and Bert Lahr.
J 1
The name of Sally Rand adorns
a late list of licensed aviators.
After years of manipulating those
feathers, she finally got off the
ground.
Marjorie Hillis, author of “Live
Alone and Like It” has just been
married. A book can certainly have
a great influence on a person.
Extension Service
Cooperates To Call
Conference of Women
The Extension Service of Texas
A. & M. with the cooperation of
the State Agricultural Conserva
tion Committee and the Division of
Information of the Agricultural
Adjustment Administration, Wash
ington, £>. C., is calling a confer
ence of rural and urban women to
be held in Dallas, September 28-29.
Last April the Secretary of Ag
riculture, Henry Wallace, called a
similar meeting in Washingtoi*. In
his letter of invitation he said,
“The American home needs an
abundance of food and clothing.
The American farmer needs buyers
for the abundance he produces, so
that he may enjoy some of the
abundance that industry can pro
duce. An increasing balanced abun
dance to both the American home
and the American farm can be
brought about only if homemakers
and farmers understand that the
problems they face are essentially
the same.”
Stated Miss Mildred Horton,
vice-director of the Extension Ser
vice and state home demonstration
agent, “It is our belief that such
a conference will be helpful to us
—a conference of Texas women
representing all rural and urban
interests, including church and
labor and consumer groups. Such
a conference, we believe, will re
sult in a better understanding of
the mutual problems of producers
and consumers, and will lead to a
higher standard of living for Texas
families.
“It is our plan to have present
at the conference, representatives
of various organizations. These
representatives are not members of
the conference to the extent that
they participate in the round-table
discussion. They are present, how
ever, to hear the discussions and
to contribute in the event questions
arise in their fields.”
One of Texas’ metropolitan news
papers, offering $1 each for all
“embarrassing moment” letters ac
cepted by the editor, received the
following epistle:
“I worked on an early night shift
in a steel plant. I got home early
last night and found another man
visiting my wife. I was very em
barrassed. Please send $2 as my
wife was embarrassed also.”
Ehe editor sent a check for $3,
admitting the possibility that the
stranger, too, hight have been em
barrassed.
Poultry Association
To Have Annual Meet
At Cornell in 1940
Ithaca, N. Y. — The Poultry
Science Association will have its
annual meeting at Cornell Uni
versity in the summer of 1940,
and some 500 members are expect
ed.
Organized in Ithaca in 1908, the
association which meets on some
University campus each year, last
had a convention at Cornell Uni
versity in 1918. Its 1938 gathering
was at Pullman, Washington, and
this year at the World’s Poultry
Congress in Cleveland, Ohio.
The group, which is affiliated
with the World’s Poultry Science
Association, is an organization of
instructors, investigators, and ex
tension workers in poultry hus
bandry in the United States and
Canada. Its object is to advance the
poultry industry both in this coun
try and in Canada.
At its Cornell meeting, the asso
ciation will dedicate the poultry
building and give it official recog
nition as “Rice Hall,” in honor of
Emeritus-Professor James E. Rice,
first head of the poultry depart
ment at Cornell University who
was also instrumental in the or
ganization of the Poultry Science
Association.
An annual prize for poultry re
search is given each year.
the amateur night being sponsored
by Town Hall next May will be
cash and, as Sully says, “nothing
to be sneezed at.”
•
Jimmy Shoultz, notorious for
vari-colored diets, has changed
again. This time it’s dog biscuits
since being christened “Pluto,
Hound of the Biltmore.”
One freshman who doesn’t pay
any attention to handicaps is Abi
lene’s “fish” Jones. He’s a one-
armed candidate for the freshman
football team and, besides being
an excellent guard, he is reported
as being an exceptionally accurate
place-kicker.
•
And so forth . . . As compared
with Aggieland’s 6,000-odd stu
dents, last registration figures
from Austin give the University
an enrollment of 8,950 . . . And
Baylor’s enrollment has upped a
little as 2,295 passed through the
Waco school’s registration lines . . .
The stox-y of A. & M.’s project
houses went on the N. B. C. net
work Tuestday night from Chicago
. . . An Artillery freshman was
heard claiming that “A mayor is a
she hoi-se.”
Talk about
VERSATILITY . . .
t t ere’s a shirt that goes
XT with every suit y6u
own . . . that is correct for
sports, business or social
events . . . that may be
had in plair or button-
down collar. It’s America’s
favorite oxford shirt:
ARROW Gordon. Only
It has been suggested that we
might have hot dogs for the new
Thanksgiving Day and turkey on
the regular date.
7 * **
Wl M tS c r\ uc i STONE DANSBY
Vs/n-JTXZ
CJLOCKIERS
Daniel was the first man to be
lionized without letting it go to his
head.
“When you get mad you should
immediately go out and kick some
thing,” advises a psychologist.
Yes; preferably yourself.
SEND YOUR PHOTOGRAPH
HOME TO:
MOTHER
SISTER
GIRL FRIEND
AGGIELAND STUDIO
Official Photographer for the A. & M. College Longhorn
KODAK FINISHING PICTURE FRAMES
North Gate of Campus
SEE US FOR:
LAMPS $ 2.50
CALCIMINE $ .45
TYPEWRITERS . $29.75 up
SCHOOL SUPPLIES — DRAWING INSTRUMENTS
HASWELL BOOK STORE
BRYAN
^NEW^
Arrow Shirts with Arrow Collars
Designed for Undergraduates
Hi
WINDSOR TAB
Of English origin, high lock end band,
square cornered collar. If you're tall
or have a long neck Windsor tab is
your collar.
TREND
A longer pointed collar with slight
flare away from tie knot. Very smart.
RADNOR
Round point collar worn with or with
out collar pin. Smart for dress up
occasions.
SUSSEX
Moderately wide-spread, low drape
collar, with celluloid inserts at collar
points . . . French cuffs. Most popular
collar in England. Achieves smart
sophisticated appearance.
—' ■ ■: •
A Az A
GORDON DOVER
Button-down soft collar oxford shirt
with long points. Most distinctive fea
ture is the outward roll of the collar.
Particularly good for wear with tweeds
and sportswear.
All Arrow Shirts are Sanforized-shrunk (fabric shrink
age less than 1%). Get yours today. $2 up.
ARROfV SHIRTS
COLLARS . . . TIES . . . HANDKERCHIEFS . . . UNDERWEAR