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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 1939)
PAGE 2 THE BATTALION SATURDAY, SEPT. 30, 1939 The Battalion STUDENT TRI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF TEXAS A. & M. COLLEGE 1 newspaper of the Agricultural and as and the city of College Station, is published three times weekly from September to June, issued Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday weekly from June through August The Battalion, official lechanical College ublished three tir September to June, issue mornings; and is published Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at College Station, Texas, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. Subscription rate, $3 a school year. Advertising rates upon request. Office, Room 122, Administration Building. Telephone 4-5444. REPRESSMTeo FOR NATIONAL ADVERTISING BY National Advertising Service, Inc. College Publishers Representative 420 Madison Ave. New York. N. Y. Cbicaoo • Bostoh • Loe ambles • Sam Francisco STAFF BILL MURRAY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LARRY WEHRLE ADVERTISING MANAGER James Critz Associate Editor E. C. (Jeep) Oates .'. Sports Editor H. G. Howard Circulation Manager "Hub” Johnson .— 1 Intramural Editor Philip Golman Staff Photographer John J. Moseley ; Staff Artist SATURDAY STAFF James Critz Acting Managing Editor J. W. Jenkins Asst. Advertising Manager Ross Howard Asst. Circulation Manager W. C. Carter Editorial Assistant Junior Editors A. J. Robinson H. G. Talbot Frank Phelan Senior Sports Assistants W. F. (Chick) Denny ' Jimmy James Reportorial Staff J. W. Amyx, W. G. Bohning, P. H. Brown, G. M. Green, M. L. Howard, W, A. Moore, Jack McGarr, Leslie Newman, J. A. Shelton. Earl Vezey. What Do You Think? t below we reprint an editorial, “At the Cross roads”, from the recent first issue of the new long \ session, of The Texas Aggie, newspaper published by the Former Students Association. About twelve thousand copies of that issue were distributed, to present and former students and other subscribers, thus setting a circulation record for that publication which is the voice of 25,000 ex-Aggies. * At The Crossroads (From The Texas Aggie) A. & M. College faces the gravest situation in its history as a result of the ruling of the College Board of Directors prohibiting students living anywhere except in colege dormitories, or in cooperative houses located on the campus, until such quarters have been filled. Despite the satisfactory enrollment of 6,000 boys, the basic weakness and danger of the arbitrary rule remains. In fact, by per mitting day-student enrollment after campus accommodatioris Were filled, the position of the college became even less admirable. At first thought the rule will please many A. & M. men. But consider the rule's immediate results. Many students have been forced to drop out of school because they could not meet the cost of dormitory life. Hundreds of new students could not enter for the same reason. Literally dozens of students with jobs in Bryan or College Station, boys who had already proved themselves at A. & M. and whose own efforts and ingenuity had earned their educa tional opportunity, were forced out of school this fall. Over a dozen cooperative groups, enjoying the support and the interest of as many counties and cities of Texas, were forced to disband and the boys to remain out of school or go elsewhere. The present rule amounts to an arbitrary limitation of enrollment. Tl^e college has lost already an immense amount of good will and public esteem. More than one legislator has'entered vigorous protest and condemnation. It^ is not difficult to see even greater dan gers from the rule in the future. If A. & M. will not yffer educational opportunities to stu dents who cannot meet rising dormitory costs, other-.ihstitutions can and will do so. The rule puts an,effective weapon in the hands of those seeking to establish two additional A. & M. colleges at Arlington and Stephenville. The cooperative house plan was started at A. & M.—and welcome, too, when enrollment was declining a few years back. That plan is here to stay, and if it cannot function at A. & M., it will certainly flower at other institutions to our loss. Let enrollment at A. & M. stand still, while it is rising at other Texas state schools; let edu- plicate institutions be established at other cities in tbe state; let A. & M. lose her best known and best loved characteristic of being essentially a “Poor Man’s” school—and within ten years her days of leadership and glory will be only memories. The Aggie fears insufficient study and too little research has been given this vital matter by the Board. It is no secret that executive officers of the institution are aghast at the re sults of the rule. Not consulted was a local committee charged last spring with a complete study of student housing. That committee made the most comprehensive study ever made of student housing problems at A. & M. Apparent ly its report was filed into oblivion. Yet its members, in the opinion of the Aggie, know more about student housing and student life problems than any member of the College Board could possibly know. To understand the problem it must be known that at least 90 per cent of the students living, or wanting to live outside of the dormi tories, are governed by financial considerations. In the case of cooperative house students, they can attend A. & M. at a saving of from one hundred to two hundred dollars per year. Dozens of others by their own efforts have secured jobs in Bryan and around the campus that dormitory students cannot fill. The new rule washes them out. Lost are not only today’s students but op portunities for future students as well. Two solutions of the problem are evident. The first would be to lower dormitory costs to compete with cooperative house costs and this would still be only a half-way measure. Better, in the opinion of the Aggie, would be a realiza tion that there is a definite place for the coop erative house idea at Texas A. & M. and the pro vision of adequate accommodations for this growing class of students. Likewise the student who can make his own way through a job or other arrangements off the campus should in all equity be permitted to do so. The Aggie believes in the dormitory system at A. & M., and believes further that it does - not need this arbitrary rule to exist. Its ad vantages are evident, and no one wants to be a dormitory student more fervently than the cooperative boys, or the ragged youngster fighting for his education while waiting tables at a Bryan cafe. So long as these boys can live healthful and clean lives, they should not be deprived of their opportunities because the dor mitory set-up has been unable to match their economic ingenuity and frugality. In the opinion of the Aggie, Texas A. & M. is at the crossroads of its destiny. Its present direction will lead to a static student enroll ment, to duplicate institutions, to a loss of the general esteem and good will enjoyed for 64 years, and to an inevitable back seat among the educational institutions of the state. And never fear that there are not other institutions straining, eager, and willing, to take A. & M.’s^ place in the sun. The college cannot ever stand still; it must go forward. No one can foretell where other roads may lead. The Board of Directors, guided and coun seled by the executive officers and faculty of the College, must point the way. The Aggie believes the present route must be changed to avoid disaster. Forestry Service Museum BACKWASH Bg George Puermano "Backwash: An agitation resulting from some action or occurrence.”—Webster. Shown are part of the sixty wood specimens on exhibit in the Texas Forestry Service Exhibit room. Students are invited to come to the exhibit room at any time. Forestry Service Maintains Interesting Museum of Wood Specimens in Main Bldg. mm The Maginot Line To the imagination and good sense of a former first sergeant in the World War the republic of France owes her great Maginot Line, stretching 150 miles along the border facing Germany, which is the strongest defensive military wall ever constructed by man. Andre Maginot was the sergeant, who rose to be minister of war in the French cabinet, and for whom the completed system of fortifications was named. He conceived the plan which was adopted after funds for extraordinary measures of military preparation were voted in 1928. Construction was begun shortly thereafter, but Maginot did not live to see the works completed, as he died in 1932. A monument to his memory has been erected at Fort Souville, 18 miles from Verdun. The Maginot Line consists of continuous forti fications, including 300 mighty forts, and cost about 150 million dollars. It is considered impregnable, so far as attacks by land are concerned, and it is be lieved that little damage could be done to it by air raids, as much of the defensive works and equip ment are underground. Steam and electric transportation systems, sup ply bases, and communication lines are all protected in tunnels deep in the earth. Troops, equipment, food and all manner of supplies for the line can be brought to the front by trains operating wholly underground and a million men can be garrisoned under its protection. As the World Turns By Dr. A1 B. Nelson New neutrality legislation to permit the ship ment of munitions of war on a cash-and-carry basis is given a good’ chance of passage by most ob servers. Most likely the main delay will be for the purpose of giving Senator Borah and his isolationist group a chance to talk themselves out. To gain votes from the isolationist bloc the Senator Foreign Relations Committee inserted a provision that American shipping may not carry goods of any sort to nations of war. The nations concerned to come and get the merchandise in their own ships. One absurdity of this provision as it stands is that it would forbid ordinary trade with Canada being carried on by our shipping. Under the Monroe Doctrine we would defend Canada if she were invaded, but under this new pro vision our shipping would not be permitted to enter Canadian ports, and under the existing neutrality law we cannot even sell her the means to defend herself. Hitler and Goering should get together on their stories. One complains of the inhumanity of the British naval blockade in that it will tend to starve women and children, but the other bellows defiantly that the blockade can never starve Germany, as she has ample supplies to last her for years. Hitler’s main objection to his own use of the British methods seems to be two-fold—first, that he does not have the naval power to try it on England, and second, that it is too slow. In proof of the latter the Pples point out that he not only blockaded Warsaw but bombed and machine-gunned its women and children in the street, homes, and churches, without waiting for them to starve. Short-wave news broadcasts of late war news may be heard each afternoon from Berlin (in Eng lish) at five o’clock, while an excellent news sum mary from London comes on at ten p. m. with some news that does not get into our papers until the following afternoon. It is interesting to note the difference in the two programs. Once again Germany claims that Warsaw is surrendering, and this time the Warsaw short-wave confirms it partially by admitting that negotiations are taking place. The reason given is that food and ammunition is giving out. The real reason may be that the Russian army is approaching, and the defenders may prefer the Germans to the Russians. Simply a case of the lesser of the two great evils. Late short-wave radio reports just before going to press revealed that two treaties have just been concluded in Moscow. One, between Russia and Ger- many, provides for the division of Poland between the two and a mutual agreement to aid one another in defending the conquest; and the other, between Russia and Estonia, gives Russia a virtual protec torate over the latter. At the top of the Administra tion Building the exhibit room of the Texas Forestry Service con tains exhibits of particular inter est to Texas Aggies engaged in the study of forestry, wild game, and other courses of a similar na ture. The most interesting exhibits are the sixty wood specimens from species of Texas trees. The samples are about two feet long. They are split down one side to show the grain of the wood and season ed and finished with oil and wax. Though no groups are yet com plete since Texas contains 225 different species of trees, the ex hibit contains pine, oak, and re presentative specimens of other groups. The Forestry Service has been collecting the specimens for about two years. There is a simi lar exhibit at Lufkin, Texas. Besides the wood specimen ex hibit, the room contains many dif ferent kinds of manufactured pro ducts made from the wood of Tex as trees. There are also pieces of fire fighting equipment including a portable telephone, hose, fire rakes, a tire pumq, and many other articles used to protect Tex as forests. Aggies will be interested to learn that Texas has over 35 mil lion acres in forest groth, and a large variety of trees are found in the United States. Mem bers of the Forest Service ex- ' plain this by the fact that Texas is the meeting place of Eastern and Western varieties and also has many tropical species. Texas leads the nation in forest area, which covers about one-fifth of the state. Many odd tree formations are shown in the exhibit room. En cased in glass are a number of early Texas Forestry hisotrical documents. Oiled and waxed the wood speci mens show surprising beauty and will be of interest to many Aggies who are invited to come and see the exhibits. It is open to visitors at all times. IX.. Kl." _! L — Cyifi&ir Thy Bob Ni>be+ Faust, last, and always . . . Sign in modern funeral home: “Use our convenient lay-away plan.” . . . Leroy Crouch: “I’ve been here long enough to be on the faculty.” . . . Speaking of the European boogy man: the Stanford Chaparral recently printed a prize cartoon. While Goering and Goeb- bels look on through a wall of Fuermann flames, a leering Hitler holds old Satin by the neck, “Rejoice, Kleinchen! We’re estab lishing a Protectorate!” . . . Mrs. Anna V. Smith isn’t Aggieland’s first postmistress. Gene Geyer ? s mother held the post for 13 years back in Republican days. • What Aggie dad can match this record ? L. L. Lanford, Blanket rancher, has three sons in A. & M. now and one who graduated in ’38. Bob C. Lanford is a junior in Coast Artillery, and the other two now attending Aggieland are freshmen — H. R. and S. S. Lanford. The ’38 graduate mentioned above is Don Lanford. • Sir James Crichton-Brown, 96- year-old London doctor, believes he has an answer to the question “Why gentlemen prefer blondes.” “There is a good deal of truth in the allegation,” he says in a news paper article. “Exophthalmic goit er is undoubtedly more common by far in blondes than in brunettes, and it tends in its incipient stages to produce a type of woman who is clever, volatile, lively, and tem peramental, with large lustrous eyes, distinctly attractive to the other sex.” Well, there’s no fool like an old fool. Doc. " • As College Station burns ... A freshman in the old dining hall was overheard asking for the “star dust” at breakfast the other morn ing . . . Probably the shortest book ever written would be “Who’s Who in Germany.” . . . Bill Conatser: “Never let studies interfere with your education.” . . . James I said it, but it’s still true: “He was a bold man who first swallowed an oyster.” • Things are pretty much as Joe Rothe pointed them out to be: When a freshman has written the composition “Who I Am and Why I Came to A. & M.” for Eng lish 103, he will have passed the first milestone in his college career. When he begins to object to the fact that there is no lavatory in mighty Old Main, he will have passed his second milestone. When he receives his first F in an English 103 theme (probably on his “Who and Why” effort) he will be a full-fledged Aggie. • Not so long ago an oldish car was traveling at night back into the bosom of Mother Aggieland; inside it was full of Aggies; out side, there was nought but dark ness — the car was devoid of the usual lights. A campus sarge im mediately began investigation, and inquired into the lack of lights. “Sir,” said a voice from inside that obviously came from one drawing himself up with intense dignity, “I am driving by instrument.” Bryan-College Girls At Mary Hardin-Baylor Miss Llelwyn Le Louis, Miss Loyce Sellers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Robertson, Miss Martha White, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. C. White, all of Bryan; and Miss Zelia Bell Lloyd, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Lloyd of Col lege Station, have enrolled at Mary Hardin-Baylor College for the 1939-40 session. L i Nelson Skipping all s preliminaries and getting right down to business, we’ll take a quick look at “Man About Town,” showing next Tues day and Wednesday at the As sembly Hall. Jack Benny and Dorothy Lamour are the stars. According to opinions ex pressed, “Man About Town” is the best that Jack Benny has put out to date, but not because of Jack Benny. It seems that “Rochester,” the ebony valet, stole the show from under everyone’s nose. Just in case you would like to know, “Rochester’s” correct name is Ed die Anderson. “Man About Town” is a fast and frothy story relating the adven tures of an American theatrical group with Jack Benny as the pro ducer. The company is currently playing in London, and is appar ently a success—that is, all but Jack himself. He just cannot find a girl that will look at him twice. A desperate play for Dorothy La- mour’s favor falls flat. Her opinion that Jack is too bashful and timid for a suitor is blasted when he goes for a weekend visit to the country estate of a British lord. The lady of the house and one of her guests, who is the wife of the lord’s part ner in high finance, make violent love to Benny. Together the men plot to kill Benny. For once “Roch ester” and his individual ideas do some good. At any rate he saves the day. Now to take it apart. The acting in the show was as good as could be expected from a group of come dians. Music was excellent, as were also the acts that went on in the name of the Benny’s theatrical group. The cast has lots of big names in the movies, and no com plaint can be brought against the show on that account. Dialog is clever. However, the main objec tion—the main objection to all mu sical comedies—is that the plot borders on absurdity. Even so, “Man About Town” gets an A-l ing as a musical comedy. THE CONTRACT ON THE new Bryan city water works sys tem will be completed some time in December, if not before, Bryan officials have reported. Unless some unforeseen cause for delay appears, the work will be complet ed before the end of the year and the city enjoying water from the new wells. Different tests have been made of this water, and all chemists who have checked it are agreed that it is of unusual purity, the mineral content being unusual ly small. ry For Rent Two or three rooms, fur nished apartments. Electric Box. Phone Bryan-244. WHATS SHOWING AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL Saturday—“Lucky Night” with Robert Taylor and Myr- na Loy. AT THE PALACE Sunday and Monday (also Saturday night preview)— “Golden Boy”, with Adolphe Menjou and William Holden. L ^- LOOK YOUR BEST For The Game And Dance Jones Barber Shop Bryan and N. Gate FOR EYE EXAMINATION AND GLASSES CONSULT J. W. Payne DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY Masonic Bldg. — Bryan, Tex. Next to Palace Theatre Mr. and Mrs. David Thrift Return From Coast Honeymoon David Thrift, cadet colonel of the Aggie corps during 1938-39, and his bride, nee Miss Bonnie Beth Reading of El Paso, have returned from a short honeymoon trip to the Gulf coast, to College Station, where Thrift is now employed as assistant secretary of the College Y. M. C. A., and where the newly weds will make their home. The marriage took place Sep tember 23 in St. Thomas Chapel, the Episcopal Church of College Station, with Rev. Roscoe Hauser officiating. The only attendant of the bride was Miss Martha Ann Simmons of Dallas. Terry Thrift assisted his brother as best man, and Miss Jean Marie Thrift, sister of the bridegroom, sang. Thrift, who was in “E” Field Artillery, graduated in June in agricultural administration. LOUPOT’S TRADING POST Freeman Shoes Emerson Radios Polo Shirts I.E.S. Lamps Archer Trench Coats EX-AGGIE OWNED AND AGGIE OPERATED ATTENTION! AGGIES IN NEW DORMITORIES For Your Convenience A Sub-Station Of The Campus Cleaners Is Now Open In The New Student P. O. Bldg. Cash & Carry Prices At this Location HARDY HAY “40” MGR. UNIFORMS ORDER TODAY Leather Jackets Suede Coats Bombay Breeches Fish Slacks A COMPLETE LINE OF MILITARY SUPPLIES SAM KAPLAN •- A ,*>