THE BATTALION
■TUESDAY, OCT. 3, 1939
PAGE 2
What Do You Think About It?
Saturday The Battalion published an editorial
“At the Crossroads” from The Texas Aggie, news
paper of the Former Students Association which is
the voice of 25,000 ex-Aggies. The editorial, written
by E. E. McQuillen, secretary of the Association,
ex-Aggie of the class of 1920 and lieutenant-
colonel of the corps during his senior year, con
demns without “pulling any punches” the ruling of
the Board of Directors which provided that all the
dormitories, old and new, had to be filled before
any student could .live off the campus, thereby pre
venting many boys from registering. Though they
may now, for most of them it’s too late.
The editorial, one dealing with a tremendously
important and much debated subject, has been
greeted with great approval and high praise from
the majority of its readers. It states that the
authorities of the college were not consulted for
their opinions or advice; that a student housing
committee which made a long study, full report
and several recommendations on housing last spring,
was entirely disregarded; and that it is no secret
that the officials were shocked by the passage of the
rule.
Chief criticisms made in “At the Crossroads”
seem to be that the ruling (1) hurts from 700 to
1,100 boys by preventing them from coming to
school at A. & M., and many of them anywhere at
all; and (2) hurts the school by creating the possi
bility of future enrollment decreases, by helping all
the small colleges and junior colleges to swell en
rollments and gain greater prestige while A. & M.
stands still, and by causing a loss of respect for
A. & M. all over the state. And Mr. McQuillan pre
sents plenty of substantiating evidence.
It’s regrettable that we have not space to
comment on all of the facts brought out in Mr. Mc-
Quillen’s editorial. Suffice it to say that he has
consulted with all officials of the college and
authorities on the student housing problem; he has
learned all the facts of the matter; and'he gives a
well-considered opinion, the same that has been ex
pressed by many students, many officials, and many
teachers of the college. And on this same question
The Battalion wishes to dwell a moment—though we
do not propose to act as arbiter for the Board of
Directors.
The Battalion is glad of our peak enrollment of
more than 6,000. We are glad that the dormitories
were filled. We believe unquestionably in the value
of the dormitory system and dormitory life. But we
believe that boys who would sacrifice comfort, con
venience, luxuries, recreational opportunities, all for
the sake of acquiring a college education, should not
be deprived of their opportunity by a ruling which
allows only wealthier boys to attend the school. We
are glad boys are not having to live in Navasota
and other far-away project houses. But we believe
by far the majority of the day-students of the last
two or three years have lived as such only because
they could not afford to live in the halls — not be
cause they didn’t want to. Boys who sacrifice to
obtain a college education, degree and diploma, are
generally highly worthy of receiving them. A col
lege education usually means the most to boys who
have to work hardest for it. And to deprive those
boys of their chance of getting one, at this school
traditionally known as a democratic, “poor man’s
school, is, we think, most unfortunate. It tends to
make of A. & M. a “rich man’s” school, causing
several hundred boys to have to stop entirely their
college careers. It has caused much loss of respect
for the school over the state, as is pointed out in
“At the Crossroads”.
Our enrollment cannot forever keep on climbing.
The increase in the number of new students is grow
ing smaller each year. The figures show that the
great increase here this semester was not in the
number of new students, but in the number of old
students returning. During the term many students
who just barely could rake up the money to come
here and who were forced by the last-minute ruling
of the board to live in the halls will in all probability
have to move out again because of depleted finances.
Under the present ruling these students cannot
even become day-students.
The new ruling, it seems to us, could have been
a compromise measure, eliminating the most un
desirable aspects of off-the-campus residence, while
at the same time allowing poor boys who could
not possibly afford dormitory residence to live in
approved quarters as near the campus as possible.
As “At the Crossroads” state, we believe the dormi
tories might have been filled without compulsion.
Of course, our views may not be acceptable to
all our readers. We do not presume to be infallibly
correct. If we hold views different from yours, we
hold no grudge against yours, because every man
has a right to his considered opinion; and by that*
same token, we hope you’ll take no offense with ours.
This is a highly debatable question, admittedly
very difficult of solution. Maybe the advantages
of living in the halls are great enough to outweigh
the acquiring of a college education by whatever
means may be necessary. But if the facts presented
in “At the Crossroads” are generally correct, as we
believe they are, then A. & M. is indeed at the
crossroads.
Whether you agree or not, we invite your re
sponse.
6 6 Cooperation 9 9
Cooperation is a fine word. It is one of the best
things we know of. The Battalion believes in it. We
like it; and this year we are trying to give it, in
every possible way.
It was this idea mainly prompting the new cir
culation system of delivery of thq paper to the stu-
dents J-fi their rooms. It was this idea largely re
sponsible for our trying this year to' improve the
make-up of the paper still further; for our getting
several new modern headline types more pleasing
to the eye; for our starting new columns and fea
tures, which we hope will prove of interest to the
majority; for classifying as well as possible all the
notices we print; and for attempting to secure more
complete news coverage in several ways. We shall
continue to keep trying to give you readers ever
better cooperation.
But cooperation is not just a one-sided propo
sition. It doesn’t work very well when it’s being
given only by one side. We appreciate cooperation
from our readers, in return for the attempts we make
to give it to them.
We don’t claim to have a perfect paper. But
we do as well as we can, and will continue to; and
hope that we shall be able to please the majority
of our readers.
When a story is reported to us, we do our utmost
to secure it and publish it, if it is deserving. But
there are many times when lack of space—something
no newspaper can prevent—simply makes it im
possible to print all the stories we get for any one
issue. We’ll do our utmost to get them in; but
please bear with us if we don’t. Such a thing will
not be purposeful. And when it is vital that a story
get in any certain issue, we’ll strive to have it.
When you have articles to contribute, please
send them down to The Battalion Office. All con
tributions are readily accepted and thoughtfully
considered for publication.
The Battalion
STUDENT TRI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF
TEXAS A. & M. COLLEGE '
The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and
Mechanical College of Texas and the city of College Station, is
published three times weekly from September to June, issued
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings; and is published
weekly from June through August.
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.
REpnsseNTeo for national advertising or
National Advertising Service, Inc.
College Publishers Representative
420 Madison Ave. New York. N. Y.
CHICAGO • Bostoh • Los Abgeles * Sah FBAJKUCO
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 Intramural Editor
Philip Golman Staff Photographer
John J. Moseley Staff Artist
TUESDAY STAFF
Charlie Wilkinson Managing Editor
Sam Davenport Asst. Advertising Manager
C. A. Montgomery Editorial Assistant
Junior Editors
George Fuermann Earle Shields Don K. Hill
Senior Sports Assistants
Marshall Kennedy - Jimmy Cokinos
Reportorial Staff
D. K. Andrews, Alfred Fischer, H. S. Hutchins, W. D. C. Jones,
J. C. Rominger, Sidney Smith, E. A. Sterling, W. P Walker,
R. J. Warren, L. B. Williams, G. W. Williams
If you have news of interest to report, please
report it to us. After all, we can’t write the news
unless someone tells it to us first.
If you would like to join the staff, please come
down to the office and talk to us about it. We
welcome new members, and there’s no trick at all
to joining, But we don’t know you want to be a
member, unless you come down and tell us about
it, and then sign up as one.
If you have notices to get in any issue of the
paper, please get them to us before 6 p. m. of the
afternoon before the day the paper is distributed.
It’s impossible for us to see that they get in after
that. All advertising should come in before 8 a. m.
that day; and all stories must be sent in before 6
p .m. We’re sorry that we can’t get them into the
paper when they come in for use any later than
these times; but every newspaper has deadlines that
must be observed if the paper is to come out.
Please send in your notices and stories as early
as possible, instead of waiting till the last minute.
We can’t do all the work from 5 to 6.
If you would send in all notices and all stories
typewritten, on one side of the paper, double-spaced
and as neatly as possible, we’ll appreciate still
further this note of cooperation. And it’ll make
things easier for both of us.
Again we assure you, our readers, of as full
cooperation as we can give. But we’d greatly ap
preciate this little bit on your part in return. Don’t
expect anything superhuman of us—everyone makes
mistakes. But we’ll do our best at all times; and
the cooperation we describe above for your part will
help us to do even better.
As the World Turns
By DR- RALPH W. STEEN
A new Polish government was organized in
Paris Saturday. Wladyslaw Raczkiewicz was named
president of this government without a country. It
is reported that the presidency was offered to Ignace
Paderewski, but the famous pianist
declined the office because of ad
vanced age and ill health.
The experience of being without
a country is not a new one for the
Poles, for on several occasions in
the past their country has been pai’-
titioned by neighboring states. It is
possible that a small Poland will be
established as a buffer state be
tween Germany and Russia. An Al
lied victory in the current war
would probably result in the re
establishment of a Poland of re-
The cash-and-carry sale of arms to warring
nations has been approved by the Senate Com
mittee on Foreign Relations. The subject was pre
sented to the Senate for debate on Monday, and
there it will face a bitter fight. Political observers
in Washington are predicting that the bill will pass
after three or four weeks of debate.
A. & M. men will be interested in one announce
ment appearing in the oil news of last week. A new
well—the first in some time—was brought in in the
Reagan County field. This field is located on land
belonging to the endowment fund of the University
of Texas, and A. & M. shares in the income from
the field. In all probability oil royalties will ulti
mately solve the classroom problem here. They have
already done much to relieve the situation, as most
of the new buildings on the campus were financed
from the oil fund. This statement does not apply, of
course, to the new dormitories.
Steen
spectable size.
Registers as Number 6,000
' ; I x 'Mm&m
BACKWASH
Bii
George Fuermann
"Backwash: An agitation resulting from some action or occurrence.”—Webster.
Clark Harvey, 6,000th student to register at Texas A. & M. is
shown above. Harvey is a senior student studying agronomy and
transferred here from West Texas State Teachers College at Canyon.
Lately the shows reviewed have
been good shows as a rule. So as
not to get too much in the habit
of saying only good things about
them, we need a show to knock.
Here it is—“The Kid From Koko
mo”—with more plain “bull” stuff
ed into 92 minutes than believably
possible.
Now to get at why this conclus
ion was reached. There are a num
ber of reasons. About the biggest
is the story. It might have been
“cute” as I heard one girl say, but
frankly there have been dozens
put out almost exactly like it. Af
ter a time such things get boring.
Secondly Pat O’Brien can’t act,
even as a fight promoter, and nei
ther can Wayne Morris. Really the
best performance of the whole show
was put on by May Robson as Mag
gie Martin. Incidentally May is 75
years old and still one of Holly
wood’s best.
The story, such as it is, concerns
a two-fisted kid with a one-track
mind, who turns down all offers
of a contract to fight professional
ly because he thinks his mother
might return to the little town of
Kokomo where he was found on a
doorstep. Billy Murphy, an eccen
tric fight promoter, a gyp off the
old block—persuades him to sign
by producing a mother in the form
of Maggie Martin. Inspired by his
“mother” the Kid fights his way
to the championship bout. Then
comes the old line about having to
throw the fight to a real bad man
to keep him from throwing dear
old mother in jail. From there ev
erything runs as per schedule in
cluding the thrilling comeback af
ter throwing the fight half way.
One thing good about the show
was the dialog. Seems as though
Hollywood gag-men know their
stuff, bcause most shows do have
some good cracks in them.
Requests were received to review
“Dancing Co-ed”, but plans and
other things didn’t pan out. Sorry.
However, it might be added that
Artie Shaw and Lana Turner, who
star in the picture, make an attrac
tive combination.
ry
WHATS SHOWING
AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL
Tuesday and Wednesday—
“Man About Town”, with
Jack Benny, Dorothy Lamour,
Phil Harris, and Eddie An
derson.
AT THE PALACE
Tuesday and Wednesday—
“Dancing Co-ed”, with Lana
Turner, and Artie Shaw with
his orchestra.
FRED WARING and his famous Glee Club rehearsing his original
Football Song for introduction on “Chesterfield Pleasure Time”
over the Coast-to-Coast N. B. C. Network.
Fred Waring and Pennsylvanians
Introduce New Football Song
Fred Waring and his popular
Pennsylvanians introduced a new
and original football song on the
Chesterfield program last Satur
day. Waring spent many hours af
ter his programs working out it’s
stirring tune and exciting lyrics
which were presented by the or
chestra, Glee Club, and other mem
bers of the program. The song was
written especially to welcome the
coming season.
The Waring show, presented
five times each week over N. B. C.,
seems to be quite an attraction
with its special theater in the
center of New Yorks’ show sec
tion. The building was rebuilt es
pecially for the show and has been
packed since the beginning of this
series of broadcasts. Main atten
dance has been from out-of-town
customers.
SAMPLES OF WOOLEN
goods which were presented to the
Queen of England previous to her
visit to the United States are now
on display in the A. I. Building.
These goods were made from Texas
fine wool, with the greater part of
it coming from Sonora. Twelve
yards of each kind of material re
presented by the five samples was
sent to her majesty by the Nation
al Wool Growers Association and
the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers
Association, according to G. W.
Cunningham, secretary of the lat
ter organization.
L. H. Pulfer of Montrose, Calf.,
stopped a runaway horse with his
car, but when he tried to ride the
animal to a nearby stable it threw
him and broke his thumb.
The Baylor Twin Club, Baylor
University’s most publicized or
ganization last year, has reorgan
ized with an increase in member
ship and started making plans for
a “bigger and better” doubles con
vention in the spring.
Ten sets and two odd members
of sets were present at the organ
ization meeting.
Without clearly understanding
the meaning of the overworked
word “allergic,” we are becoming
that way to it.
Two down and eight to go . . .
Aggies—46, opponents—0 ... To
Margaret Lockwood, Centenary’s
girl yell-leader, the Aggie campus
was a continual
source of amaze-
m e n t. From the
great Aggie cheering
section to the corps
dance Saturday
night, the Shreve-
" f. port Louisiana girl
spent a wonderful
day at A. & M., by
Fuermann h er own admission.
. . . Jim Borden, Signal Corps soph,
escorted the Centenary senior to
the dance . . . Four other Cente
nary girls made the trip and had
equally as enjoyable a time at Ag-
gieland as Margaret . . . The Kim
brough family has been rough on
Centenary this year. “Big John”
made both touchdowns when the
Gents bowed Saturday, and his
brother is head coach at Hardin-
Simmons University which defeat
ed Centenary 7 to 6 a week ago.
•
Highlights on the west side of
Kyle Stadium last Saturday were
the antics of “Bubba” Reeves, Hugh
Boyd, and “Mac” Browder. The
three were watching the game from
the top of a comfortable pile of
sweaters and each time an Aggie
left the game they got up and
greeted the player, thus fulfilling
an A. & M. tradition.
The race back to the pile of
sweaters was as engrossing to
some of the spectators as the game
itself and, as one woman pointed
out, “It’s better than a three-ring
circus.”
•
Good news of 1939—at least to
Aggie juniors. From T. S. C. W.
comes the news that the A. & M.
junior class will be guests of T. S.
C. W.’s juniors for a pre-corps
dance the night of October 20.
Our sister school’s committee in
cludes Dorothy LaRoe, dance
chairman; Barbara Hucker, Dor
othy Proctor, and Edith Thomas
heading the date bureau.
•
The Aggie yell section function
ed in a big way last Saturday. Cen
tenary’s players were no little per
turbed at the fact that the cheer
ing was always at its height when
the Gents were calling signals but
there was scarcely a murmur when
the Aggies were in huddle. The
Gent’s coach finally asked head
yell-leader Bodie Pierce to quiet the
boys down a little.
•
Albert Innocenti is one Aggie
who lives in his sweetheart’s re
flected glory.
The girl is Wanda Natalie from
Galveston and she’s the National
Women’s Junior Pool Champion.
There’s a standing offer of $1,000
cash to any woman who can beat
her.
•
At Sunday night’s junior class
elections, Donald Duck received a
vote for president, Mickey Mouse
and John Nance Garner received a
vote each for vice-president, and
Myrna Loy tallied one for histor
ian. Leading all write-in candidates,
however, was “Count” Sugareff
who received two votes for his
torian.
•
On the record . . . The Biology
Department always receives some
slap-happy answers from some of
its freshmen, but here’s two that
almost win the booby prize. At
tempting to define “eugenics,” one
struggling freshman wrote “Eu
genics is the study of house clean
ing; a study of cleanliness; it is
a pure science.” Defining botany,
another fish write “Botany is a
study of birds.” . . . From almost
every side the word is going around
that Saturday night’s Corps Dance
was a big success. Tommy Little
john’s Aggieland Orchestra was in
full swing and seemed to please
everyone.
The Seminole Indians of Florida,
who still are at war with the
United States after 100 years,
must be amost as discouraged as
the Japanese in the present China
“incident.”
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Henry Ford recently passed his
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When In Bryan
IF IT’S NEW
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TRY OUR WATCH REPAIR DEPARTMENT
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