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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1939)
THE BATTALION •SATURDAY, NOV. 4, 1939 PAGE 2 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. Represented nationally by National Advertising Service, Inc., at New York City, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Office, Room 122, Administration Building. Telephone 4-6444. 1939 Member 1940 Associated GoUe&iate Press 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 SATURDAY STAFF James Critz Acting Managing Editor Don Burk Asst. Advertising Manager Ross Howard : Asst. Circulation Manager W. C. Carter Editorial Assistant Junior Editors A. J. Robinson Don K. Hill Cecil DeVilbiss 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, Alden S. McKellar, E. M. Rosenthal. A Tie That Should Be Strengthened A. & M. was highly honored recently with the presence on the campus of the National Com mander of the American Legion, Raymond J. Kelly, for the ceremonies dedicating the new Legion cooperative student dormitory. Through that build ing, and through the interest that the American Legion in Texas already feels in Texas A. & M., should come a friendship that will mean much to the college. A primary plank in the Legion program is national preparedness. Texas A. & M. is contributing more to that end than any other educational in stitution in the United States today. That fact alone should make A. & M. the favorite of the Legion. The friendship, the interest, and the assistance of the Legion can be tremendously helpful to A. & M. and its program. If there is virtue in the mili tary program of the college—and The Battalion does not believe this virtue can be challenged— then the institution should be given full credit for its work along this line. As the one big national organization deeply interested in the nation’s mili tary program of preparedness, the Legion should be seincerely interested in Texas A. & M. It is the hope of The Battalion that the ties between the college and the Legion can become stronger and closer as the years pass on. The col lege needs the help of the Legion, and the Legion as deeply concerned with the military program of A. & M. There is a community of interests that should draw together a great organization and a .great educational institution. x *Man, Your Manners - In a late issue The Battalion quoted part of a letter written by an ex-Aggie of the class of ’29, ;in which he stated that he thought the one thing that Aggies lack above all else is manners. The writer stated that many Aggies seem not to know how to act in mixed company, or to know the proper etiquette for all occasions. The Battalion believes that this is true. Though it’s hard to say, it seems to us that the traditional classification of “two per cent” is too low for those members of the student body who are lacking in manners and who do not live up to the fine code of ethics subscribed to by the majority. It’s high time that the Aggies were making an effort to improve upon their manners. Lack of knowledge of them is a decided handicap through out life. In an effort to try to instill better etiquette in the student body, The Battalion is inaugurating a regular feature, “Man, Your Manners—”, writ ten by Mrs. R. M. Sherwood, a resident of College Station who has frequently addressed students on etiquette as part of the College Y. M. C. A. program. Mrs. Sherwood, in accepting our invitation, stated her belief that the majority of the Aggies were gentlemen in the true sense of the word. But believing that many need schooling in the more important points of etiquette, she is writing the column, which will appear at least once a week, beginning today. Mrs. Sherwood will be glad to answer in The Battalion any questions addressed to her. Mrs. Sherwood also makes the suggestion that seniors could and should take a leading part in helping underclassmen to acquire better manners. We think she’s right. QUESTION: When making introductions, is the lady presented to the gentleman or the gentle man to the lady ? ANSWER: A gentleman is always presented to the lady. The correct formal manner is “Miss North, may I present Mr. Black?” Do not repeat the names “Miss North, Mr. Black”, etc. The in formal manner would be “Mary, do you know Tom Black?” Then to Tom Black you would say “Mary is Miss North.” QUESTION: Does a gentleman offer his hand to a lady when introduced? ANSWER: A gentleman does not offer his hand to a lady when introduced. When being for mally introduced, the lady usually smiles, bows, and says, “How do you do.” The gentleman bows and says nothing. Never, never say, “Pleased to meet you,” etc. Apologies, Congratulations The Battalion wishes to apologize to the faculty for the statement in the Thursday issue that “for the first time in history, the faculty voted un animously” in deciding to send the Aggie Band to Arkansas for the game with the Arkansas Razor- backs. This was not printed as a “slam” at the faculty on the part of the staff; in editing copy we took the statement to be an item of news actu ally reported. While mentioning this story. The Battalion wishes to congratulate the faculty on its action in allowing all members of the Band to make the trip—the Band’s first out-of-state trip in nine years, incidently. We think it a fine gesture indeed. Again, our congratulations—and our apologies. OfEIV FOREIVI TENNIS COURTS NEED REWORKING BADLY; MORE ARE NEEDED Can anyone tell us when the tennis courts were last worked, if they have been worked. Play ing on the clay courts is becoming extremely haz ardous. One might easily turn an ankle or break a leg by stepping into some of the chug holes and furrows. The gravel is so loose on these courts that tennis balls are actually lost when they dig in, and are covered up. Of course this ideal con dition tends to turn out good tennis players. Best in the state.—We have too few courts for a college of 600 enrollment,much less one of 6,000. And those we do have are not in playing condition. Can’t something be done about this ? Surely the college could at least afford to work four courts once a week. —R. B. Pierce Anyth Ingelse The story was about a stubborn English guest who disliked American dishes and confined himself to a cut of roast mutton and a slice or two of bread. I read on and came to this: “No eloquence of the hostess could induce him to taste anyth ingelse.” Being fairly familiar with British cooking, I was puzzled to identify such a delicacy as anyth- ingelse”—until it dawned upon me that the linotyp- operator had made that out of the author’s “any thing else”. However, such printer’s errors are us ually due to the poor “copy” furnished them; and the caligraphy of famous writers in the past was often wonderful—or dreadful to behold, according to what one was supposed to do with it. There is a story that Horace Greeley once dis charged a servant, but, to avoid a scene, wrote him that he was fired and that if ever he put foot on the place again he would have the man arrested. It was a very simple matter for the discharged servant to find another and a good situation by producing that note and offering it as a letter of recommenda tion, since nobody could read it. However, compositors and make-up men some times do a bit of mixing of their own; and “lifting” the type in the old days was often fraught with un happy results. One of the most amusing of these was credited to The Prudence Society Journal, by Conde Williams: “The congregation resolved upon a European trip for their beloved pastor, and on Saturday ac quainted him with the delightful fact. Accompany ing the report of the committee was a nicely-filled purse, which was placed at the disposal of the pas tor, who after thanking them . . . made a turn down South Main Street as far as Planet, then to Beaufort where he was caught by some boys who tied a tin can to his tail. Away he went up Beaufort and down College Street, at the foot of which he was shot by a policeman.” As the World Turns... By DR. AL B. NELSON .It is a popular slogan of pacifists, and others who do not desire to go to war for cause or another, that the men who declare war never fight but sit back in ease and comfort while others bleed and die. More than one hundred members of the French Chamber of Deputies (their House of Representatives) were serving as privates in the army after the out break of war. They were recently given commissions. Earl Browder, General Secretary of the Communist Party in the United States, has been arrested for traveling to Russia on falsified passports twice in the last three years. This information was brought out by investigations of the Dies’ Committee. Kermit Roosevelt, son of “Teddy”, believes in the cause of England and has shown his belief by joining the British army to fight Germany. He was commissioned as a lieutenant. In the last war he did not wait for the entrance of the U. S. but joined the British forces, rose to rank of captain and was decorated for bravery. His younger brother, Quentin, was later killed in action with the U. S. air forces over the German lines. President Ortixof Argentina is in bad health. This is serious news for if he should die or resign, the vice-president, who is pro-German, would auto matically take his place, thus creating an embarras sing situation for the United States in our relations with that country. A new expedition to South Polar regions will set out this month under the leadership of Admiral Byrd. The purpose of this expedition is to formally claim land for the U. S. and to leave men to hold posts in the name of the U. S. Hitler is practicing shootinga revolver lately, it is reported. John Gamer is helping the President put over the neutrality legislation but his cam paign for the presidency has not been stopped. Germans were recently given permission to buy one egg each as a special concession. Nelson BACKWASH By George fuermann “Backwash: An agitation resulting from some action or occurrence.”—Webster. Doctor's Degree Without High School Diploma Is Record of “Bat” Columnist Drivel . . . Aggies began “high- waying” to Arkansas as early as last Tuesday, three of them even going via motorcycle ... It was “Hairless Joe” Snow who remark ed of T.S.C.W., “That’s where I want to go when I die” . . . Hun dreds of Aggies were keenly dis appointed when The Aggie War Hymn was not played over last Fuermann Thursday night’s Kraft program. Instead, Cornell’s song was play ed . . . “The wearing of red,” A fellow by name of Twysffort points out, “makes a man strong, invincible, and dynamic. Yellow makes him gay and green makes him amorous.” Jack Keese says he’ll take green every time . . . Born in Berlin, Germany, but def initely not Nazi are two Glee Club members who sing side by side, Sig Newbert and Warner Gohmert. • A Cavalry freshmen, recently in need of a date, proceeded to ’phone a Bryan girl of more or less short acquaintance. With a determined throb in his voice he quizzed the girl as to “Whatcha doing Saturday night?” Quick as a flash she enlightened the fresh men with “I’ve gotta date.” “What about the Saturday night after that?” the Aggie asked. “I’ve gotta date.” Still undaunted, the optimist stuck his neck out once more: “And the Saturday night after that?” “Gotta date.” His honor at stake, the fresh men. bowed out with “Good gosh, woman, don’tcha ever take a bath?” • An interesting sidelight of Keyes Carson’s spectacular four- day crossing of the continent via the thumb this summer concerns a bet Keyes made with the usually correct New York Times. While being interviewed by Times’ re porters, Keyes declared that he in tended to hitch-hike from New York to San Francisco in six days. The reporters told him that the idea was preposterous; that he couldn’t do it in less than two weeks. Four days later Keyes tele graphed the Times from San Fran cisco, making the trip in two days less than he had anticipated, and beating all train and bus sched ules. • One of the newer of A. & M.’s English profs recently asked the members of one of his freshman classes to write a theme telling of their previous English training in high school and otherwise. His prize paper included two congrat ulatory messages—the first con gratulating him on being head of the English department and the second congratulating him on hav ing the writer of the theme for a student. Theme grade—F. The latest edition of The Read er’s Digest carried the following short short concerning A. & M. back when Bible was coach here: After being badly outplayed during the first half of a football game, members of the team of Texas A. & M. College sat deject edly around the locker room wait ing for a tongue-lashing from their coach, Dana X. Bible. He entered on the signal for the second half, looked slowly around at each play er, and turned to the door. Then he paused, looked back, and said, “Well, girls, shall we go? They won the game.” • The spice of life, less the profit of the business, is often made clear to Jack Doran who won the candy concession in his organiza tion. Jack recently found a note in his cash box which read, “Mr. Deeds goes to town with one of Jack’s bars of candy.” Another even more original and far more elaborate, consisted of a note at tached to three milk bottles and a medicine bottle. The note read, “When I was a little boy I used to sell bottles for a cent each. There fore i.o.u. one cent.” A doctor’s degree without a sin gle day of high school attendance! This is the record of Dr. A1 B. Nelson, professor of history at A. & M. and one of the three History Department news columnists for The Battalion newspaper. Dr. Nelson was born in Dallas, Texas, and received his public school education in that city. When he reached the sixth grade he was forced to quit school and get a job. During the next several years he worked at everything from office boy to private detective. Finally he was able to go back to school to work for college de gree. After taking entrance ex aminations, he entered T. C. U., where he became interested in his tory and received his bachelor and master of arts degrees. In 1933 he went to the University of California, where he served as head teaching and research assist ant in the history department. In 1936 he received his Ph. D. from that institution. A true Texan, Dr. Nelson was discontented outside of his home state, and in 1937 he came to Texas A. & M. Although he professes to care little for organizations, Dr. Nelson is a Mason and a member of the American Association of University Professors, the Southwestern Com mittee on Latin American Culture, and the Texas History Association. His hobby is photography. He and Mrs. Nelson have traveled exten sively, and in these trips he has taken as many as two or three thousand pictures, many of which he makes into slides. His photo graphy is of practical value also; in his office are box after box of photographs of historical docu ments, ranging from the Declara tion of Independence to the Mexi can census of 1756. His greatest interest lies in the history of Mexico and the border, and he has written several articles relating to the history of this reg ion. He is teaching a course in Spanish American history, this semester, among other things. Dr. and Mrs. Nelson not so long ago built a new home in Col lege Park, for which he was archi tect, head electrician, and “canvas- putter-onner.” Dr. Nelson is author of the Sat urday chapter of The Battalion’s regular news column, “As the World Turns . . .” His first name, he insists, is “Al” and nothing more —not “Al bert” or “Alford”. Of late he’s been having name troubles. There’s another prof here in the Mechani cal Engineering Department, whose last name is Nelson and whose nickname is Al; and their mail, laundry, etc., frequently are sent to the wrong Nelson, sometimes causing much puzzlement for the recipient. And to make matters a little worse, there is another Nelson in the History Department —M. F. Nelson, who came here this year to teach—'and a fourth A. & M. prof by the name of Nel son—T. R.—teaching in the Mathe matics Department. Having the same last name causes many a per plexing mix-up. Officers of Kansas City, Mo., received this wire from a woman in Whicita: “I left an electric cooker going in my home. Please have someone turn off electricity under beans. Police can have beans.” “MARX BROTHERS AT THE CIRCUS” may not be the best in dramatics, but it’s the funniest show this weekend. For those who wish a laugh after A. & M. beats Arkansas, the best recommenda tion is to see the Saturday night preview at the Palace. People who cannot get a laugh out of the Marx brothers are few and far between. The stars and the parts they play are as follows: Attorney Loophole Groucho Marx Antonio Chico Marx Punchy Harpo Marx Jeff Wilson Kenny Baker Julie Randall Florence Rice Because the foolishness put on by the Marx brothers obscures the story that accompanies the show, the plot as necessarily simplified in this short space probably would not be recognized. For that rea son it is best to slight the plot almost altogether. Jeff Wilson for sakes his inheritance to manage a circus of his own. He falls in love with Julie, one of the danc ers. Also he borrows ±en thous and dollars from the strong man. When the time comes to pay off the debt, someone steals the money from him. Antonio and Punchy call in Attorney Loophole and the three set to work to solve the crime. It’s worth two grade- points. “INVITATION TO IJAPPI- ness” is another good show for this weekend. It’s show ing Saturday night at the Assembly Hall. Deep drama mixed with prizefighting is the concoction that is offered by Fred MacMurray and Irene Dunne. Irene’s father stakes fighter Fred, with the fighter’s father, Charley Ruggles as his manager. To make certain that her father wasn’t gypped she meets Fred. Later they are married, but because Fred is away from home so much, their happiness is limited. A son is born, and that is another problem arisen. I’ll give it., two grade- points also. “THEY ALL COME OUT” shows Saturday at 12:45 at the Assem bly Hall. Y cards will be good for this show in place of the 6:30 show if the holder desires to make the switch. It is a story of con victs and prisons, gloomy stuff. First show to flung altogether. IT’S A KNOCKOUT I! SPECIAL! 2 Cans Briggs and 1 Pipe—$3.50 Value $1.25 PARK LANE MODEL Registered with U. S. Patent Office October 15, 1925 Retails at $3.50 CLIP THIS AD And Receive The $1.25 Special For $1.00 GEORGE’S CONFECTIONERY “In The New Y” WHATS SHOWING AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL Saturday, 12:45—“THEY ALL COME OUT,” with Rita Johnson and Tom Neal. Saturday, 6:30 and 8:30— “INVITATION TO HAPPI NESS,” with Fred MacMur ray and Irene Dunne. AT THE PALACE Sunday and Monday— “MARX BROS. AT THE CIRCUS,” with Groucho, Chico, and Harpo Marx, Ken ny Baker, and Florence Rice. Sealed Sunshine Housewives are bringing home more watermelons this summer. Somehow they’re hard to resist. They’re shinier than ever this year and they taste as good as they look. Southern growers are seal ing in sunshine sweetness with a wax coating and shipping them in excelsior-lined crates to ease the bumps. Travelling at a regulated temperature of 40 degrees they ar rive as picked from the vines, fresh and unbruised from the trip. Rail-Auto Trips For travelers who dislike a long rail journey plans are in the mak ing for rail-motor trips. Tickets are purchased in the usual way with the traveler stipu lating the points along the line where he would like to use an automobile. At these points a car is placed at his disposal, and he continues his tour until he tires and again takes the train. The new service is scheduled to begin about Janu ary 1940. COOPERATIVES Announce the opening of a Service Station at College. Texaco Service Sta tion on Highway 6 at northeast corner of College property. Brazos Valley Gas & Oil Cooperative Ass'n. Phone 405