PAGE 2
■TUESDAY, JAN. 9, 1939
The Battalion
STUDENT TRI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF
TEXAS A. 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 8, 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&iaie Press
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
TUESDAY STAFF
Charlie Wilkinson Managing Editor
Bam Davenport Asst. Advertising Manager
C. A. Montgomery Editorial Assistant
Junior Editors
Earle Shields Don Andrews
Senior Sports Assistants
Jimmie Cokinos — Jimmy James
Junior Advertising Solicitors
K. W. Hubbard J. D. Smith
Reportorial Staff
^ Bill Fitch, H. S. Hutchins, W. D. C. Jones, Joe Leach,
J. L. Morgan, Jerry Rolnick, J. C. Rominger, E. A. Sterling,
W. P. Walker, R. J. Warren
A CHALLENGE
By Dr. P. L. Gettys, Economics Dept. Professor
1940 brings an open challenge to the students
of every college. In this period of mass education,
it is imperative that each student recognize and
accept his individual and personal responsibilities.
Although his professors, his deans, and his admini
strative officers stand behind him with help and
encouragement, the real challenge he must meet
and conquer alone. It is not an abstract something
to be pushed aside with the resolve to do some
thing about it next week, next month, next semes
ter. He must be cognizant of the potentialities of
each day, grasp its opportunities and turn them to
creditable account. Success is built upon daily
effort and the mastery of daily problems. Each day’s
work done with conscientious effort is one step
nearer the goal of achievement.
This fact is doubly significant now. Too many
students are prone to prolong their vacation periods
far beyond the catalog limit. They extend them a
week or ten days or even two weeks into the work
ing period when classes are resumed. Such a stu
dent subjects himself to a heavy handicap—a handi
cap of his own making—for the remainder of his
entire course. If a student is on the borderline, he
cannot afford to take this risk. If he is in the top
brackets, he is foolish to compromise his standing
and assume an additional burden which he must
overcome during the last weeks of the semester.
Thus are the foundations of many a failure laid
during the first weeks following a holiday vacation
period, failures which could so easily be avoided.
I have often wondered by what trick psychology a
student could convince himself (and often attempt to
convince his professors) that a holiday season fur
nished valid reason for plain loafing for several
days following resumption of classes. But this
psychological disease is not confined to the A. & M.
campus alone—it runs rampant wherever college
students are found.
Let’s immunize against it. Let’s get out of
the mass rank of the procrastinators. How much
easier we will find tomorrow’s problem if we turn
our minds to conquer today’s instead of sliding by
it. The holiday is over, the bugle for work has
sounded, let’s answer its call—and all, NOW.
TODAY.
Hazing
It’s initiation time for some fraternities, and of
course that brings up the perennial subject of haz
ing.
First, let us say that hazing is a fine thing.
It’s that phase of initiation that binds the fellows
together closer than brothers. It is the memory of
those little trials and tribulations suffered by all
alike that gives each brother “the subtle but in
vincible conviction of solidarity . . . that binds
brothers to each other, that binds together all fra
ternities. “ (With apologies to Joseph Conrad.)
Really, hazing is a noble thing. It reminds us
strongly of the custom of the noble Red Man in
selecting the braves. Before the Indian lad could
become a brave, he had to prove his courage and
endurance and virility. He must fast for seven days
or let the tribe beat him for hours with buffalo
thongs or eat rotten horse flesh or go through
some other such test of manhood. The Apaches had
a unique test of piercing the flesh of the breast of
the would-be (pledge) brave, tying leather ropes
through the holes, and letting men or horse drag
him over the plains until the flesh broke or he
became unconscious.
One of the current tricks of fraternity hazing
is to dress the pledge in outlandish girl’s clothes,
take him twenty or thirty miles on some Godfor
saken road at night, and let him out for a nice little
stroll back to town. Very amusing and much more
civilized than the customs of the Red Man.
Then there’s another trick of taking the pledges
to the basement for a tobacco juice spitting contest.
They have two benches. On these the pledge are
seated, half on one side and half on the other,
facing each other. Each pledge is given a plug
of tobacco and told the object and rules of the game.
The object is to spit in the other fellow’s face, and
the rules are that you can’t guard your face with
your hands or move your head the slightest bit.
Very amusing and much more civilized than the
custom of the Red Man.
But one of the best tricks is to give the pledge
three kinds of laxatives all at once. The best com
bination is five tablespoonfuls of castor oil, a large
glass of concentrated hot salts solution, and five or
six pink pills. Oh boy, is this funny! Just hang
around about an hour and you’ll die laughing. But
that’s only the beginning. Then for the next three
days you feed them on asafoedita and pea salad
seasoned with garlic. Of course they can eat what
ever else they want, if they want anything else, but
the rule is that they must eat a certain amount of
the salad each meal. On an empty stomach, natural
ly this comes up, but they can have some more if
they get hungry between meals. Very amusing and
much more civilized than the customs of the Red
Man.
Great sport this fraternity hazing. Great Sport!
—The Daily Texan
And some people talk about “hazing” at A. & M.!
Thank Heaven we haven’t any of the above-described
foolishness at our school.
Parade of Opinion
Polls. With all elements of the nation ardently
campaigning for one side or another in the current
debate over the United States’ position in the cur
rent world situation, college students are strongly
asserting their views on just what should be done
to clarify their country’s stand on international
politics. Here is a summary of most recent polls—
a summary that tells you just how the wind is blow
ing so far as the nation’s undergraduates are con
cerned :
1. A little more than 58 per cent of the col
lege youth favor the move of the U. S. Senate in
voting repeal of the embargo against shipment of
arms to foreign nations.
2. However, when it comes to the question of
furnishing military aid to the allies (Britain and
France) if they face defeat, collegians vote 68 per
cent against sending our men and machines across
the Atlantic.
3. The above vote is despite the fact that 91
per cent of the undergraduates voting favor the
cause of the allies against the totalitarian alliance.
4. In keeping with the expressions given above,
96 per cent voted in the “no” column when asked
if they thought the U. S. should enter the pres
ent European war. In fact, 78 per cent indicated
that they would not volunteer for service if the
U. S. went to war on the side of the allies.
5. On the other hand, 55 per cent indicated
that they would fight in the U. S. army if we are
attacked. The surprising fact here is the large
number (45 per cent) who indicated that they would
not fight even if our nation or its territories were
invaded.
All these facts seem to indicate that the
pacifistic views of the nation’s collegians, so often
expressed before, have changed little since the open
ing of hostilities in Europe. The general view
seems to be that the U. S. should not fight abroad
under any circumstances, but that we should do all
in our power to aid the English-French alliance
to defeat the forces of Hitler, Stalin and Musso
lini.
One may rightly assume from this preliminary
survey report that the college youth is strongly
maintaining its views that the U. S. should remain
aloof to all foreign entreaties that we should active
ly enter the fight to again save democracy from
defeat. Just how strong this view is entrenched will
be proven only when the defeat of the democratic
nations becomes imminent, for then will come the
real test of whether or not they can passively watch
totalitarianism assume an even more dominant posi
tion in Europe.
“People of Russia are Befogged by War” says a
headline. Who isn’t?
The College of the City of New York has the
largest R. O. T. C. voluntary unit in the nation.
As the World Turns...
By DR. R. W. STEEN
According to a news report John D. M. Hamil
ton, chairman of the Republican National Commit
tee, favors Dewey for the presidential nomination
and Hoover for the vice-presidential nomination.
Mr. Hamilton has been busy since the debacle of
1936 trying to revive and liberalize the Republican
party. This attempt to streamline the
elephant has been carried to the ex
tent of employing a well-known sculp
tor to concoct a streamline version
of the Republican symbol. A stream
lined pachyderm is an absurdity on
the face of things, but no more ab
surdity than would be a ticket of
Dewey and Hoover. Mr. Hoover be
longs to an earlier era, and no amount
of ballyhoo can streamline him. He
seems, however, to be a very good
Steen administrator for relief projects.
The election year gets under way with no an
nouncement from Mr. Roosevelt as to his plans.
Many observers think that he will seek a third
term, while others think that he will not be a candi
date. A number of candidates have already an
nounced their willingness to sacrifice themselves
in the service of the people and relieve Mr. Roose
velt of his duties. This column hesitates to predict
the Democratic nominee, but will predict in reverse
that it will not be Roosevelt, Garner or Farley.
The German navy won two important victories
during the holidays as it prevented the capture of
two of its vessels by the British. The Tacoma,
supply vessel for the scuttled ship Graf Spec, was
ordered by Uruguay to leave Montevideo. The ship
ran up its battle flag, and steamed to the limits
of the harbor. There it parked, and was interned by
Uruguay for the duration of the war. The Columbus,
third largest vessel of the German merchant fleet,
was scuttled off the American coast when an Eng
lish destroyer approached. The German censors have
not yet seen fit to tell their people of this victory.
The President’s message to Congress indicates
that the deficit this year will be less than usual.
If Congress follows his recommendations—and if
no more recommendations are made—the deficit may
not exceed $2,000,000,000. In that case it will not
be necessary to revise until after the election the
law which sets the limit for the national debt at
$45,000,000,000. Included in the items which the
present Congress must consider are proposals to
establish powerful naval and air bases in Alaska.
Even a neutral must make enormous military and
naval expenditures in a world at war.
THE BATTALION
Off the Record
This movie criticising is a hard
business. If you don’t believe it,
try it some time. For instance,
yesterday morning I asked about
a half dozen Aggies who had seen
“The Rains Came” what they
thought of it as a show. I got
answers that ran from “lousy” to
“d good.” Now no matter
what I say of the show, at least
two of the six will think I’m nuts
or Worse.
“THE RAINS CAME,” a novel
by Louis Bromfield, was produced
on the screen by the Twentieth
Century-Fox studios, and in it are
starred Myrna Loy, Tyrone Power
and George Brent.
An important announcement
comes from the Assembly Hall re
garding this show. Due to the
Town Hall presentation of the
Graff Ballet in the Assembly Hall,
there will be no Tuesday night
show. This will be made up with
a matinee Wednesday afternoon be
ginning at 3:15.
The story for “The Rains Came”
is laid in India, with Tyrone Power
playing the part of the Maharajah’s
adopted son and heir to the throne.
According to the customs of the
land, the ruler must marry one of
his own race. For that reason
Tyrone is in quite a spot when he
falls in love with Myrna Loy, an
English lady. An earthquake and
a flood in combination solves all
their problems, but not exactly to
their liking.
Now for rating the show. This
picture, whether you enjoy it or
not, will hold your interest until
it is over. Between the antics of
Brenda Joyce trying to catch
George Brent and the flood and
earthquake catching them all,
there’s no dull moments at all. I
think it is the three grade-point
class.
At the Palace this week we find
another topnotch show, “MR.
SMITH GOES TO WASHING
TON,”.. directed by Frank Capra.
The cast includes several familiar
names and more familiar faces:
Saunders „...Jean Arthur
Jeff Smith James Stewart
Senator Paine........Claude Rains
Jim Taylor Edward Arnold
Governor ...Hopper Guy Kibbee
The good old U. S. is about the
only place I know where a comedy
take-off on the government and its
workings could be produced for
the amusement of the public.
Wouldn’t Hitler throw a fit over
such a picture in Germany?
Jeff Smith, young and idealis
tic, is appointed by the governor
to fill an unexpired term in the
Senate. He discovers vice and cor
ruption in the innermost workings,
and he, with the help of his sten
ographer, sets out to right the
wrongs. He runs into several
snags, but after staging a one-man
filibuster on the Senate floor, he
gets his way and is proclaimed a
national hero. Looks like we have
two three grade-point pictures to
day.
WHATS SHOWING
AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL
Wednesday matinee and
night — “THE RAINS
CAME,” with Tyrone Power,
Myrna Loy, and George
Brent.
AT THE PALACE
Beginning Wednesday —
“MR. SMITH GOES TO
WASHINGTON,” with Jean
Arthur and James Stewart.
AT THE QUEEN
Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday — “THE CISCO
KID AND THE LADY,” with
Caesar Romero.
Broadway Collegian
By Joe Whitley, New York City
Seeing 1940 trip in was great
sport for the scholars on shore
leave from the adjacent academies.
All around the town was high glee.
Some tooted horns—mostly Prince
ton boys—at Fefe’s Monte Carlo,
for twenty bucks a throw. The
Harvards unleashed their songs at
clubs ranging from Waldorf-
Astoria (free confetti and gee-
gaws at fifteen rubles admission)
to the 46th Street Country Club,
a most unpretentious place for
troubadours and ladies of quality
(different grades) at practically
nothing.
We ran into a grim Vassar
alumna who assured us “confi
dentially” that it was all “a bore,”
and where could she find the near
est soda bicarbonate?
Paternal Note
If any of you have been contem
plating striking from your figura
tive angles the not-quite-so figura
tive fetters that are society’s con
ventions, be guided, good friends,
by the example of brave Rhoda
Shafter.
Just before the Chrismas holi
days, Miss Shafter, irked at the
jibes of her philosophy Professor
at New York University on the
theme that women were a hopeless
low who wore silly hats, cried
“Allah” to Emily Post, and were
stereotyped conformists because
they lacked the courage to be in
dividualists.
What our Rhoda diu—if you
didn’t hear—was to show up at
the. next class meeting in a lordly
fur coat which she nonchalantly
shed, revealing a fabulously trim
torso in a bathing suit.
The professor sent her forth,
calling her venture “infantile.”
Mostly Rhoda is sad about it
all, and anybody who babbles to
her about the glories of being an
individualist will get a bang on the
head, with her philosophy book, to
boot.
Vital Statistics
Most long-winded play, “Tobac
co Road,” going into its seventh
year here with 2,570 performances
as you read this; “The Little
Foxes,” 354; “The Philadelphia
Story,” 305; “See My Lawyer,” 95;
“Skylark,” 79; “The Man Who
Came To Dinner,” 73.
Musical oldsters: “Pins and
Needles,” 889; “Hellzapoppin,”
548; “Streets of Paris,” 209;
“Yokel Boy,” 189; and “Too Many
Girls,” 68.
This Manhattan—Sights and
Sounds
Walter Winch ell, chattering with
a cop and getting a kick out of it,
at Fifth Avenue at 53rd—Simone
Simon buying a hot dog at a
corner emporium—Laurence Oliver,
walking with a handsome some
body in Central Park—Richard
Knight, society’s Harlequin,
sachaying down Fifth Avenue
(whilst we shivered) and not even
sporting a top coat, but chewing
gum—Mayor LaGuardia in earnest
BACKWASH
Bu
George f nermann
“Backwash: An aritation rerultin* from lorn* action or oecarraiieo.”—Wabater.
From Santa to Satan as finals
near . . . The orchids are for fresh
man Gene Burton. He’s the one
who was recently visiting a friend
in an organiza
tion other than
his own. Imagine
his surprise,
therefore, to sud
denly be “detail
ed” by a near-by
junior. The detail
was duly per-
formed and,
thinking he had
done his daily
good turn, Gene returned to his
friend. Not so, however; another
detail was in the offing. When
the erring junior learned that the
freshman was from another organ
ization, his face turned all colors
known to the spectrum as he
guiltily stammered: “I didn’t think
that freshman looked very famil
iar!” . . . And what about the item
noticed in the San Antonio Ex
press last week concerning one of
the “Alamo City’s chefs who was
making a good bit of profit on
rabbit pie until the government
threw a monkey-wrench into the
works. It seems that they passed
a law some time ago saying that
the ingredients in foodstuffs must
be declared. Undaunted, this chef
put down “half rabbit, half horse.”
Whereupon the government agent
inquired, “What do you mean, half
rabbit and half horse?” “Sure,”
our man replied, “one rabbit and
one horse.”
•
If you’ve ever wondered, here’s
how the Aggie term “frog” came
about:
An Aggie “ex” Caesar Hohn, ad
vises that the term is an outgrowth
of the days when the college gave
sub-freshman work. This was
started about 1910 and continued
for several years. These sub
freshmen were called “frogs” to
distinguish them from “fish.” When
sub-freshman work was later dis
continued, the term was given to
freshmen entering at mid-term.
•
Maybe Texas University can
furnish the Cracked Bowl:
From the University’s humor
magazine, The Texas Ranger,
comes the following paragraph
which is true enough until A. & M.
is brought into the -picture—with
a bit of bias, it would seem!
“First it was the Rose Bowl.
Then the Sugar Bowl, the Sun
Bowl, and the Cotton Bowl. If
Amarillo falls in line we will have
the Dust Bowl. Boston could fur
nish the Bean Bowl, Walla Walla
the Apple Bowl, Salt Lake City
the Salt Bowl, and College Station
the Trash Bowl.”
•
In defense of Cajuns:
A College Station matron who
formerly resided in New Orleans
has written your columnist an in
teresting letter in respect to a
feature article which appeared in
last Thursdlay’s Battalion. The
article in question related the high
lights of the Aggies’ stay in the
Sugar Bowl City during the New
Year’s weekend. Quoting from the
letter:
“Just finished your feature in
The Battalion and I’m proud and
glad of all the nice things you
conversation with a colored boot-
black—Helen Hayes, serene as
Buddah, alighting from a cab in
front of the theater where she’s
starring in her husband’s assist
play, “Ladies and Gentlemen.”
have to say about the Aggies’
‘great’ weekend in the Cajun’s
country. I think it is the grandest
piece of earth anywhere. A place
where it’s no mortal sin to be
merry and gay. Where, if a miracle
took place and the water in the
tubs turned to wine they’d know
it wasn’t meant for the bride to
take a bath. However, I can’t
help but wonder what you have in
mind when you write “from Sophie
Newcomb coeds to French Quar
ter Cajuns”—giving the impres
sion that the Cajun is to be found
only at the bottom of the social
scale. Cajuns are not a certain
class nor yet a distinctive kind of
people—rather a race of people.
There was certainly nothing pale
pink about ancestry that left their
homes separated from their fami
lies for a principle.
“There are all kinds of Cajuns.
Some I know can’t say ‘How do
you do,’ in English, just as some
folks I know can’t say the same
thing in French, but all the Cajuns
I’ve ever known had the courage
to act and speak frankly and open
ly in the manner they find most
natural, apologizing to no man.”
Textile Industry-
May Create New Jobs
According To Study
Although employment opportuni
ties in cotton production show a de
cline, the cotton textile manufac
turing industry may contribute to
a speeding up of industrialization
in the Southwest which will create
new related jobs, according to a
study of cotton growing in Texas,
prepared by the National Youth
Administration of Texas and made
public by Aubrey Williams, N.
Y. A. Administrator.
Employment opportunities in cot
ton production have decreased rath
er than increased, the study shows.
The extent of further mechaniza
tion, and the absorption of work
ers now employed for cotton grow
ing in other industries will influ
ence future trends, according to
the study.
The United States now leads the
world in chemical progress
M-TUL
ASXILVVI.LY
HALL
3:15
Regular Show 6:30
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