THE BATTALION
-SATURDAY, JAN. 20, 1940
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 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
t-6444.
1939 Member 1940
Associated GoUe&sate Press
BILL MURRAY _
LARRY WEHRLE _
fames Grits
E. C. (Jeep) Oates
S_ G. Howard 1,
‘Hub" Johnson
Philip Golman
John J. Moseley
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Associate Editor
Sports Editor
Circulation Manager
Intramural Editor
Staff Photographer
Staff Artist
SATURDAY STAI'F
James Critz Acting Managing Editor
Don Burk Asst. Advertising Manager
W. C. Carter Editorial Assistant
Junior Editors
A. J. Robinson Billy Clarkson Cecil De Vilbiss
Senior Sports Assistants
Jimmie Cokinos - Jimmy James
Junior Advertising Solicitors
J. M. Sedberry G. M. Woodman
Reportorial Staff
Lee Rogers, E. M. Rosenthal, W. A. Moore, Glenn Mattox, Les-
lie Newman, M. L. Howard.
Thirteen Days
Thirteen more days and students will be faced
with “stark reality”—final examinations for the
first term which begin Friday, February 2, and
last through the following Thursday.
The practice put into operation last year where
by the top 25 per cent of each class with an A or
B average will be exempt from final examination
in that course still holds true this year. But it is
not this type of student who should be worrying at
this time. It is those students who are straddl
ing the fence, those with which the difference of
one or two points means continuing his studies
here or planting his feet under mother’s table once
more.
On December 1 of this term a larger percent
age of students were passing less than ten hours
of work than ever before in the history of the
school. There are arguments why such a condi
tion might exist, but the one object today for those
students who do care is to pitch in and work for a
grade which will show to their instructor that
they have gained a knowledge of their course
during the year and receive a grade that will pass
them, not the reason why they are flunking.
There remains practically two weeks yet, and
no time should be lost in getting down to get
those deficient subjects. Some instructors might
give their analysis on “how to study for a final ex
amination” as, undoubtedly, will many fellow stu
dents. But the matter is still left up to the
student and the energy and work he expends in
doing the job in his own manner will no doubt
be the stepping stone either up or down the ladder.
It’s time now to start preparing for what’s coming
ahead.
Economy of Scarcity
“The economy of scarcity,” says Dean Carl F.
Wittke of Oberlin College, “represents glaring fail
ures in our whole system of production and dis
tribution and, in my opinion, these failures out
weigh all the success in science and technology of
which we boast.”
And what is an “economy of scarcity?” The
-term is rather new and not widely understood yet.
Broadly speaking it means creating an artificial
scarcity to keep prices up. This is the belief that
ihigh or well sustained prices make prosperity.
So they do apparently, for some people. But
the benefit of the many seems to demand making
and distributing goods and services as cheaply
and plentifully as possible, depending on many
small profits rather than a few large ones.
This process is obviously good for the mass
of consumers. The idea has been spreading, in
recent years, that it is also good for the business
man.
< > 1' K N FORUM
You probably read in The Battalion the story
concerning the amnesia victim, whose mind a
blank as to his identity, home and past, that was
identified when his classmates rallied to his aid.
This story was read by people throughout the
state and below is what one reader thought of the
episode. The irony of it all is that the writer is
a University of Texas graduate. But he expresses
the true state of being that is connected with
A. & M. and what it stands for.
“If a man is ever in trouble, the best asset
he can have seems to be a schooling in Texas A.
& M. A demonstration of Aggies rallying to the
side of a former schoolmate took place the other
night in the chief of police’s office in Beaumont,
when the Aggies swarmed over the place for hours,
attempting to identify an amnesia victim known to
have attended the college at one time. (They final
ly did it, too.)
“Even so, it wasn’t a full show of strength, as
only those were called who attended the school
about the time the amnesia victim must have.
“There wasn’t an answer of, ‘So sorry I’m
awfully busy as the Aggies SOS went out over
town. The answer was always, ‘Be right down.’
The chief was on the phone but a few minutes
before the lads started pouring in. And they
were sincerely eager to help and anxious over
the condition of the other Aggie.
“I believe it can be said without great fear
of contradiction that no college in the state—and
maybe in the nation—has a spirit that lives as long
after graduation as A. & M.’s.”
—Jimmie Cokinos, ’40.
Medical Victory
While civilization latterly seems to be ailing in
many ways especially in economics and interna
tional relations, it is making remarkable progress
in the medical arts. This is true alike of surgery,
drugs and the courses of living prescribed for pat
ients.
Some of the most spectacular developments,
lately have been in the nature of what laymen are
inclined to call “miracle drugs.” The best known
recent contributions of this sort, perhaps, are
sulfanilamide and sulfapynidine, used for various
ailments for which there have been no satisfactory
remedies.
The latest wonder-worker is a chemical bear
ing the terrific name of “hydroxyethylapocupreine”
and obviously impossible for a layman to spell or
pronounce. It’s chief use so far has been for pneu
monia, and in Pittsburgh hospital where exten
sive tests have been made it is credited with re
ducing the mortality of such cases by one-half.
Such gains as these promise to increase the
average span of life considerably beyond its present
length. What remains is to make the life itself
more worth living.
That\ is a job outside the medical field, falling
particularly upon statesmen, economists, educators,
and pacifists.
Parade of Opinion
Keeping pace with the ever-increasing move
ments of the Democratic Donkey and the Republi
can Elephant, college and university students are
gradually taking a more active part in party polit
ical activities. As evidenced by the early organiza
tional activities on many campuses, 1940 promises
to be a banner year for student participation in a
national election.
So far as can be determined at the present time,
the winter book ranking of the political horses
seems to be: Dewey is the favorite, with McNutt
(carrying democratic colors) picked to run second.
Hardly a third of the collegians favor a third term
for F. D. R., so he seems to be ruled out as a starter
at post time.
However, all collegians feel that it is a bit
too early to start picking candidates now—they
feel that too much can happen between now and
convention time to upset many a candidate’s chance
They’re organizing, yes, but along party lines.
Now let’s turn to a cross-section of undergrad
uate opinion on current political developments as
expressed by student editorial writers:
Concerning Thomas Edmund Dewey (Michigan
’23), the University of Kansas Daily Kansan says:
“This is the day of ear-consciousness and a radio-
dominated public. To compete with a swing band,
a politician has to be pleasingly vocal. Dewey may
or may not write his own speeches, but he can
deliver them in a manner to warm a ghost-writer’s
heart. He threatens the Rooseveltian supremacy
as America’s Number One political bedtime story
teller.”
But, says the Dartmouth College Daily Dart
mouth, “the present campaign will be fought out
on some very specific and important problems, the
most important of which is America’s policy during
a European war, and not the least important of
which is what to do with twelve million unem
ployed. The public is pretty well aware of these
problems, and so Handsome Tom Dewey will have
to be presented to America as something more than
a racket-buster if he is to be treated with any more
seriousness than the polite amusement with which
most people greet him now.”
John Nance Garner’s announcement of his
willingness to accept the nomination from the dem
ocrats drew this comment from the Universitiy of
Iowa Daily Iowan: “There will be many who will
hesitate before accepting him. It will be remem
bered that he is an old line southern democrat, a
traditional ‘party man’ candidate. He is an expert
politician, but his qualities as a statesman have not
had an adequate test. The feeling still remains
that he lacks youth, the statesmanship and the
foresight necessary for the presidency at the most
critical time in the history of the U. S.”
Warning the G. O. P. not to disregard the
social advancements made under the New Deal, the
University of Michigan Daily says: “It is not so
much our leanings toward any one party that causes
us to express our opposition to such measures as
the Republicans are now supporting; what disturbs
us more is the callous destruction of reforms which
have been established and accepted, and which we
believe America needs.”
As the World Turns...
By AL B. NELSON
Japanese admit that 70,000 of their soldiers have
been killed in their unofficial war with China. If
they admit that number the total must be much
larger. They have met with few successes and a
number of defeats in the last few months.
King Gustaf, the 81 year old King of Sweden,
still plays tennis and actively leads his nation. At
the present he is concentrating on
building up the army and in sending
aid to Finland. Recent reports indi
cate that a total of about twenty thou
sand volunteers from all nations have
reached Finland. Several companies
of these are from the United States.
The U. S. has established a lega
tion in Australia for the first time.
The new Minister is Clarence E.
Gauss, who has been stationed at
Shanghai recently and has learned
the Japanese problem thoroughly,
and is directly responsible for much of the war
and misery in the world today.
A Texan, Admiral Richardson, has just taken
command of the United States fleet and will com
mand it in the midst of its great expansion program.
Wm. E. Borah, isolationist leader in the U. S.
Senate for the last thirty odd years is at the point
of death as this is written. Senator Borah is one
of the smartest and most capable of the men in
Congress but his very ability and isolationist lead
ership kept the U. S. out of the League of Nations
and is directly responsible for much of the war and
misery in the world today.
Nelson
Off the Record
'No, no-that's not the way to bust rocks—here, hold my gun,
• J’H show you how to do iH"
by Dob Nisbel
Perhaps the lowest trick pulled
during the current cold spell was
some low-life digging into the
store-room of a theater and drag
ging one of last summer’s signs
reading “Twenty degrees colder
inside” to the front of the show.
Speaking of the cold spell, it
ought to make us feel all right
about traveling “down Mexico
way” with Gene Autrey at the
Queen Sunday and Monday in
“SOUTH OF THE BORDER.”
Gene and his pal, Smiley Burnette
are in Mexico this time as Federal
agents on government business.
However, as a sideline, they break
up a revolution. You know Mexi
co is always a good ground for
at least one revolution. This show
itself is not much, but it did serve
to introduce a very popular swing
tune, that was not written by Gene
Autrey as many believe, but by
two song writers from London,
England, who wrote the song about
Mexico looking at the Thames
river. The song writers were Jim
my Kennedy and Michael Carr.
Saturday night at the Assembly
Hall in “THE SUN NEVER
SETS”, the English again enter in,
but this time the whole story is
about life in the English army at
an outpost in dark Africa. The
cast contains enough outstanding
characters to make the show ap
pear very attractive.
John Randolph
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Clive Randolph....Basil Rathbone
Phyllis Ransome....Virginia Field
Helen Randolph....Barbara O’Neil
Hugh Zurof.... Lionel Atwill
Sir John Randolph
C. Aubrey Smith
As the story begins, Basil Rath-
bone, who has served as district
commissioner on the African coast
for two years, arrives home to hear
his younger brother, Doug Fair
banks, rebelling against the family
tradition of entering the service.
C. Aubrey Smith, as his grandfath
er, persuades him to enter in or
der that he and Basil can return to
Africa to quell a plot to overthrow
the great United Kingdom. This
upsets his plans to marry Phyllis,
but he reluctantly leaves for Africa
and proves himself a hero, thus
upholding the family tradition and
at the same time finding himself
enjoying the service. Rating — a
strong two grade-points.
WHATS SHOWING
AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL
Saturday 12:45 — “OUR
LEADING CITIZEN,” with
Bob Burns and Susan Hay
ward.
Saturday 6:30 and 8:30—
“THE SUN NEVER SETS,”
with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.,
Basil Rathbone, and C. Au
brey Smith.
AT THE PALACE
Beginning Sunday—“GER-
ONIMO,” with Preston Fos
ter and Andy Devine .
AT THE QUEEN
Sunday and Monday—
‘SOUTH OF THE BORDER,’
with Gene Autrey and Smiley
Burnette.
ECENT
|U| ECORD
I 1 ELEASES
It is difficult to conceive of a
popular tune more completely
suited to the personable song styl
ist, Bea Wain, than the new Cole
Porter selection, WHEN LOVE
BECKONED. This song from the
“DuBarry Was a Lady” score has
already achieved a considerable
measure of fame and seems bound
for top place among current hits.
In this recording, Miss Wain de
serts her usual vocadance style
for a vivacious ballad type of pre
sentation. The orchestra presents
a brilliant background and adds
greatly to this Grade-A vocal disc.
BLUE RAIN, a Johnny Mercer-
Jimmy Van Heusen composition, is
in medium tempo voca-dance style.
Like its companion piece, it is
one of today’s more promising
tunes and easily doubles the worth
of this record.
BACKWASH
in
George Fuermann
“Backwash: An agitation resulting from some action or occurrence."—Webster.
While College Station freezes
. . . Authentic reports from Holly
wood indicate that John Kimbrough
will be offered a hard-to-refuse
movie contract when he graduates
in ’41. The re-
ports indicate
that John will im
mediately be giv
en starring roles
in a series of
six westerns . . .
And here’s one
turned in to the
column which the
writer will let you
decide upon. It
seems that a certain Chinese wom
an, anxious to enter the United
States, swam the Rio Grande near
Eagle Pass. Soon after arriving
she gave birth to a baby who
might, without much stretching of
the imaginaiton, be considered an
American citizen. The youngster
was scarcely born, however, before
immigration officials hustled moth
er and child back to Mexico. Then
it happened again—another child,
this time born in Mexico, there
fore a citizen of that country. The
problem being: one twin a citizen
of the U. S., the other a citizen
of Mexico, and the mother a Chin
ese.
Two to one you don’t get it
right the first time:
Psychologists and educators
throughout the country have ex
hibited an unusual interest in the
following test, which gives a per
son a chance to test the sharpness
of his vision. Scrutinize the fol
lowing sentence and state how
many F’s, either large or small,
it contains:
“The Famous Valspar finish is
the result of scientific study com
bined with the experience of years.”
Out of twenty people of intelli
gence, not more than two will get
it right the first time, and a large
proportion will not find more than
three after being told that there
are more. Testing a few members
of the corps, it was found that the
Cosmopolitan Club’s president,
Mike Rodriquez, only found three
F’s on first reading; Duron Kerby
found three, and John Collier
found two. Vernon Woolridge was
high man having located four; a
freshman, Leslie Peden, found on
ly two; “Rip” Collins and Morris
Hooton both found three.
This isn’t a fool stunt, but it’s
interesting as showing how little
we see of what we look at. How
did you make out on the test?
Most people find only three F’s.
There are, however, five F’s.
AH WOMEN Tess Charlton
Special to The Battalion from The Lass-0 of T. S. C. W.
Freshmen returned to T. S. C. W.
rather nonplussed after the great
time they had at the Fish Ball. “I
met John Kimbrough,” said one
thrilled freshman in the post of
fice Monday. We hear that Bonny
Bess Nummy had a date for the
dance Friday night with the boy
who invited her down to Aggie-
land, but she spent most of her
time with Fish Phelps. Was a time
when Aggies didn’t put up with
that sort of thing . . . Pinky Win
slow, freshman from Illinois,
couldn’t get over all the fellows
yelling at the girls from the win
dows of the dorms. She said she
wondered if she were popular or
if the Aggies yelled at all girls! . .
Gloria Wynne came back to school
minus an Aggie but pretty happy
about the whole thing neverthe
less.
Six Lowry freshmen have form
ed a new club, the Alpha Alpha
Alpha (Anti-Aggie-Association),
based on the principal that all Ag
gies fall into two groups: (1) the
wolves, and (2) those with cogs in
their brains, therefore, Aggies are
to be shunned and given up as bad
jobs. And of course, Helen Joyce
Schott only went to the Fish Ball
as a secret agent of the A. A. A.
to pile up evidence against the
long-suffering cadets. Anti-Aggie
Association members say they are
holding out for fraternity men with
pipes in their mouths. Members
say that membership in their or
ganization will soon be increasing.
That’s to be seen!
Nan Vineyard says Harvard and
Yale unknowns have more glamour
than unknown A. & M. boys, so
she’s stopped writing to her box
number down there. Now ain’t
that heartbreakin’ !
Missing from the T. S. C. W.
campus last weekend—a pair of
auburn-haired monkies. Secret
agent X5z reports they were seen
running rampant over the Aggie-
land premies. Did they answer
to the names, Imogene and Kath
ryn ? That’s our part of the
menagerie, boys!
But speaking of menageries, we
hear part of your barks. Martha
Teas reports that while she was
eating in the mess hall a Fish came
up to her and said, “Bow! wow!”
We wonder if George “Buck”
Bentinck has digested his recent
stack of fan-mail. The Brack Jun
iors sponsoring this drive are hop
ing that this will help overcome
his “I hate women” complex.
STUDENT WELFARE
COMMITTEE MEETS
The regular meeting of the Stu
dent Welfare Committee was held
Thursday night in the banquet
room of Sbisa Hall will Dean Bol
ton presiding.
Talks were given by Bruce
Davis and Keith Dahl, concerning
their recent trip to the National
Student Federation convention in
Minneapolis. Subjects presented
were joint student-faculty curric
ulum change committees, student
finances, the honor system, and
student activity fees. Ideas and
information obtained at the con
vention are to be the subject for
discussion . of the next two meet
ings of the committee.
Massachusetts State College has
the only two-year hotel stewarding
course in the country.
NEW MONEY
The Car You Are Now
Driving Can Be Used
For A Loan.
EASY ONE-STOP
TRANSACTION
Titus-McCullough,
Inc.
Phone 1310 215 S. Main
Bryan
CAMPUS FAVORITES
Glover
Pajamas
A Large Selection
of
Arrow Shirts and Ties
A Wide Selection
of
Trenchcoats
THE EXCHANGE STORE
“AN AGGIE INSTITUTION”
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