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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 a* 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-B444.
1939 Member 1940
Associated Golle&iate Press
tfILL MURRAY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
LARRY WEHRLE ADVERTISING MANAGER
James Grit* — Associate Editor
E. C. (Jeep) Oates Sports Editor
H. G. Howard Circulation Manager
“Hub’ Johnson Asst. Sports Editor
Philip Golman Staff Photographer
John J. Moseley Staff Artist
Junior Editors
Billy Clarkson George Fuermann Bob Nisbet
A. J. Robinson Earle A. Shields
SATURDAY STAFF
James Critz Acting Managing Editor
Don Burk Asst. Advertising Manager
W. C. Carter Editorial Assistant
R. V. (Red) Myers Jr. Sports Assistant
Senior Sports Assistant
Jimmie Cokinos Jimmy James
Junior Advertising Solicitors
J. M. Sedberry G. M. Woodman
Reportorial Staff
E. M. Rosenthal, Lee Rogers, Glenn Mattox, W. A. Moore,
Bob Parker, L. B. Tennison
“Farley Day”
We believe congratulations are in order all the
way around on the success of “Farley Day” Thurs
day.
First, A. & M. is indebted to Burris C. Jackson,
ex-Aggie of the class of '27, now postmaster at
Hillsboro, for bringing his friend, Postmaster-Gen
eral James A. Farley, as a distinguished visitor to
Aggieland. Mr. Jackson is one of the best known of
A. & M. ex-students. It was he who brought Secre
tary of Commerce Daniel Roper to A. & M. some
time ago.
Next, President Walton, Colonel Ike Ashburn,
Colonel George F. Moore, supervisor of subsistence
J. C. Hotard, and all others concerned with making
arrangements for Mr. Farley’s visit, the review and
banquet in his honor, deserve a word of praise for
the success of the day’s events.
Thirdly, J. J. Woolket and the Singing Cadets
under his direction, and the musicians under the
direction of Colonel Richard Dunn, are to be com
mended on their program of entertainment at the
banquet.
And lastly, Cadet Colonel Woody Varner gets
■our special commendation for making the most
highly original speech of the evening—in which he
requested the Postmaster-General to see if he could
do something about the situation whereby the
Aggies write so frequently to the girls at our sister
school of T. S. C. W., yet so often wait in vain for
a reply!
★
Governor O’Daniel To Make 1940
Race On Reshuffled 1938 Platform
After 15 months in office, Governor W. Lee
O’Daniel still wants $50,000,000 per year in new
revenue to meet the State’s social security obliga
tions, to pay pensions and to begin retiring some
$25,000,000 in hot checks issued by the State.
He believes his original suggestion of a trans
action tax, shaved down from 1.6 per cent to 1 per
cent, will raise the money, although he is willing
to accept any other tax which the Legislature will
pass.
All this is a rehash of his 1938 platform, gar
nished, as it was then, with the charge that “pro
fessional politicians” are responsible for an “ap
palling situation” and spiced with frequent thrusts
at unnamed subsidized newspapers, radio stations
and poison pen editors.
Add to this seVeral logical suggestions for modern
izing the State’s fiscal machinery by installing better
budgetary control and eliminating a multiplicity of
special accounts, most of which originated with a
legislative investigating committee several years
ago, and you have the reelection platform of the
governor, as he explained it in a 10,000 word ad
dress that kept a State-wide radio network busy
for an hour last Wednesday night.
What the governor said boils down to this:
He contends that it is not his fault that the
Legislature did not pass a tax bill which would have
enabled him to make good on his promise of $30 per
month to the aged.
He says the State must balance its budget,
pay its obligations to the blind, needy aged and de
pendent children and must match contributions of
teachers to their retirement fund.
To do this, $50,000,000 per year in new revenue
is needed. He favors a one percent transaction tax,
but is willing to leave to the Legislature the job of
raising that much new tax money, or to submit the
question to the people who, he contends, created the
obligation in the first place.
As was the case in the summer of 1938, the
governor is definite about where the $50,000,000 he
needs to carry out his program is coming from. He
is willing to approve “any tax” which will raise the
money.
It is fortunate the Legislature is not that
agreeable, because there are dozens of taxes which
would raise $50,000,000 per year, but many of them
would wreck the State economically, kill its pros
pects for future growth and saddle burdens on
citizens least able to pay.
But we have no quarrel with what the governor
said about affairs of State. He is making a race in
1940 on his 1938 platform, apparently on the theory
that what was good enough to win the governorship
is good enough now, which may prove good politics.
What impressed us most was what he said about
the trials and tribulations of public office.
We conclude that Mr. O’Daniel has learned
what many other found out before him—that cheers
of campaign crowds constitute the most perishable
commodity on earth.
—The Houston Post.
The Singing Cadets
A group on the A. & M. campus that The Bat
talion believes deserves special praise, recognition,
commendation, and cooperation in every respect is
the “Singing Cadets” (formerly known as the A.
& M. Glee Club) under the direction of Professor J.
J. Woolket.
If there is any advisor to any group on the
campus any more untiring and persevering in his
efforts to help that group than Mr. Woolket has
been with the Singing Cadets, we have yet to see
him. To a large extent Mr. Woolket has been re
sponsible for the club’s progress.
The Singing Cadets have certainly “whipped
out” during this session, (to use the Aggie vernacu
lar). That is the opinion, so far as we can tell, of
every student, every faculty member, and every
visitor to the college who has heard them this year.
Distinguished speakers at many banquets have paid
them high tribute.
They have made steady improvement in their
performances, through persistent and unified effort.
They have sung at more banquets and other local
functions,, and at more places away from the college,
than ever before in the history of the organization.
They are soon to start on a spring tour to sing at
various cities. They have achieved more attention
and publicity and have made the Aggies more music
conscious, than ever before.
And that is why we think the Singing Cadets
of A. & M. are to be so highly commended.
Of course, there is always more to be done. The
Singing Cadets know that it takes constant practice,
a pleasing variety of selections, and a lot of hard
work to achieve the state of perfection and of state
wide recognition that they desire. We think, with
the big start made this year, that they’ll certainly
attain it.
★
Haste,.. Cause of Tragedy
Flowers fade but deeds endure.
More than 32,000 persons were sent to their
graves or to hospitals last year because of automobile
accidents. Such a mass death toll represents a major
death plague concerning which every American
should be enlightened.
Let us consider. The total of 32,000 represents
about half the population of Austin or Waco. What
if a new plague were to wipe out that number to
morrow? A state of emergency would surely be
declared. Theatres and schools would be closed and
the various relief forces would marshal all their
resources to cope with the tragic situation. Parents
would be frantic; government officials would take
drastic measures to get the plague under control.
In a sense, America’s automobile accident ex
perience of the past year might be likened to such
a plague. Because the total casualties are stretched
over a period of an entire year, because they are
not confined to any particular season, to any par
ticular age-group nor to any particular locality, the
public remains apathetic.
Two out of three automobile accidents in the
United States last year involved mistakes by driv
ers . . . mistakes that could have been avoided had
the people been safety conscious.
The primary case, as usual, is excessive speed.
Because of undue haste, 7,990 persons were killed
and 179,980 were injured. The figures represent 22.5
percent of the total casualties.
Other figures are less imposing, but just as
tragic. Reckless driving accounts for 14.7 percent
of the fatalities; 13.5 were directly attributable to
the failure of drivers to exercise caution when a
question of right-of-way was involved, and 11.6 per
cent were caused when drivers went off the roadway.
The person who dislikes statistics cannot be
expected to linger long over these tabulations, but
he CAN learn and remember that nine out of every
ten accidents for which the driver is to blame can
be attributed to undue haste.
—The Baylor Lariat
★
After becoming partially civilized, an African
tribe got heavily in debt and took to the jungle again.
We can understand that impulse.
As the World Turns...
By DR. AL B. NELSON
The Texas Political Pot will really boil from
now on. Governor O’Daniel has either learned noth
ing from the past, or thinks he has learned a great
deal about how to put things over on the public.
Everyone will concede that he has learned how to
put things over in real form if he persuades the
people of Texas to vote a trans
actions tax upon themselves.
* * *
Winston Churchill, who has been
the head of England’s navy since
shortly after the war began, has
now been given general control over
all of Britain’s armed forces. This
has given the allies a much better
chance to win if Germany does be
gin her much-vaunted general at
tack this spring. Churchill is also
known for his belief that England
should attack through the Balkans or the Near East.
Nelson
Canada has a new Governor-General. The Earl
of Athone, uncle of the King of England, is the
successor to the late Lord Tweedsmuir (better
known to the American public as John Buchan, the
novelist). The new governor-general is a capable and
experienced administrator and army officer and
the appointment has won great favor in Canada.
It is thought that his appointment was made with
the idea of his cultivating the United States and
winning over public opinion here to a closer bond of
friendship.
* * *
England is thought to be ready now to put the
pressure on Italy (economic pressure) in order to
force that nation to take a definite stand for Ger
many or for the allies. England and France are re
ported to have come to the belief that it would be
better to have Italy definitely in the struggle on
the side of Germany than to have them remain as
a channel by which world supplies may reach that
nation.
THE BATTALION
-SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1940
BACKWASH
By
George Fuermann
“Backwash: An agitation resulting from some action or occurrence.”—Webster.
Fuermann
Between the lines . . . Woody
Vamer’s address at Thursday
night’s Farley banquet was the
highlight of a night of many high
lights. “Varner’s
adddress,” said
WTAW’s director
John Rosser, “was
one of the best I
have ever heard de
livered by a stu
dent of any col
lege.” So it’s sweet
peas to Woody for
the single touch of
levity at one of A.
& M.’s most im
portant functions this year . . And
while the sweet peas are going
around, here’s a column full to the
Glee Club—or Singing Cadets, for
technicality’s sake. Under the tire
less and more-than-capable direct
ion of Joe Woolket, presidented by
Maynard Curts, and business-man
aged by its energetic Charles Zahn,
the organization has made a smash
hit on the campus this year and is
fast gaining a statewide reputation
for excellence . . . Eco prof P. A.
Nutter, to taxation class: “The day
isn’t long gone when the only piece
of mail that went into the average
farm house was & Sears-Roebuck
catalog.” . . . George Mueller, ar
riving on T.S.C.W. campus: “If you
see any girls running after me, let
me know so I can put it in re
verse.” . . . It’s history now, but
many cadets wondered why Bill
Stern, who broadcasted the Aggie-
S. M. U. game last November and
later “adopted” A. & M. as his
alma mater, didn’t officiate at the
Sugar Bowl game. As a matter of
fact, he was originally booked to
do the game, but broadcasting com
mercial rights were sold to Gillette
Razor who decided to advertise
their shaving cream. Bill, however,
already had a regular Sunday night
commercial with Colgate Shaving
Cream and couldn’t afford to
change creams in mid-stream.
Thus he play-by-played the Rose
Bowl game.
•
November 25, 1920:
The first play-by-play broadcast
of a football game ever transmitted
was broadcast by station WTAW
on Thanksgiving Day, 1920, from
College Station when the Aggies
played their traditional Turkey Day
game with the Texas U. At that
time the station was operating un
der an experimental license and
had the call letters 5XB—thus one
more Texas Aggie claim to football
distinction.
•
In the world of boners:
Boners from freshman and soph
omore classes aren’t so rare that
they need to be advertised, but
here’s a few that are definitely
out of the usual groove. Writing
a paragraph on Florence Nightin
gale, a freshman in 1932 pointed
out, “Miss Nightingale was the
mistress of Louis XIV and was the
first woman in Europe to submit to
childbirth.” Answering an identifi
cation question on Ruth Suckow’s
character essay, “A German Grand
father,” a freshman declared,
“ ‘Grandpa’ was the male partner
in a marriage of the woman called
by everyone as ‘Grandma.’ ” The
same cadet spelled “conscientious,”
“conchincous.”
BACKWASH BALLOT
OOMPH OR GLAMOUR?
About this time of the year it seems to be in line for
colleges and universities throughout the nation to take stock
on collegiate opinion in respect to the boy vs. girl situation.
Not to be outdone, Backwash sticks in an oar for Aggieland,
but, if it’s to be successful, every cadet will have to vote and
express his opinions and choices on the ballot beneath. After fill
ing in the ballot, either send it to the writer, Box 4479; bring
it to room 417, dormitory three; or send it to The Battalion
Office.
1. Do you prefer blondes brunnetes redheads (check
one)
2. Do you like jitterbugging
3. Do you like swing
4. What is your favorite dance orchestra
5. Has Leap Year paid dividends for you
6. Would you be in favor of a national Sadie Hawkins Day
7. How many dates a month do you average
8. Do you smoke drink neck
9. Do you neck on the first date—if possible
10 Do you believe that most girls will neck on the first date
11. Are you in love at the present time
12. Do you believe students should marry while still in college
13. Do you believe in blind dates
14. Do you think there are enough coeds on the A. & M. campus
15. Would you favor legislative enactment whereby T.S.C.W.
would be moved to College Station
16. What is your favorite magazine
17. What qualities would you look for in picking a wife
18. Do you think T.S.C.W. is adequate as our sister school
19. Do you approve of the “bird-dog” system at A. & M.
20. Have you ever “bird-doged”
21. Have you ever been “bird-doged”
22. Have you ever had a date on the A. & M. campus
23. How many years have you been attending A. & M
24. Have you ever been to T. S. C. W
25. Do you lose weight when you fall in love
Name
Classification
Organization .
^ ^ Bob Nisbel
Editor’s note: Beginning with hopes they will come to blows over
this issue, various students will her. The law finally takes a hand
try out for the position of movie in the decision of which husband
editor on next year’s Battalion i s to get the wife, but not until
staff. the show has presented plenty of
By Tom Gillis laughs.
The paradoxical and almost legal Some Aggies might be inter
situation of having “TOO MANY ested in seeing the film to learn
HUSBANDS” is the plight of pret- the techni ^ e of warding off the
. advances of one s secretary, be-
ty Jean Arthur m the show com- cause at the return of the first
ing to the Palace Sunday. Such husband, Douglas’ secretary tries
a plot could be and is easily used to persuade him to leave Jean for
as the basis for a first rate comedy. Fred- and to marry her. Alto-
Miss Arthur is the wife of a pub- gether, this hilarious comedy and
lishing firm partner, Fred Mac-
Murray, who is reported lost at
sea on a lone cruise. Thereupon,
the other partner, Melvyn Douglas,
consoles the grieving widow by
marrying her. When the supposed
dead husband returns, Melvyn
Douglas faints and it takes con
siderable courage to explain to Fred
that the marital status of his wife
is changed. Miss Arthur is quite
thrilled at the squabbles of the
two husbands and thinks the sit
uation is thrilling. That night she
puts them in the twin beds in
the guest room where she even
first-grade farce
grade points.
deserves three
WHATS SHOWING
AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL
Saturday, 12:45—“COAST
GUARD,” with Randolph
Scott and Francis Dee.
Saturday, 6:45 and 8:30—
“EVERYTHING HAPPENS
AT NIGHT,” with Sonja
Henie, Ray Milland, and Rob
ert Cummings.
AT THE PALACE
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday
— “TOO MANY HUS
BANDS,” with Jean Arthur,
Fred MacMurray, and Mel
vyn Douglas.
AT THE QUEEN
Saturday — “SHOOTING
HIGH,” with Jane Withers
and Gene Autry.
Sunday, Monday—“BLACK
FRIDAY,” with Boris Kar
loff and Bela Lugosi.
Lehigh University’s library has
received a gift of 1,077 books,
many of which are volumes dating
back to the 16th century.
i®
Al-TUEi
\mLVVKLY
HALL
ANSWERING THE
CALL OF DANGER
... bom the
ipsa?. Equator t®
the Arctic!
9-12
Script
$1.00
Shep
mift
and His
Orchestra
Jh'R&UOK
Introducing His Original
Rippling Rhythms
CORPS DANCE
Sat. Night April 6
SPORI $11 Dfly$
There is nothing like a cool and comfortable
sport shirt when there are hot days. Is there? Be
sides being cool and comfortable they are also at
tractive.
We have some new styles and colors to show
you. You will like the short knit shirts with tight
sleeves and the mesh blazes that GLOVER has made
for you.
Drop in between classes and see our large as
sortment of sport shirts.
osaaoGiEso
i mmi sid
AN AGGIE INSTITUTION
mm
i
Randolph Frances
Ralph
SSOTT-DEE-BELLAMY
CONNOLLY
Directed by EDWARD LUDWIG
A COLUMBIA PICTURE
Saturday, 12:45
April 6
Y Card Good
Sat., April 6
6:45 - 8:30
Also Mickey Mouse
in
“OFFICER DUCK”
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A.
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