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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 2, 1940)
PAGE 2 THE BATTALION ■THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1940 The Battalion STUDENT TRI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF TEXAS A. b M. COLLEGE Th« 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, $8 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. Offiee. Room 122, Administration Building. Telephone 4-S444. 1939 Member 1 1940 Associated Golle&iate Press HILL MURRAY _ LARRY WEHRLE James Critz E. C. (Jeep) Oates H. G. Howard Tommy Henderson *Hub’ Johnson Philip Golman James Carpenter.. John J. Moseley _ Billy Clarkson A. J. Robinson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ADVERTISING MANAGER Associate Editor Sports Editor Circulation Manager Asst. Circulation Manager Asst. Sports Editor Staff Photographer ..Assistant Photographer Staff Artist Junior Editors George Fuermann Earls Bob Nisbet A. Shields Ray Treadwell J. W. Jenkins ... cChi THURSDAY STAFF Managing Editor Asst. Advertising Manager Don McChesney Asst. Circulation Manager Phil Levine Editorial Assistant R. V. (Red) Myers Jr. Sports Assistant Senior Sports Assistants Jimmie Cokinos Jimmy James Junior Advertising Solicitors L. J. Nelson A. J. Hendrick Reportorial Staff Jack Aycock, Jim Dooley, Walter Sullivan, D. C. Thurman, Murray Evans, Joe Taylor, Thomas Gillis, Don Corley, Bill Amis. BATTALION RADIO STAFF George Fuermann Battalion Announcer Charles A. Montgomery , Associate Ed Robnett, R. M. Shuffler Assistants Justice to All! For 64 years this college has needed a rule or precedent such as that lately submit ted to the Student Activities Committee by several seniors, and now going before the Student Welfare Committee for its recom mendation. That no man should hold more than his share of the important positions of the school is an opinion expressed many times and by many people. What has been lacking was the idea for carrying out the purpose. According to this plan, each job, such as cadet colonel, editor of The Battalion, edi tor of the Longhorn, and others, should be rated according to its relative worth in re spect to time occupied in carrying out the duties of the office, and the influence carried by the position. A limit of the number of points a man could carry would be set at a reasonable number. Thereby one man could not hold too many jobs, and more boys would hold them. This idea to proportion jobs among as many students as possible, if recommended, must be submitted to the faculty for final action and adoption before it can become ef fective. That the purpose is justified cannot be doubted. The point of discussion will arise as to whether this is a proper means of car rying otit the idea. There is and will be no intention of discriminating against any stu dent for next year’s jobs. Whether the means is proper we can’t say. But The Battalion certainly considers this idea a step in the right direction. Leaving.. A Real Aggie Though the time has not yet come for leave- taking, it is fitting, with the announcement in the last issue of the forthcoming transfer of Colonel George F. Moore, Commandant and Professor of Military Science and Tactics of A. & M., to say a word about his service and his oflice. Colonel Moore is generally conceded by officials of the college and thinking Aggies to be the most efficient and capable Commandant ever to have serv ed the college. * * * His job is scarcely one we would want—would you?—because of the single fact that it is impossible for the Commandant’s Office, as the old saying goes, “to please all of the people all of the time.” It’s human nature that there will always be some stu dents disgruntled at being “rammed” (though it is their fault that they are), and some students and others complaining of the enforcement or enact ment of some necessary regulation. Most of these who complain never stop to reason the thing out. They traditionally blame the Commandant for “wanting to wipe out all the tra ditions of A. & M.” They do not realize that the present Commandant is an ex-Aggie, that he has been “through the mill”, that he understands better than any Commandant we have ever had the true greatness as well as the real needs of the school, and that in his every action he is trying to benefit the institution—certainly not to impair it. We believe that the Commandant has realized what are the really good traditions of Texas A. & M., and has tried to preserve them. In nearly every case, we believe that those which have died were bad in the first place. As the Open Forum article print ed below states, it is necessary from time to time that bad traditions be weeded out, that new and good ones replace them. Times change; the same conditions do not remain forever. A. & M. has changed and kept pace with the rest of the world— changed from the giddy, jazz-mad, drunken, “flap per,” post-war age of the twenties, to a more serious and genuine age of the forties. And with this change in the ways of living has come an increasing de mand on the part of the people that the educational institutions of the country serve some more serious purposes than merely to foster raccoon coats, cam pus vamps and college widows, whiskey flasks, and extreme forms of dissipation and hazing. Students, as we said, we do not always realize that it is the change in times and conditions, the demands of public opinion, and the real needs of this school that have been responsible for what changes have been made—and not a determination on the part of all the Commandants we’ve had to make A. & M. life any less rich for the Aggies. No, we’re not radicals. We’re firm believers in all the good traditions of the Texas Aggies. And we believe that all, or anyhow most, of the good tra ditions still remain. If they are not continued it is the fault of the Aggies who fail to respect them; certainly not that of any officials of the college, for to them they mean as much to those men as to any student of the college. Think that over. * * * But we have strayed from the original subject, which was to say that we agree with the great ma jority that Colonel Moore has been the best all round Commandant we’ve ever had. He’s known his job and done it. He really knows his military and his discipline—right now he’s in line for the Gen eral Staff of the U. S. Army. He’s cooperated wherever possible with the student body: witness the return of the Senior Court and of other privileg es. We respect him, and we wish him the best of luck wherever he goes—as an ex-Aggie, a Comman dant of Texas A. & M., and a representative of this school and all that it means. Not only to Colonel Moore, but to all those other officers who will be transferred from A. & M. at the end of this term, we extend our best wishes. OPEN FORUM Following is an answer to the “Open Forum” article entitled “Dying Traditions” which was print ed in the last issue of The Battalion. The answer, “A New A. & M.”, is written by David Thrift, cadet colonel in 1938-39. • A NEW A. & M. Yes, some of A. & M.’s traditions do seem to be dying out. And I, for one, feel that a bigger, greater, and finer A. & M. is being built. An A. & M. with a tradition of respect for personalities, of re cognition of student rights, and of a sense of true values is being built. The students of A. & M. are beginning to real ize that they have been living artificial lives in an artificial world of their own. They are beginning to realize that what they say, do, and demand of the other fellow as students has a tremendous ef fect not only upon them but upon the student’^ future development, character, and success in life. We are getting away from the idea that to make men requires force, intimidation, destruction of personalities, and mental torture. We are coming to the truth at last, and that is that the only real development of a man must come through an inner notivation. Yes, fellows, we are beginning to stand for something—something more than one year for three with its philosophy of getting even, something more than beer parties and gutter language, something more than vulgar speeches from atop “Sully”, and something more than just getting by. Lynn Landrum, columnist for the Dallas Morn ing News, said recently that if a student learned in high school or college to do more than he was re quired to do, he would never have to worry about a job at forty-five. But we have been taking the short cut for everything. We are going to develop men—men with vision, men with ideals, men with a true sense of values— complete men mentally, physically, socially, and re ligiously. We are going to do this when we pour our traditions through a sieve, keeping all the good ones, but sifting out the bad ones and replac ing them with those which develop and don’t destroy the finest things in man. Aggies: Am I right in saying that we have waited too long now to wipe out some of our tra ditions ? Am I right in saying that we have not been developing complete men ? Am I right in saying that we are gradually getting a sense of true values, and that a bigger and better A. & M. is coming? DAVID THRIFT Class of ’39 As the World Turns... By “COUNT” V. K. SUGAREFF A rise in the price of agricultural products is not likely to come soon. Germany can not buy from us such products, because of the blockade. The allies, who need and can buy our agricultural com modities, have found more advantageous markets in Latin America. They have also been forced to buy such products from Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Rumania, Turkey and Yu goslavia, in order to curb Germany’s supplies. Moreover, Lord Lothian, the British ambassador, told our western farmers at St. Louis about two weeks ago that England and France are “severely rationing” their people. They want to reduce consumption and “compel savings.” The government borrows these sav ings to wage war. Thus “cannon be fore butter” is being enforced in the allied countries now, as. it has been in Germany since Hitler started his rearmament program. Still, the U.S.A. for the first year of the war by $400,000,- 000 over the average of the last five years. Wheat may not reach the $2.73 of 1920, however. The cost of the war is already being felt throughout the world. England is to spend $8,000,- 000,000 for armaments this year and France’s bud get calls for $6,000,000,000. We are spending $2,- 000,000,000; Japan about $1,600,000,000, and accord ing to best estimates Germany spends between 14 and 16 billion dollars a year. These outlays for armaments become more ser ious when we take into consideration the real cost of our armaments. Foreign nations get more ma terials for their money than we can because of our higher prices and wages. Fifty million dollars will buy a 25,000-ton battleship in the U. S., a 33,600-ton one in England, and a 43,000-ton one in Japan. Be sides, foreign nations are developing productive ma chinery which is adaptable for war purposes, a real challenge to us in time of war. V. K. Sugareff This lovely trio will be featured on the program of the University of Texas Girls’ Glee Club Friday night in the Assembly Hall. The girls are Carlie Barnes, Roberta Struss, and Mary Sue Ries with accompanist Frances Stripling. Also on the program is the film “Jamaica Inn” starring Charles Laughton and Maureen O’Hara and selected short subjects. BACKWASH B« George Fuermann “Backwash; An atritation resulting from some action or occurrence.*'—Webster. Between the lines . . . New York’s World Fair has asked the college through the Mid-Winter Sports As sociation^ to loan the famed Sugar Bowl trophy for display purposes. T. C. U. loaned the trophy last year and it is expected that A. & M.’s Athletic Council will okay the deal this year . . . Or chestra leaders on the campus have indicated that re cordings are having the biggest up swing in years and are almost on a level with the all-time high es tablished during pre-war days . . . A letter from Warner Brothers says that every Aggie who makes the U. C. L. A. game in Los Ange les next October will have a date with a movie star—which probably depends on your point of view . . . Last week’s junior yell-leader elec tion witnessed some unusual write- in votes. Harry Boyer, “Count” Sugareff, Gerronimo, and W. Lee O’Daniel all received one vote each. • The Aggie Hitch-hiking Station: The highway junction at Hearne recently took on a new significance to Aggie hitch-hikers when the newly constructed Miller Service Station built—at their own ex pense—a long bench skirting the Austin highway to be used by Ag gies waiting for rides. For years Aggies have dreamed of having similar benches on every important hitch-hiking corner, but it remained for the Hearne filling station to start the ball rolling. • The Green Bench: The bench is painted green and there is no reason why the idea can’t mushroom and result in the erection of Aggie benches over the entire state. Hearne’s Miller Ser vice Station pioneered the move ment . . . LET’S KEEP IT GOING! If you have any suggestions as to how the movement may be pushed, let Backwash know about them. If you know anyone in your own home town who might be willing to con struct such a bench—it’s not a very expensive proposition—then tell him about the idea and sell him on it. • More prestige to Aggie hitch hiking: Not only will such a movement add to the comfort and convenience of hitch-hiking, but the very fact that the benches will have signs on them reading “Aggie Hitch- Hiking Station” will make it eas ier for cadets to get rides. So, COME ON OUT, AGGIES; LET’S PUT THIS ACROSS— YOU’VE PUT EVERYTHING ELSE OVER THAT YOU’VE STARTED OUT TO DO. This is a movement that deserves the cooperation and support of ev ery Aggie and former Aggie. LET’S DOT THE STATE WITH “AG GIE HITCH-HIKING STATIONS.” Pre-Meds Visit Baylor Medical School In Dallas Twenty members of the Pre-Med ical Society accompanied by Dr. G. E. Potter, biology professor and sponsor of the club, visited the Baylor Medical School in Dallas last weekend on their annual in spection trip to one of the Texas medical schools. The group left college last Fri day after lunch and arrived in Dal las later in the afternoon. They were guests at the Theta Kappa Psi fraternity house Friday night. At 8 o’clock Saturday morning the members of the club divided up into groups headed by members of the Theta Kappa Psi fraternity. Each group visited various depart ments of the medical school sep arately. Among the various classes visited in the Anatomy Building was the anatomy class and the class in surgery. The next building visited was the Baylor Hospital, where the students viewed an operation and a blood transfusion. They also vis ited many of the various laborator ies located in the hospital. From the main part of the hospital, the students were shown through the adjoining charity ' hospital where the junior an senior medical stu dents do some of their clinical work. From the charity hospital, the pre-med students were shown through the Florence Nightingale Maternity Hospital—that is, just the first floor! Here the original hot-water incubator which the Dionne quituplets used was being displayed. Alec Templeton, blind pianist, has learned to play the chinems in the tower of the campanile at the University of California at Berke ley. AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL Thursday and Friday, 3:30 and 6:45—“JAMAICA INN,” starring Charles Laughton, Maureen O’Hara, Robert Newton, and Evlyn Williams. Benefit of the Saddle and Sirloin Club. WHAT’S SHOWING Make Your Cleaner The “ONE” Most Conveniently Located “THE CAMPUS CLEANERS ,, . . . Where Expert Workmanship and First Class Work Go Hand In Hand CAMPUS CLEANERS In New “Y” Above Exchange Store The Saddle and Sirloin Club has picked for its benefit show this week as an added attraction to the concert by the University of Tex as Girls’ Glee Club one of the out standing pictures of 1939 and with an academy award winner in the leading role. “JAMAICA INN” re ceived honorable mention for the outstanding movie of the year, and Charles Laughton, the main actor, received the Academy award in 1938 for his performance in “Hen ry VIII”. This particular triumph of Laughton also introduces a new comer to the Hollywood screen, Maureen O’Hara, whose looks, fig ure, and ability promise to take her far. Laughton plays the role of the haughty and pleasure-loving old English innkeeper who manages a whole gang of ruffians. The Ja maica Inn is on a rock part of the English coast, and by changing the position of the light on shore, ships are lured to be dashed to pieces on the rocks, where they are plundered by the gang. Robert Newton is a young government in vestigator who gets involved and falls in love with Maureen O’Hara. Laughton’s portrayal of Squire Pengallan shows how luxury-lov ing and utterly self-centered some people can be. He views nothing except as it will please him and satisfy his greed and pompousness. Fastidious about his handsome clothes and more so about his food, he will not even deal and associate with his lowly gang except through one of their number.* After seeing the men in the gang, it might be somewhat understandable, but much of the best acting in the feature comes from members of this uneducated but hardy mob. Long remembered will be the part played by Emlyn Williams, one of the yunger members. Even the death of Laughton, af ter being discovered in his unlaw ful activities, gives him opportunity to show off himself and show his contempt of the common English man. He retreats from an angry mob into the rigging of a sailing vessel and stares down at them. As a final gesture, he warns “Make way for Pengallan” as he plum mets to the deck in their midst. For real pipe joy, be sure your pipe is BALANCED and dL LIGHT" Model 12 properly seasoned, and skillfully shaped by master-craftsmen HI can give you a pipe also that's "comfortable" $3.50 $1.50 to smoke. AGGIES... LA SALLE HOTEL BRYAN, TEXAS See our complete line of “Aggie” and Other Jewelry —at our two stores. MOTHERS’ DAY GIFTS GRADUATION GIFTS AGGIE JEWELRY 100 Rooms - 100 Baths Fire Proof R. W. HOWELL, Mgr. Class ’97 C. W. VARNER Bryan College Station DYERS HATTERS AMERICAN-STEAM LAUNDRY DRY ♦ ♦ CLEANERS PHONE 585 BRYAN Patronize Your Agent in Your Organization CLASS OF ’41 NOW IS THE TIME to order YOUR pair of HOLICK’S Boots. Their quality speaks for itself—that’s why we’re going so strong right now. Ask our customers. See us or cohtact our agents. HOLICK’S BOOT SHOP NORTH GATE * * * v » » j ft i-