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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 9, 1940)
PAGE 2 THE BATTALION ■THURSDAY, MAY 9, 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, $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-S444. 1939 Member 1940 Plssocicrfed Golle&ide Press dILL MURRAY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LARRY WEHRLE ADVERTISING MANAGER James Grit* Associate Editor B. C. (Jeep) Oates Sports Editor H. G. Howard Circulation Manager Tommy Henderson Asst. Circulation Manager •Hub’ Johnson Asst. Sports Editor Philip Golman Staff Photographer James Carpenter Assistant Photographer John J. Moseley Staff Artist Junior Editors Billy Clarkson George Fuermann Bob Nisbet A. J. Robinson Earls A- Shields THURSDAY STAFF Ray Treadwell Managing Editor J. W. Jenkins 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 Juniors - Act NOW! Once again The Battalion suggests and urges as strongly as possible that the junior class—next year’s seniors—take action now to insure better dor mitory telephone service and earlier installation of phones next term and in future years. It is possible to achieve—if action is taken HOW instead of being delayed till next winter— many of the things we’ve been wanting, and ‘‘griping’ about not having, in connection with the local phone service. ■.Our chief needs in this respect are permanent, soundproof phone booths, and facilities for both incoming and outgoing long-distance calls. As to whether they may be practicable remains to be seen, 'but :perhaps they can be arranged. Read the letter published in our last issue, writ ten by M. C. Atkins, manager of the Southwest Tel ephone Company’s headquarters in Bryan. In it he •offers a number of constructive and worthwhile sug gestions and announces various changes to be made in the phone service in the coming months. Among the changes are the substitution of the new dial phones for all the remaining desk phones; and the placement of all of them if desired (and it is desirable) in permanent, suitable wall locations. This should remedy much of the inconvenience of .service and breakage of equipment now existent. Mr. Atkins stated his eagerness to meet with a committee representing the student body so as to smooth out as many of the existing grievances as possible and render the best possible service in the future. If that is done and if the juniors in the various organizations will thereafter name men to order their organization phones for next year before the end of this term, the phones can be installed early and connected immediately after the starting of the new term. Juniors—what do you think about it? IT’S UP TO YOU NOW. WHY NOT TAKE ACTION? ★ Two On a Train The two were riding a train. One was a man in his sixties, the other apparent ly one who had reached the age of fifty. The first was a business man, engaged in manufacturing, the latter an engineer. This they disclosed by their conversation. Their conversation was condemnation, condem nation of everything from the Canadian border to Brownsville, from the Golden Gate to the rock-bound coast of Maine, including Kansas City, particularly those functions of our civilization which our national government is trying to execute. They were as sus picious of Roosevelt and our federal union as a rat is of a piece of cheese in a tight place. Both were able to ride the cushions in pursuit of their business, which evidently was profitable enough, as they always answered the first call for dinner in the dining car. Their current lament was the taking of the cen sus. Both these two on a train were viewing with alarm the lengthy catechism of the Census Bureau and were wondering why they expected them to answer all those questions which embarrassed their wives and interfered with their private affairs something awful. The discussion of the census took something over an hour by a cheap watch, discussion as to its purpose, and as to why it has so many questions to be answered. This discussion was made by men who evidently had been exposed to educated influence. The conclusion of that discussion was that the government was asking them all those questions about their private affa'-s so it could gather infor mation on them so it could ascertain their ability to pay more taxes. It is hard to understand how two men, one in middle age, and the other wi h senility over the hill, could have no better idea of the purposes of all the questions required by the census. It is hard to under stand that such men cannot see that the census and its sheaf of questions is beneficial to them and every other citizen collectively in the United States. The purpose of all the questions in the census is—pure and simple—STATISTICS. The government has all the information it wants on who, what, when, where, and how to tax— and certainly if it needs more, it doesn’t have to go about getting the information by sub>’-fuge. The government does not care at all about your in dividual case in regard to these questions, but it cares a lot about it as a fraction of the great whole that makes the nation. These questions are simply to provide statistics to show a thousand and one trends, so that we may know better our national condition as to housing, finance, family conditions, shifts in population, et cetera—and if some of these trends are bad, our government may take suitable steps to combat them for the good of our national society. These questions, and the resulting statistics that will be compiled, will operate to help these two men on a train rather than injure them. —Daily Texan ★ Local “Blue Law”? In a community seemingly as thriving and up-to- date as College Station, there is one little rule now being enforced that to us seems both incongruous and out-of-date. That is, that the billiard clubs—of which Col" lege Station is fortunate enough to have gained two this year—must close play on their tables at mid night each night of the week—and particularly Saturdays. Neither may these clubs be open to play at any time on Sundays. No, we’re not “pool fiends”—but we are protest ing this antediluvian attitude held by a certain few, in behalf of many hundreds of students—and other citizens—who like the game. It seems to us that this is purely a matter of local opinion—with the opinion based on false premises. Pool, in the first place, is no longer associated, in most cases and certainly not here, with saloons and gambling. Those evidences of a long-gone era are gone with the wind too—but the outmoded at titude of prejudice against them still sticks in a few people’s minds. Pool is now just a fine sport and pastime—just as are bridge and dominos. Some people can carry any game to an extreme—but the action of a tiny minority doesn’t make a game as a whole wrong, does it? Then, there are many students and townspeople who have no chance to play this game they like at any time—unless they are granted the opportunity of playing a few late nights or Sunday afternoon games. Why should they be deprived of the privi lege? Religious opinion has broadened considerably in many respects in the past decade. It used to be against most religious opinion to play ball games on Sunday—but they’re playing ball games on Sunday all over the nation now, aren’t they? In other sections of the country, there remain no religious prejudice against billiards. In fact, the larger churches are being built with recreation rooms equipped with both billiard tables and bowling alleys—and people who like these games may play them not only Sunday but every other day in the week. Some contend that students if they had this privilege would abuse it to the neglect of their studies. But is that true? Aren’t students of Texas A. & M. bound by both individual and collective honor systems? They can study or not; go to dances (including Saturday night dances) or not; go to picture shows (including Saturday midnight shows) or not; even frequent beer joints all night, or not—just as they please— and get by with any or all of it, if they’re lucky. But in any case you might mention—don’t the great majority live up to their honor system or code of ethics ? Don’t most moderate their pastimes, keep them within reason? We know darn well the great majority do. Then why in blue blazes should there be such an opinion as a certain few still maintain restricting the billiard clubs, simply because of a vestigial prejudice holding over from a former era? Answer that! Or, are we being irreligious, secrilegious, and profane in daring to propound such a question ? For the life of us, we can’t see why! The point still remains that if it’s good enough for the vast majority to play ball games, checkers, dominos, bridge, and other games at nearly any time, then why should pool be kept out of the same category ? The few people who believe in strict enforcement of old-fashioned, narrow laws against such recrea tion clubs are the same ones you couldn’t drag into such an establishment no matter how decently con ducted. Sure, it used to be a law (one of the so-called “blue laws”) that a man couldn’t even kiss his wife on Sunday! And there’s still a law on the statute books of Oklahoma that a person may not fish for whales in that state! (Think of it). But as people become more broadminded and better informed, their laws should change to keep in step. And you probably didn’t know it—but Texas is the only state in the Union, the only large area in the world, where there’s still a law (unenforced) on the statute books prohibiting “the use of billiard tables for hire”. (They’re okay in a home, however, or in club rooms, as the local establishments are, technically). But their operation remains a matter of local opinion; and practically every locality by now has accepted them without reservation. Why are churches up North being furnished with recreation rooms for billiards and bowling? Why? Because they’re among the cleanest, most scientific games known! But, to conclude: Should a very few people of old-fashioned ideas clamp the lid down on dozens of students and townspeople who know the old idea is wrong? We think the amusement clubs should have as much right as cafes to cater to late night customers or Sunday afternoon customers. (There are precious few other pastimes available here Sun day afternoons as it is). This regulation is just another “blue law”, and as such ought to be elimi nated. ★ A New York banker says he would like to run a newspaper for a week. Well, we’ll swap jobs with him that long. + The fact that one can fool some of the people all the time explains why a lot of fellows stay in office so long. ★ It is estimated that the “average American golfer” walks 110 miles a year. Let’s see, that is about three-tenths of a mile a day, isn’t it? ★ Holland’s Prime Minister says his country wants no protection. Not the kind Norway and Denmark are receiving, at any rate. BACKWASH By George Fuermann “Backwash: An agitation resulting from some action or occurrence.”—Webster. “Mr. can you spare a first-run picture show?” ... A reliable source recently indicated that the C. I. 0. is heartily opposed to A. M. graduates. The organization claims that A. & M. grad uates show too much initiative and too little interest in shorter hours and higher wages, thus working hand- and-glove with ex ecutive interests. The same source also indicated that the C. I. 0. blamed A. & M.’s faculty for the non-cooperative spirit Aggie grad- duates showed in respect to C. I. O. activities. Tsk, tsk! . . . From a col umn in the Fort Worth Tribune comes the following quotation in respect to the recent visit of the Singing Cadets to that city: “Did you ever see so many good-looking boys?—and all in uniforms too! Wednesday night was certainly a night of fun for everyone with all those Aggies floating around. ‘There’s something about a soldier —’ and even more about an Aggie. Everyone was spellbound by their singing and their uniforms.” . . . WTAW will broadcast tomorrow night’s Senior Ring Dance from 11 until 12 midnight. . . And maestro Russ Morgan and associates, who will be in charge of music-making, made a tremendous hit at T. S. C. W. last weekend when the orches tra played for the Denton school’s Senior Formal—which was attend ed by half a hundred cadets. Twice as many more attended the Sopho more Ball also in session last Sat urday night. • What’s next: “What do you think about the European situation?” is almost as common a question these days as the proverbial weather quiz, and with very little more point. With England’s recent failure in Nor way, however, and the impending British cabinet upheaval, the ques tion has taken on a new import ance in the minds of Aggies—es pecially in view of the fact that we may have a second opportunity to furnish a world war with more officers than any other American College or University. As a result, Backwash has done a little investi gating on its own, and here’s what a few members of the corps think about the situation: Roy Roberts, Band junior: “We’re a cinch to be in it within another year.” . . . Field Artillery captain Mac Oliver: “England boasts that she has never lost a war—this will be the exception!” . . . C. V. Mil- burn, Odessa junior: “England and the allies won’t win until the U. S. ‘suckers’ into financing their vic tory.” . . . Infantry freshman Jim Scott: “The way things look now we’ll all have jobs this summer.” . . . Junior yell-leader-elect Bill Beck: “It looks like a good way to bring back the jazz age and strip-tease.” . . . Maurice Dunklin, Economics Club executive: “Some one had better stop Hitler, but I hope they don’t wait for me to do it.” . . Economics Club board mem ber Charles Donnelly: “I can’t go— I’m married.” . . . Liberal arts junior Tom Houston: “I don’t know what size he wears, but I’d hate to be in Chamberlain’s shoes.” . . . George Bingham, Coast Artillery man: “I just got out of the hos pital, and if the U. S. gets into this war I’m going back again.” . . . F. O. Cantini, Field Artillery se nior: “Hitler may be a maniac, but he seems to be whipping hell out of the Allies and victory is what counts. If II Duce sides with Hit ler, God help everyone!” , • Don’t believe it: The aggie non-patronization agreement has naturally failed to meet eye-to-eye with the ideas of some of the nearby Bryan-ites and, ■as a result, a few of that city’s citizenry have originated more than a few unfounded rumors. Heading the list is the rumor that large corporations and other em ployers will no longer offer jobs to Aggies in general in seniors of the class of ’40 in particular. The rumor is BUNK, pure and simple, and conversations with two large corporation executives proves the point. An executive of a major oil corporation declared: “We’re glad to learn that college students have enough initiative to fight for a de sired and rightful end—and I feel that what the Aggies are fighting for is a very rightful end.” • Going strong: The corps is pitching in whole heartedly and giving number-one cooperation in the drive for the erection of Aggie Hitch-Hiking Benches. Latest addition to the donor-list is Wilbur Crawford, president of the Crawford Manu facturing Company in Waco. Raw lins Colquitt succeeded in interest ing Mr. Crawford in the movement and a definite statement from Mr. Crawford is expected within a few days. George McCulloch has announced that he will erect the first of his benches within the next two weeks and that they will be painted ma roon and white. • $675.84 every week: That’s the average weekly sum that cadets spend for postage on letters and postcards alone. Using the Post Office Substation as an example, it is found that cadets in the new area average 8,448 let ters a week, and approximately the same number are mailed by cadets in the older area. These figures are based, as nearly as possible, on cadet mailing, and do not in clude departmental, Experiment Station, or Extension Service mail ing. This figure shows that each student averages about ten cents a week for postage—How does your average compare with it? Fuermann By TOM GILLIS James Cagney comes to the As sembly Hall screen twice in as many days when the Architecture Club brings “OKLAHOMA KID” os its benefit show. And there’s plenty of shooting in both of them, but this time it’s with a six-shooter in the bad lands of Oklahoma. The gun-totin’ son of the West is in a new role for Cagney, but with his love for action and plenty of it, he puts up a pretty convincing performance. His Brooklyn accent strikes a somewhat discordant note in the tune of the frontier, but his strong acting style nonetheless puts him over well. The theme of this Western thrill er is woven around the opening of the Oklahoma territory in 1893 and the era of lawlessness and gambling that immediately follow ed. Humphrey Bogart is the head of the gambling crowd that runs the town, opposed by the nicer el ement composed of Donald Crisp, his daughter Rosemary Lane, and Cagney. As is usual, lawlessness triumphs until some strongman committee of one, in this case James Cagney, cleans out the town. Humphrey Bogart makes a good leader of the outlaws, a part which he played so many times before that he is nearly “typed” as an actor. The Western atmosphere and pioneering spirit has been pretty well-handled in this movie of the days when a gun in the hand would beat four aces. • Because of spring fever and the number of activities in which the Aggies may participate as school’s end draws near, the 12:45 show on Saturday has been dis continued. This extra show each week gave the Aggies some fine chances for entertainment, but summer is pretty hot and there are so many other things to do that discontinuance was the best policy. “American Civilization” is the title of a new major field for study at Wheaton College, Nox-ton, Mass. : Mothers’ Day - Sunday, May 12th Beautiful Selection . . . Mothers’ Day Cards Price - 50 - 100 - 150 & 250 SELECT YOURS NOW CAMPUS VARIETY STORE Jack Benny Ranks Tops in Student Radio Opinions With 10 pei'eent of the country’s college radio fans branded with his “big red letters,” Jack (Buck) Benny rode through the Student Opinion Surveys of America poll with the largest single herd of collegiate fans in the nation. From its University of Texas headquarters the surveys announc ed Thursday that Bob Hope’s pro gram and Infoi'mation Please, both with 7 percent listing them as fa vorites, had the second largest fol lowings among the nation’s colle gians. Benny dominates East Central, West Central, and Far Western United States, while New Eng landers prefer Information Please and the Hit Parade. In the South Kay Kyser is on top. Middle At lantic students want Information Please. Asked, “Which is your favorite radio program?” college students dialed: Jack Benny 10.0 Bob Hope 7.1 Information Please 7.0 Glenn Miller 6.6 Kay Kyser „... 5.8 Charlie McCarthy 4.4 Hit Parade 4.0 One Man’s Family 3.7 Ford Hour 3.0 Kraft Music Hall 2.6 Philharmonic 2.1 Lux Radio Theater 1.9 Fred Waring 1.8 Metropolitan Opera 1.5 Fred Allen 1.3 N.B.C. Symphony 1.2 Others (less than 1%) 25.9 No favorite 10.1 There are 7,083 Philippine Is lands, of which only 2,441 have names. If placed across the Unit ed States, the Philippines would reach from Boston, Massachusetts, to Jacksonville, Florida. WHATS SHOWING AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL Thursday and Friday, 3:30 fc 6:45—“OKLAHOMA KID”, with James Cagney, Hum phrey Bogart, Rosemary Lane, Donald Crisp. AT THE CAMPUS THEATER Thursday—“THANKS FOR EVERYTHING,” starring Adolphe Menjou, Jack Oak- ie, Arleen Whelan, Jack Ha ley. Friday, Saturday—“THE AMAZING MR. WIL LIAMS,” featuring Melvyn Douglas and Joan Bondell. For us a century begins with the first day of its first year and ends with the last day of its hundredth year. Thus December 31, 1900, was the last day of the last cen tury, and January 1, 1901, the first day of the twentieth. YOU’RE RIGHT! Every day, more and more of you A. & M. Col lege students come to us for gas, lubrication, washing and many other auto services we give. You must have found our service to be excellent, our products the best, and our prices fair. Right you are, too! It’s our constant striving to give you the very best of ev erything which has made us so many campus friends. GRANT’S Service Station Gulflex Service Mothers’ Day Specials When your Mother comes to see you on Mothers' Day, treat her as she should be treated by bringing her here for good food. TEXAS A. & M. GRILL North Gate PULL OVER to AGGIELAND’S Summerized Service for “Your Summer Auto Service” WASHING - GREASING - WHEELS RE-PACKED OIL DRAINED - RADIATOR FLUSHED AGGIELAND SERVICE STATION j General Repairing —Phone 123 - East Gate Next Sunday, May 12, is Mothers’ Day! TIME LIMITED — BUY NOW! Remember your mother with a gift that she will be pleased with .... Whitman’s - King’s - Pangburn’s Come in today and select Her choice candies packed for HER DAY We mail for you—postage paid. AGGIELAND PHARMACY “Keep to your right at the North Gate and You can’t go wrong” Id J * i v . -\ • * : S i » » A ** * *
