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The Battalion
STUDENT TRI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
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; also it 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
4-5444.
Bob Nisbet Editor-in-Chief
Keith Hubbard ....Advertising Manager
George Fuermann. Associate Editor
Hub Johnson Sports Editor
Bob Myers Senior Sports Assistant
Tommy Henderson Circulation Manager
Phil Golman. Staff Photographer
Pete Tumlinson Staff Artist
Earle A. Shields Managing Editor
Billy Clarkson Managing Editor
Editor’s Note: Staff organization will be completed after
the first staff meeting, and the masthead will carry the complete
staff as soon thereafter as is possible.
Use the Open Forum
The idea of an Open Forum for the expression
of student opinion is not a new one. Almost as long
as the paper has been in existence there has been
an inlet to the editorial column for free and frank
discussion of problems that beset us all. However,
only a few students each year have taken advantage
of this opportunity.
This school and this paper are not letter-perfect
—that is impossible. We welcome comment and
criticism, and will print anything that is not vulgar
or libelous.
To contribute to the Open Forum, one should
organize his ideas into effective order, write them
out into as correct English as possible, and bring
them to The Battalion office or to roorfi 117 in
dormitory number 11.
Students have opinions; we know that. Not to
express these opinions is futile. Without expression,
an opinion might as well not be held as far as ac
complishing anything is concerned.
Too, college officials and faculty members are
interested in what the students are thinking about,
and how we students fell on various subjects. They
are more concerned about the students’ welfare, than
most of us realize.
If you fail to use the Open Forum, then you
must suffer in silence.
Keep Off the Grass
Sidewalks are for freshmen—in the new area!
In fact it is imperative that we impress upon the
men who are here for the first year the great need
of using these sidewalks and giving the grass just
half a chance to grow.
Upperclassmen remember the difficult time ex
perienced in trying to get grass to grow in the
yards of the new area during the last school year.
Grass and shrubs were planted and replanted only
to be trampled by hundreds of walking feet; side
walks were built during the Christmas holidays,
but they were disregarded. These walks were laid
diagonally and on paths most likely to. catch the
needs of room-to-class traffic, and were altogether
efficient, but somehow these walks were not used
enough because the grass was never forthcoming.
Perhaps the problem was somewhat psychologi
cal. If there had been some grass growing, the stu
dents wouldn’t have walked on the area; if the stu
dents hadn’t walked on the area there would have
been some grass growing. Cause and effect.
During the summer, the Landscape Art Depart
ment under the direction of F. W. Hensel has spent
many hours and much money improving the appear
ance of the new dormitories. They have been con
verted from naked buildings in a sea of sand to
picturesque dwellings set among trees and flowers.
They are pretty now, but when the vines that have
been planted begin to cover the walls, they will be
truly beautiful.
For many years Texas A. & M. has enjoyed the
reputation of having one of the most attractive
campuses in the nation—and why not? We do almost
all the work ourselves through student labor, and
we are justly proud of this distinction.
The upperclassmen on the campus desire to
maintain this reputation, and will insist upon the
cooperation from the class of ’44.
Educational Preparation
For several years we have heard a lot about
unpreparedness; not just in a military sense, but in
regard to education of youth. We have heard that
millions of young Americans are graduating each
year from high schools and colleges, totally unequip
ped and unprepared for a future in the modern in
dustrial and professional world.
The main question seems to be in matching a
person’s inborn abilities and talents with his training.
To find the right profession, the right business, the
right place in the world—this is one of the problems
youth is to solve. Those not so fortunate as to have
discovered their chosen field must seek advice from
older and more experienced men and women who are
able to tell a young person just what abilities and
training are required for the job in which he wishes
to succeed. This is one of the primary purposes and
goals of Harm’s orientation program—helping youth
decide "What job I am fit for; what work I can do
best?”
This problem of selecting vocation and study is
suggestive of the person trying to select out of a
great number the lock to which he has the key—a
hard job in itself, but one made even more difficult
when it must be accomplished in a darkened place.
This again is the object of guidance, the “guiding
light” to show to students the proper mental, phy
sical, and study habits, the most useful courses of
study, and the proper views to be taken by the stu
dent toward his work.
The orientation program should not be looked
upon as only another torture to which freshmen are
put. Rather should it be thought of as a light to
help each person find the lock his key will fit, the
answer to each ambitious young American’s ques
tion—“What job am I fit for; what work can I do
best?"
—The Wichitan
THE BATTALION
Frank Loving Presents;
I Heard the Preacher Say ..
BY REV. NORMAN ANDERSON
Pastor, First Presbyterian Church
The desire for freedom is in the air. It has
always been in the air. It is a natural expression of
the human spirit which has molded our institutions
of government and religion, and it constitutes the
unconscious background of our thinking. Any threat
to freedom at once creates anxiety which in turn
gives rise to a revaluation of it. Any major enlarge
ment of freedom is prone to intoxicate and give rise
to its abuse.
Unlike the recent trend in world affairs the
freedom of young men when they become college
students is not threatened but vastly enlarged. It is
a good time to re-examine its implications to avoid
abusing it, because it has been enlarged this week to
such an extent that it may stagger us. In fact the
freedom that now has come to us is an indication
that we are arriving at that point in life when we
take on aspects of maturity, the maturity of self
direction.
The question is, what shall I do with my free
dom? And I am conscious that I am free to answer
that question and free to pursue my answer with my
life. Our choices become prophetic of our destiny,
and the exercise of our freedom determines our
choices.
We know we are free to study or not; we are
free to be loyal to folks at home, to make fine
friends, to keep our conversations clean, to be loyal
to our ideals, to develop all those powers that we
are so rapidly discovering within us; free to explore
the field of religion and to find God and the deeper
spiritual values. God hs put great faith in us in
giving us freedom because it is such a great power
either for good or ill according as we use it.
Paul has this bit of advice for us in I Cor. 7:21.
He says if you have freedom, make it useful.
As the World Turns.
lyui
Nelson
BY AL B. NELSON
The French surrendered in the belief that Eng
land must immediately follow their example, that
the war would be over, and that the French people
would be safe from the horrors of war. Now their
last condition is worse than the first for they are
under the control of an enemy who takes their food
w for himself, carries their working
IppI men and women away into the slav
ery of forced labor, and their cities
are being destroyed by the former
ally whom they betrayed.
The men at the head of the U. S.
Government seem unable to decide up
on a definite policy to be followed.
Congress has passed and is passing
measures to manufacturers from
making much profit on their war
contracts while at the same time gov
ernmental pressure is being exerted to prevent the
Dep’t. of Justice from filing suits against the big
oil companies for violations of the anti-trust laws.
Both contradictory policies are in the name of
NATIONAL DEFENSE. Men cannot set their own
price for their own work but the influential oil
companies can illegally combine to gyp the consumer
out of millions of dollars without restraint from
men sworn to enforce the law. v
After seven years of the New Deal, after we
have been assured that the depression is a thing of
the past, the W.P.A. is adding hundreds of thou
sands of men and women to its rolls, mostly in states
which are politically doubtful. If the voters do not
already realize that this is national election year the
above fact would be sufficient to remind them.
A news flash just bring the information that
the little nation of Luxemburg no long exists. Con
quered by Germany along with Belgium and Hol
land it has been formally absorbed into the German
nation. This nation was less than a thousand square
miles in extent (about the size of a small Texas
county) but it has valuable iron ore deposits.
Consumer costs to rise this winter, meats, other
foods, autos, clothing, etc. Over-all living costs are
expected to rise from 2 per cent to 5 per cent. Sal
aries are not scheduled to rise in proportion however.
The oldest city in the United States (St. Augus
tin, Fla.), founded forty-two years before James
town, celebrated its three hundred and seventy-fifth
birthday this month.
A Georgia mob lynched another negro the other
day, breaking into jail to get to him. This was the
sixth lynching of the year for the nation as a whole
and four of the six were in Georgia. In the face of
this and similar illegal acts some people still contend
that the “voice of the people is the voice of God.”
Douglas Hyde, first president of Eire (Ireland),
was once interim professor of modem languages at
Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Brain Twisters
By
Bob Nisbet
Time for the 1940 census came
around, and Jones, the county cen
sus-taker began his rounds. When
he came to Farmer Smith’s house,
he found him in a dark mood,
and since he was a trifle deaf any
way, Jones was having his diffi
culties in obtaining the informa
tion he desired.
He found it was easy to find
out his correct name, and the num
ber of children. His land acreage
was 900 easy enough. But when
he came to the question of ages,
it seemed as though old-man
Smith had been framing up on
the census taker.
According to Smith the sum of
his and his wife’s ages was 91
years. Also he is twice as old
as his wife was when he was as
old as she is now.
Smith argued and argued, but
that was all the information that
he could wrangle out of the old
man. Hoping to force Smith to
give him the figures, Jones sent
the whole matter to Washington,
D. C. When the reply came back,
some bright secretary had sent the
answer, giving both the age of the
farmer and his wife.
If you think that you can solve
the problem, perhaps you can get a
job in Washington.
WHAT ARE THE RESPECTIVE
AGES OF FARMER SMITH AND
HIS WIFE?
(Answer Tuesday)
"cMovit tfewmr'
By Tom Gillis
Even if classes do begin full
blast on Monday and Tuesday,
there is a show coming which
should be a ‘must see’ for those
who have not enjoyed it before.
The story is that of the famous
“LILLIAN RUSSELL,” the sing
er who endeared herself to mil
lions as she sang her way across
this continent and Europe in the
1880’s. So great was her success
that President Cleveland had her
sing especially for him over the
long distance telephone, a new
fangled toy at that time.
“Lillian Russell’ is lavisly pro
duced and well-filmed to show the
pomp and poverty of the stage at
that time. Lovely Alice Faye has
the singing part of the main char
acter, and some of her clothes are
the best that money and fashion
could produce at that time. After
a hard struggle upward in the show
business, Miss Faye looses her job
because her composer-husband, Don
Ameche, gets mad at her producers.
Then comes poverty, another mem
ber of the family, and the death of
Ameche. As she begins her climb
to the top again, Miss Faye re
ceives the attentions of Warren
Wiliam and Edward Arnold, and
Arnold is really at his best play
ing this part as Diamond Jim
Brady. But Henry Fonda, a strug
gling newspaper reporter, finally
brings her happiness.
The stars of this production are
tops, and such good singing as Miss
Faye demonstrates, helps to make
the whole show worth while. Among
the songs she sings are “After the
Ball is Over,” “The Band Played
On,” and “Blue Love Bird.” The
most striking character of the
show, however, is Edward Arnold
as Diamond Jim Brady.
“MY LOVE CAME BACK” is a
swing show with all its main char
acters in entirely new type roles
for each of the actors concerned.
Olivia deHavilland has never be
fore played a frivolous little girl
with a violin, and neither have Jef
frey Lynn nor Eddie Albert had
any musical roles before. In “My
Love Came Back” Lynn and Albert
have a swing band and Olivia is a
violin student. After hectic exper
iences and scandals, Olivia is star
red in the band’s performance and
things settle down. A cute little
eye-full also in the cast is pert June
Wyman, an effervescent blond with
a figure like you see on barber
shop calendars.
Humble Again
Will Broadcast
Southwest Games
It was today announced that the
Humble Oil & Refining Company
will again broadcast football games
of Southwest Conference teams
during the 1940 season. This year
makes the sixth consecutive year in
which the Humble Company has
brought the games by radio to foot
ball fans throughout the state.
Humble has retained a competent
staff of announcers to handle play-
by-play details of the games. This
staff is headed by Kern Tips of
Houston, acknowledged to be one of
the two or three best football an
nouncers in the United States; and
includes Cy Leland, who made the
all-America team in his playing
days at T. C. U.; Hal Thompson of
Dallas;’Eddie Dunn formerly of
Dallas, now of Chicago; Ves Box of
Dallas, and others. Work of the
play-by-play men will be supple
mented on the broadcasts by spe
cial announcers to handle the vivid
color which is afeature of every
football game. These men,, particu
larly trained in the work, include
some of the best known radio per
sonalities of the state.
In order that the broadcasts may
be carried to every corner of Texas,
the Humble Company will utilize
wide spread networks of radio sta
tions. The broadcast schedule will
include all conference games and
many other games to be played by
conference teams against outstand
ing non-conference opponents.
-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1940
To date, only one of the 300,000
“draft dodgers” in the country dur
ing the World War is still in jail
according to report by justice de
partment officials. He is Grover
Cleveland Bergdol.
* »
•comfoai
ii
$2.98
Some folks worry so much about
getting ready for that dainy day
that they can’t enjoy the sunny
ones.
WHATS SHOWING
AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL
Saturday 6:45 & 8:30: MY
LOVE CAME BACK, featur
ing Olivia DeHavilland, Jef
frey Lynn, Eddie Albert, and
Jane Wyman.
Monday, Tuesday 3:30 &
6:45: LILLIAN RUSSELL,
starring Alice Faye, Don
Ameche, Henry Fonda, Ed
ward Arnold, Warren Wil
liam, and Leo Carrillo.
AT THE CAMPUS
Saturday: DANGER ON
WHEELS, with Richard Ar-
len, Andy Devine, and Peggy
Moran.
Sunday & Monday: GREEN
HELL, starring Joan Ben
nett, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
other prof here in the Mechani
cal Engineering Department,
whose last name is Nelson and
whose nickname is Al; and their
mail, laundry, etc., frequently are
sent to the wrong Nelson, some
times causing much puzzlement for
the recipient. And to make matters
a little worse, there is another Nel
son in the History Department—
M. F. Nelson—and a fourth A. &
M. prof by the name of Nelson—
T. R.—teaching in the Mathematics
Department. Having the same last
name causes many a perplexing
mix-up.
$4.98
FRIEDMAN-
SHELBY'S reputation
for a combination of Comfort,
Style and Service is truly ex
pressed jn this season's patterns.
Try on a pair of
FRIEDMAN . SHELBY
Comfort Shoes today.
A
LEWIS SHOE STORE
105 N. Main
Bryan
Columnist Al B. Nelson Begins
Second Year Writing “World Turns”
.'JEamubui..
HOME AND BACK BY
Railway Express!
ggq
Headquarters of the International Labor office
have been temporarily transferred from Geneva,
Switzerland, to McGill University, Montreal.
Cameron Bradley of Southboro, Mass., a recent
Harvard graduate and vice president of the Veteran
Motor Car Club of America, spends his spare time
collecting old automobiles. He has 16 pre-1910
models.
A doctor’s degree without a sin
gle day of high school attendance!
This is the record of Dr. Al B.
Nelson, professor of history at A.
& M. and The Summer Battalion’s
current events columnist who is
the author of the weekly column,
“As The World Turns ...”
Dr. Nelson was born in Dallas,
Texas, and received his public
school education in that city. When
he reached the sixth grade he was
forced to quit school and get a job.
During the next several years he
worked at everything from office
boy to private detective.
Finally he was able to go back
to school to work for a college de
gree. After taking entrance ex
aminations, he entered T. C. U.,
where he became interested in his
tory and received his bachelor and
master of arts degrees.
In 1933 he went to the Univer
sity of California, where he served
as head teaching and research as
sistant in the history department.
In 1936 he received his Ph.D. from
that institution.
A true Texan, Dr. Nelson was
discontented outside of his home
state, and in 1937 he came to
Texas A. & M.
Although he professes to care
little for organizations, Dr. Nelson
is a Mason and a member of the
American Associaiton of Univer
sity Professors, the Southwestern
Committee on Latin American Cul
ture, and the Texas History As
sociation. His hobby is photo
graphy. He and Mrs. Nelson have
traveled extensively, and on these
trips he has taken as many as two
or three thousand pictures, many
of which he makes into slides. His
photography is of practical value
also; in his office are box after box
of photographs of historical docu
ments, ranging from the Declara
tion of Independence to the Mexi
can census of 1756.
His greatest interest lies in the
history of Mexico and the border,
and he has written several articles
relating to the history of this reg
ion.
Dr. and Mrs. Nelson, not so
long ago, built a new home in Col
lege Park, for which he was archi
tect, head electrician, and “can-
vas-putter-onner.”
His first name, he insists, is
“Al” and nothing more—not “Al
bert” or “Alfred.” Of late he’s been
having name troubles. There’s an-
Direct as a "touchdown pass” is the campus-to-home
laundry service offered by RAILWAY EXPRESS. We
call for your laundry, take it home... and then bring
it back to you at your college address. It’s as quick
and convenient as that! You may send your laundry
prepaid or collect, as you prefer.
Low rates include calling for and delivering in all cities
and principal towns. Use RAILWAY EXPRESS, too, for
swift shipment of all packages and luggage. Just phone
SOUTHERN PACIFIC DEPOT
Phone 9 College Station, Texas
RAILWAlgyEXPRE S S
AGENCY INC.
NATION-WIDE RAIL-AIR SERVICE UMIMWIIIIW
New girls’ dormitories are being opened this
month by the University of Missouri at Columbia.
Professor Dan J. Kays of Ohio State University
has worn the same pair of bowling shoes for 27
years.
Rutgers (N. J.) University men defeated a New
Jersey College for Women team in a cooking contest.
Andrew Mellon’s $750,000 mansion and seven
acres of land have been given to Pennsylvania Col
lege for Women, whose nine-acre campus adjoins
the Melon estate in Pittsburgh’s fashionable East
end.
Tests at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
show that molasses heads the list of iron-containing
foods with about 6.1 usable parts per 100,000, by
weight. Beef liver and oatmeal are second and third.
For A Good Time
and
Better Food,
Visit Us
Often
COME OUT AND ENJOY YOURSELF
DANCING—
THE WILL0W00D
Between Bryan and College
FISH WEEK SPECIALS
I.E.S. Lamps - Clocks
A. & M. Stationery - Brooms
Window Shades - Tennis Shoes
School Supplies - Waste Baskets
Electrical Supplies - Regulation Socks
Military Shirts - Ties - Belts
Tan Socks - School Supplies
CAMPOS VARIETY STORE
NORTH GATE
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