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 Aageles, and San
Francisco.
Office, Room 122, Administration Building. Telephone
4-5444.
Bob Nisbet Editor-in-Chief
Keith Hubbard Advertising Manager
George Fuermann r Associate Editor
Hub Johnson Sports Editor
Tommy Henderson Circulation Manager
Phil Golman Staff Photographer
Pete Tumlinson Staff Artist
J. B. Pierce Editorial Assistant
T. R. Vannoy Editorial Assistant
THURSDAY STAFF
George Fuermann Acting Managing Editor
George Woodman — Assistant Advertising Manager
Junior Editors
Tom Gillis D. C. Thurman
Sports Staff
Bob Myers Assistant Sports Editor
Jack Hollimon Junior Sports Editor
W. F. Oxford Sports Assistant
Reportorial Staff
Z. A. McReynolds, L. B. Tennison, J. M. Speer
“Old Abe,” An Aggie
ABRAHAM LINCOLN an Aggie?
Yes, if A. & M. had been in existence during
the life of “Old Abe”, it is more than likely that he
would have gone here to school. His life exempli
fies the very ideals upon which the school was
founded and still exists. In fact it was Abe Lincoln
who signed the bill creating all land grant schools.
Abraham Lincoln was born to poor parents as
have been so many students of A. & M., but this
to him as to them was no unsurmountable obstacle.
Hard work was the only formula he knew for suc
cess, and work he did plowing, splitting rails, and
keeping a small country store. The opportunity to
work at A. & M. is extended to all who need it. Near
ly a thousand boys each year work part if not
all of their way through school.
Abraham Lincoln could not afford an educa
tion at a college or university because in his day
there were no low-cost schools such as A. & M. He
therefore studied law in his spare time, but he made
good at his vocation because he did work hard. A.
& M. graduates work, too, and their reputation
for capability has spread nationwide. Over ninety
percent of all A. & M. graduates find employment
upon graduation—a statement few colleges in the
United States can make.
Abraham Lincoln was a soldier, having fought
in the Black Hawk war and also having directed the
Civil War as a commander-in-chief. He believed in
military training and for that reason all land grant
colleges are required to give the students at least
two years of military training. Aggies are soldiers.
Abraham Lincoln was an athlete. In his early
boyhood days he delighted to enter into games of
physical skill with his companions. He earned a
name for himself by licking the town bully. Aggies
are also athletes. In 1939 they possessed the best
football team in the whole nation, and every boy in
school takes some part in athletics through the in
tramural program.
Yes, Abe Lincoln would have come to A. & M.
and he would have made a good Aggie, too.
OPEN FORUM
The extra curricular activity of a college is a
very important phase of education for any boy.
The facilities offered on our campus are wide and
thorough, but lack a coordinating factor.
All of you have heard the long list of club
meetings read over the mess hall sound system, and
some of you have wondered which of several meet
ings you should attend. How much easier it would be
to have all of these meetings coordinated to a
scheduled meeting date, time, and place. By having
all the clubs of one kind meet on a set night, the
clubs will benefit by increased attendance and reg
ularity of meeting. A student will be able to take
part in a number of activities without slighting any
one. Such a co-ordination would of necessity be
flexible to meet any obstacles which might arise.
The cooperation of every club, organization, and
activity is needed to put over such an extensive
program; however, the outcome would prove in
valuable in eliminating many conflicts and improv
ing our meetings.
The Y. M. C. A. Cabinet,
P. M. Bolton, President.
The time has come to decide whether the “Y”
steps will be used for a foul-mouthed bull session or
for a decent spirit-raising yell practice. The purpose
of yell practice is to bring out the spirit that every
one has and to organize the corps into an efficient,
noise-producing body—it was not started as a
place to pick up the latest dirt.
If the yell leaders are under the impression
that the majority of the boys like the jokes and the
dirt that is pulled, they are sadly mistaken, because
the attendance shows that most of the boys do not
like yell practice as it is conducted today. The fresh
men and sophomores are forced to attend practice
therefore the front ranks are well filled but the
ranks of the juniors and seniors are thinning fast
just because of the jokes.
Some have the idea that if you don’t like the
present example of a yell practice you don’t have to
come and you don’t have to bring your friends. Yell
practice is for the students and their friends and
for all those interested in the team and the school.
Yell practice and the spirit it shows is a tradition
at A. & M.—no other school can boast of having
anything like it. Many traditions have died at A. &
M. because of the antics as are going on now. Yell
practice will not go from this college because of
the actions of a junior who seems to have let his
position run away with his sense of decency.
The other night it was a case of “When the
cat’s away the mice will play.” The junior in charge
was informed of the fact that there were several
women present but this did not stop him from
delivering a so-called joke. I wish his mother, sister
and dad could have been there, I’m sure they would
have been proud of him?
The idea of getting a decent yell practice is
growing fast and if things do not change soon, I’m
confident that certain people will feel the reper
cussions—they will not be pleasant. If the present
leaders cannot instill spirit in the corps except by
jokes—then they have failed; we should hold another
election and get some yell leaders in there who can
give us something to be proud of—something that
we will be proud to be a part of. Not the case where
we have to apologize for an exhibition of a mis
informed Aggie.
Donald W. Corley
Roy J. Chappell Jr.
Robert M. Harle
Lewis J. Nelson
William E. Smith
Dallas, Texas
October 9, 1940
Battalion, A. & M.
College Station, Texas
Sirs:
Three (3) cars, 12 women inc. heard the most
disgraceful profanity by dorm 3, 4, 6, last week of
upper-classmen cussing out fish. This was last week.^
It’s OK to have the fun but some of these Jrs. and
Srs. in this uncalled for conduct has caused a bene
factor to state their assistance is at an end.
You boys in your pub. should place a write
up and not have a repetition. This is conduct of the
lowest type of men and not of this honorable cadet
corps.
This group is certain to cause an early investi
gation and now are at work securing absolute evi
dence of this conduct unbecoming an officer.
Thanks a lot.
Yours truly,
Rev. and Mrs. Keaton,
Corpus Christi, Texas
Something To Read
By DR. T. F. MAYO
Ask Miss Pearce, the Reference Librarian, for
the current number of “The Biblomac,” a new little
digest, all on one sheet, of the most interesting
magazine articles of the month.
The articles are better selected, I think, and
the digests are more skillfully made than by any
other of the dozens of similar projects. Though only
a score or so of lines are given to each article, you
will be a much better informed person when you
have finished the sheet.
Magazines stand, of course, midway between
newspapers and books, not only in the length of
their units but in their degree of thoughtfulness
and solidity. The safest way to form your opinions
is probably to read books. But there are too many
books on too many subjects, and they take too
much of the tired Aggie’s valuable time.
The next most reliable form of reading is un
doubtedly the best magazines, such as Harper’s, The
New Republic, The Atlantic, The Nation, The Survey
Graphic. But here again there is such a wide field
that even magazine articles are sometimes too long
to suit your needs. Hence the luxuriant crop of
“digests” which has appeared in the last decade,
most of them (if you ask me!) pretty terrible.
The “Biblomac” digest, which I hereby introduce,
really abstracts, I believe, the best articles in the
clearest and shortest way. This month’s contents,
for example, include:
Three articles on the reasons for the collapse of
France, with lessons for America.
“The American Fascists” (Harper's)
“Rubber out of Oil” (Harper’s)
“What Does Lindbergh Believe?” (Current His
tory)
“Toward a Dynamic Democracy” (Survey
Graphic)
“Good Neighbor in Action” (New Republic)
“We Stand Here” (by two college boys) (At
lantic)
As the World Turns..,
BY “COUNT” V. K. SUGAREFF
Does the radio interfere with studying?
Many students would give a negative reply to
this question. They would marshall a long list of
reasons to support their answer that the radio in
no manner interferes with their studying. They can
be listening to the most captivating “Blues” Singer’s
voice and it will not detract one iota
from their concentration. Dr. C. G.
Wrenn, professor of psychology at
the University of Minnesota, differs
with that point of view. He told the
freshmen at Middlebury College that
it is impossible to concentrate while
listening to the varying frequencies
of radio music. Besides most of the
radio program have at intervals ad
vertising stuff which aggravates the
problem of concentration. Studying
without the radio accompaniment is
apt to bring better results in most
Contrary to general press reports, the national
defense program is making creditable progress. Mr.
William S. Knudson of the national defense commis
sion, speaking before the Army Ordinance Associa
tion, said that up to the end of September contracts
for the army and navy amounted to over eight bil
lion dollars. The production of ammunitions of all
categories has been speeded up. Difficulties of plant
expansion, profits, and wages are being quickly
adjusted in the interest of the national defense pro
gram. Airplane production has reached about 1,000
per month, tanks about one hundred; and the pro
duction of anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns has been
increased proportionately. All national arsenals are
working on a twenty-four hour schedule. Contracts
have been placed for all the machine guns and the
37 mm. Eleven powder and explosive plants are now
in operation and five more have been projected.
This all around preparation for war is probably
the most effective reply we could have made to the
triple axis military alliance. We should try to create
an axis of our own, consisting of the United States
and its possessions, Canada, and Latin America; and
eventually including within its orbit Australia, New
Zealand, the Dutch East Indies, and the Federated
Malay States. Recent reports indicate that Secretary
Hull is already negotiating along these lines.
V. K. Sugareff
instances.
L
“No shine! I just want to rest a bit."
BACKWASH
By
George fuermann
“Backwash: An agitation resulting from some action or occurrence.”—Wens ter.
Once Over Lightly . . . Sopho-
mopes George R. Murphy and Jim
my Mehegan bought the first tick
ets to Tuesday night’s world pre
miere of Aggietone News after a
two-hour wait . . . It’s hollyhocks
to John Meriweth
er and Nico Snyde-
laar who rang the
bell with the most
unique sidelight of
the premiere. Call
ing a taxi, they
asked to be driven
the three-block-dis
tance from Milner
Hall to the Cam-
Fucrmann p us Theater and
there paniced lookers-on as they
were formally exited from the cab
attired in tuxedos. Quipped Nico,
“If they can do it in Hollywood,
we can do it in College Station.”
... In a recent Grantland Rice
NBC radio interview, the famed
sports writer asked the coach at
N. Y. U. how he would like to have
John Kimbrough on his team.
“Well,” the coach drawled back,
how’d you like to have ten mil
lion dollars!” . . . Many post cards
have been received from radio
listening Aggies who heard last
Saturday’s UCLA game. The com
plaint being: The UCLA band play
ed “The Spirit of Aggieland” too
fast . . . Seven hundred and fifty
TCU students—coeds included—
will come to College Station via
three special trains for the week
end’s Aggie-Frog game . . . Keyes
Carson, the Aggies’ self-styled
“All-American hitch-hiker,” did
it again when he made the Califor-
nia-to-Texas jaunt in 34 hours fol
lowing the Aggie-Uclan game last
Saturday. Keyes arrived on the
campus early Monday morning.
. . . Less fortunate were Carlos
Dodd, A. E. Burkhalter, F. D. San
born, and R. W. Grady. The four
managed to get as far as Las Cru
ces, New Mexico, but the combina
tion of rain, snow, and no rides
finally resulted in a turn-back
when game time was too near to
complete the trip.
•
Burke-Wadsworth.
The registration procedure at the
Consolidated High School was
blessed with a new high in some
thing or other yesterday morning.
A young negro began his registra
tion by telling registrar Mrs. W. C.
Stone that his name was Ross
Sandy. “Are you certain that Sandy
is your last name and not your
first name?” Mrs. Stone quizzed.
“Yes mam,” was the reply. “What
was your father’s last name?”
Mrs. Stone came back. “Ross,” the
negro returned. “Then surely that’s
your last name,” the registrar con
tinued, a little impatient. “No
mam,” the name-certain negro em
phatically replied. “Mah name was
Ross when ah was bom and Sandy
was the last name ah got after
that—my last name is Sandy!”
•
Thirty Cents
The Board of Directors meets
again tomorrow. They’ll again con
sider the student body’s requests
to remove the thirty-cent charge
currently being made for cadet’s
guests in the mess halls. Cadet
Colonel Bill Becker, Senior Presi
dent Tom Richey, Head Yell Leader
Buster Keeton, and your corres
pondent will carry the corps plea
to the assembled members. Back
wash hopes that the board will see
the corps’ point of view: That the
good will won for the college
through taking guests into the mess
halls far exceeds the alleged loss
es. Even the losses are doubtful—
hundreds of places are vacant every
day in the mess halls as cadets, for
any one of countless reasons, miss
occasional meals.
Dale Carnegie
It was during the summer months
that the “How to Win Friends” au
thor devoted his entire column
to Texas A. & M. Although the
facts contained therein are out of
the groove of accuracy, here’s a
partial quote of the column:
“Boys, would you like to go to
college on $252 a year? Well, it
can be done, and at one of the best
colleges in the United States. I
refer to the Agriculture and Me
chanical College of Texas, located
at College Station, Texas, 95 miles
northwest of Houston. It is the
largest boy’s school in the world.
“How can it be done on such a
small, a low cost basis?
“Because it is run along co-opera
tive lines. Dr. Dan Russell has
shouldered the head-aches neces
sary to determine how a group of
boys live together on a co-opera
tive basis and acquire an education
at the same time.
“The boys grow much of the food
they eat; what they don’t grow on
the grounds, they buy at whole
sale prices. Boys have gone there
with only $50 in their pockets
and come out with a college edu
cation. But a college education is
not all they leave there with. No,
sir, not by a long shot. When they
leave A. & M. they take with them,
aside from a diploma, two of the
most important ingredients to
success: self confidence and self-
respect. Many of them are also
equipped with another ingredient:
Determination. If a man can’t make
a success when equipped with
these three, then success just was
n’t meant for him.
“The boys all dress alike; there
are no social fraternities. For this
is a democratic school, where one
man is not as good as another un
til he has proved his superiority
by hard work and achievement.
“The school specializes in agri
culture and mechanical training,
but it has a school of arts and
sciences, and a veterinary school.
“If you get sick, it will cost you
$5.00 a term for medical fee, med
icines, and hospital expense (and
this fee must be paid whether you
get sick or not—a sort of insur
ance, you see).
“But if you go without money
you must work. Don’t think it is
all work, however, for this college
has two well-equipped gymnasiums
and the finest indoor swimming
pool in the South, in addition to
practically every form of athlet
ics.
Col. Ike Ashburn—whose name
was spelled “Washburn” in another
part of the column—was swamped
with inqueries because of the er
ror in the cost of being a Texas Ag
gie.
WHATS SHOWING
AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL
Thursday 3:30 & 6:45—
“GOLD RUSH MAISIE,”
featuring Ann Sothem, Lee
Bowman, Slim Summerville,
and Virginia Weidler.
Friday — “2 0 MULE
TEAM,” starring Wallace
Beery, Leo Carillo, Marjorie
Rambeau, Ann Baxter, and
Douglas Fowley.
AT THE CAMPUS
Thursday — “VILLAGE
BARN DANCE,” with Rich
ard Cromwell, Doris Day,
George Barbier, Versa Va
gue, and Don Wilson.
Friday—“THE MAN I
MARRIED,” featuring Joan
Bennett, Francis Lederer,
Lloyd Nolan, Anna Sten, and
Maria Ouspenskaya.
Ann Sothern has already made
quite a reputation for herself with
her pictures in the Maisie series
and “GOLD RUSH MAISIE” is
the latest. The laughs come thick
and fast as Ann does her bit to
help the rush, but the story of this
one is a little different from the
rest.
Ann is a showgirl looking for a
job in the Arizona desert. She gets
caught in the gold rush and carried
along by a f amily of Oakies to get
in on the prospecting. After the
bottom falls out of the gold deal,
Ann inspires one of her suitors to
arrange credit for the prospectors
so they may become homesteaders
there, and then she goes off and
leaves them. Ann is the warm
hearted and pretty comedienne who
mixes the right proportions of
laughter and pathos to make the
picture appeal to nearly every type
of audience. Slim Summerville also
looks pathetic but there’s laughter
in his homeliness as the hired man.
Lee Bowman as the male lead is
not so well known and his role
carried nothing extra toward the
picture’s appeal.
A picture that gives you little
besides entertainment, but plenty
of that, is “20 MULE TEAM” with
coarse, carrousing Wallace Beery.
This show not only shows a pic
turesque chapter in the history of
the West, but as pure entertain
ment it fills the bill like a T-bone
steak. Wally is the tough driver of
a 20-mule team bringing borax out
of Death Valley in the ’90s. Leo
Carrillo is the little indian that
helps him. Owner of the boarding
house and bar in the mining town
of Furnace Flat is Marjorie Ram
beau and she and Wally bicker with
one another continually. The min
ing town life is a bad influence on
Marjorie’s daughter Ann Baxter
and Wally has to be the saving
saint in the end so the daughter
can marry the right feller.
Wally is the desert rat of the
first degree in this feature and as
such he can’t be beat. His swagger
and ego get him lots of places that
his lies can scarcely get him out of,
but he gets along and makes ev
erybody like it. It is worth the
time to see.
THOMMcAN STORE
Care of Norwoods
102 South Main Street
Bryan, Texas
It’s More Fun To Go Formal...
It’s fun to dress up; it’s fun to feel free and easy
in even the most formal clothes . . . and it’s fun to
pay such modest prices.
GRIFFON TUXEDOS
$25 and $27.50
Single and Double-Breasted
ARROW TUX SHIRTS and TIES
HICKOK TUX BUTTON SETS
HICKOK TUX SUSPENDERS
INTERWOVEN TUX SOX
BOSTONIAN TUX OXFORDS
TUX HANDKERCHIEFS and BUTTONAIRES
7 YT r-^T\
iWlMBERLEY STONE DANS87
Vs/. 07X7
CLOCKIERS
COLLEGE and BRYAN
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