Page 7r
THE BATTALION
■TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1940
The Battalion
STUDENT TRI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
TEXAS A. * M. COLLEGE
The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and
■echanie&l 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, $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.
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
Tommy Henderson Circulation Manager
Phil Golman Staff Photographer
Pete Tumlinson Staff Artist
J. B. Fierce Editorial Assistant
T. R. Vannoy Editorial Assistant
Tuesday Staff
Bill Clarkson Managing Editor
Jack Hendrick Assistant Advertising Manager
Junior Editors
Lee Rogers E. M. Rosenthal
Sports Staff
Bob Myers Assistant Sports Editor
Jack Hollimon Junior Sports Editor
Reportorial Staff
Jack Aycock, Don Corley, J. M. Huling, Ralph Inglefield, Tom
Leland, W. A. Moore, J. M. Speer, Jack Decker.
A Hint to the Wise
LATE LIGHTS for sophomores has been a much-
disputed question since the recent ruling by the
Faculty allowed such. Some think it is the logical
solution to raise bad grades. Others think it will
lead to an enormous “corps trip” when the mid
semester grades are passed out.
We are inclined to think the former opinion is
the proper attitude to hold at least until it is proved
otherwise. It certainly stands to reason that if lack
of study time caused bad grades, more study time
would be the solution. More studying can not be
done unless more time is allowed for that purpose,
.jt The sophomores will be tempted to waste the
early-evening hours in worthless occupation know
ing that they have extra time, and they will be
worse off than ever. That statement came from a
senior. We believe and we hope that he is borrowing
trouble.
Some of the juniors are worrying about the rul
ing giving their privileges away to such an extent
that sophomores cannot be distinguished from jun
iors. They themselves know that is the wrong at
titude, and such a statement needs no comment.
Possibly the strongest argument against the
new-found privilege was voiced by one of the soph
omores. He claims that regularity is the key to
health. The chief reason most freshmen gain weight
their first semester in school is because they are put
on a regular schedule. He raises the question of
whether or not sophomores have learned the value
of regularity in their schedule in the short space
of a year. Lack of sleep and skipping of meals
brings on a run-down condition inciting colds and
leaving the skipper susceptible to anything he may
become exposed to.
At any rate it means that the sophomores will
be under the strictest observation during the next
month or so. An epidemic of colds or an epidemic
of bad grades might mean the revoking of said priv
ilege. We hope that will not be necessary.
Whither Now Columbus?
AMERICA celebrated the four hundred and forty-
eighth anniversary of the landing of Columbus Oct
ober 12. This year, more than ever before, we can
well give a silent vote of thanks to the Genoese
sailor who first started the westward trek from
Europe.
Since 1492 has come from Europe the stuff that
makes the American People. Since 1492 human be
ings have been driven from Europe to the Land of
Columbus by intolerance, hatred, and the lust for
power and blood. But America has been well-reward
ed for its goodness.
With these harried immigrants have come some
of the greatest minds this world has ever known.
Temple University and every educational institu
tion in America have profited immeasurably from
the great brains that have been placed at their
disposal.
Men such as Albert Einstein and Dr. Thomas
Mann have escaped, with many others, to the Land
of Columbus. But press reports, letters, and the
few foreign scientific journals that trickle through
tell of scores who failed to make the boat.
America, with its own economic difficulties, has
long since passed its saturation point insofar as
immigration is concerned. But exceptions have al
ways been made for another whose talent is dis
carded in a scheme that substitutes burning for
learning; another who would not sell his soul to a
soulless system.
America, even with ominous shadows overhang
ing, still cherishes its wealth of learning in its free
institutions and strives to gain more. Indeed, we
can and learn in a free land and say in 1940:
Thank you, Columbus.
In the meantime, on the continent from which
he came, a beleaguered and weary people, their
channels of refuge damned, turn troubled faces to a
world with no more undiscovered continents and ask:
Whither now, Columbus?
—Temple University News
OPEN FORUM
AT ONE TIME in A. & M. a person who got on
the “Bull Ring” was considered to have been very
much “out of line” in his “outfit” or to have com
mitted a grave offense to be the recipient of that
many demerits from the Commandant’s office. But
in this day of “New Deals,” dirty deals and so
forth, a person who hasn’t collected at least twenty
(20) demerits has been a “day dodger” since school
started.
Since when have non-military students in A. &
M. gotten into the Army? We haven’t received our
$21 a month yet, but we are putting our close to
$30 a month to get “rammed.” Of course we over
21 have registered, but the day after we registered
one of our number was classed as an ordinary sol
dier with no individuality and no right to think for
himsWf. This was the case of a Senior who had a
rocking chair and a shop-made book-shelf in his
room. When a boy has spent four years at A. & M.
and collected a fair-sized library of valuable books
and has one little shelf to put them on and then
brings in a well constructed attractive bookcase to
put them in and is told it is unauthorized furniture
and is given ten demerits we begin to wonder, are
we being allowed to go to school to get an educa
tion or not? These books are valuable and are used
almost daily for references, where else is there to
keep them ? Isn’t this supposed to be a man’s home
for the 9 month’s term? Why can’t he make it com
fortable? In the College Regulations issued Septem
ber, 1940, Section 4, paragraph 1, line 3, we read,
“Every effort is being made to make dormitory
rooms comfortable. With cooperation of occupants
they can be made attractive.” Isn’t a rocking chair
attractive and what is ugly about a shop-made book
case? If any rule against personal furniture has
ever been passed we cannot find it in the “Blue
Book”, and we have not seen an order from the
Commandant’s office on the subject.
From the way demerits have been passed out the
past few weeks, it seems that those giving them
don’t realize that it only takes a few to make a
“MAN” get back on the so called “line”, but they
hand him 20 to 50 for such things as untidy bureau
drawers, bookcases, excess cowbody boots, dirty sink
stoppers and wet towels, in the closet or hanging
up drying in the room. At home we can find our
own things pretty quick in drawers in worse shape
than any in the dormitories and no one but a
“busy-body” is going to look in the bureau drawer
on coming into a room.
At home our mothers spend less time cleaning
ten (10) times as much room, as is necessary for
us to clean our rooms to pass room inspections.
At the same time they have all morning to do this
and we go to school every day from 8 to 5 and
study until at least 12 every night. All we ask is
that a little consideration and thought be given us.
When a person who has been here four years
and collected less than (20) twenty demerits in
those four years, get 20 to 30 at one time and yet
is trying to do the right thing everybody begins
to wonder, are we getting a fair deal or maybe
we were left out on this deal.
(Names omitted by request)
THE TIME OF year for corps trips is here again.
We are all pouring out our spirit, energy, and pride
for the greatest school on American soil, and for the
mightiest football team on the globe. The ways and
means of releasing this proud, voluntary energy
were originated on this campus. Along with these,
other traditions are practiced here on the campus
and on the corps trips. We often begin actions on
this campus that are amusing for a length of time,
then they become destructive and degrading to the
whole student body, and to the public into which
we go. When traditions begin to be of this nature
we generaly find some remedy.
Would we be proud of our football team if they
came staggering onto the gridiron saturated with
alcohol ? Is the school proud of the rooting twelfth
man when he is reeling from excessive drinking?
Do the public, our parents, friends, and fans enjoy
watching this kind of show?
Liquor is a dictator. It makes us do what it
wants. As men of a democratic school are we
going to continue to bow down to something that
is stronger than we ? Liquor dictates this, “I
throw men to earth. Whoever foolishly sets his
strength against mine will find himself flat on his
back, groveling on the ground without rule of mind,
feet, or hands, though still strong in his speech.”
Who is the stronger in this, school, Aggies or
liquor ?
An Aggie
O. A. Stevens, North Dakota Agricultural Col
lege botanist, each year identifies from 300 to 600
plants species for farmers.
As the World Turns...
By DR. R. W. STEEN
THE AXIS POWERS are continuing their move to
the east. Yugoslavia has announced an economic
agreement with Germany, and it is stated that
the agreement has definite political significance.
To say that the agreement has political significance
is almost a miracle of understatement, for the
arrangement means in fact that Yugoslavia is now
taking orders from Berlin.
Bulgaria will doubtless receive
callers from Berlin and Rome in
due time. The British diplomatic
agents in that country are reported
to be burning their secret papers,
and making plans for a hurried
exit. The British have had enough
experience in getting out of coun
tries in recent years that they do
not have to bum their papers and
make plans for leaving just for the
practice. The move indicates a
British belief that German troops
will soon be in the country.
Russia is having difficulty deciding what to do.
British, Turkish and German agents are quite busy
in the Russian capital, but the future will have to
reveal the victor. Russia is certainly not pleased
at the prospect of German bases on the Black Sea,
but Russia has healthy respect for the German
army. Hitler is doubtless tempting Russia with of
fers of land in Persia and perhaps in India. Hitler,
of course, has no hesitancy in offering Russia lands
belonging to Britain.
Japan has been doing a great deal of inter
preting during the past week. It now appears that
all of her threats made following the signing of
the pact with Germany and Italy were simply
friendly statements which Americans saw fit to
misinterpret. It is interesting to watch the facility
of the Japanese in giving unique and unusual mean
ing to simple words.
BACKWASH ^
George Fuermann
“Backwash: An agitation rasnRin* from
aetioa or •ccturanca.**—WoMtea.
Tish-tosh . . . “Unique” is the
word for the Y. M. C. A. Hand
book’s definition of the Aggie term
“goldbrick”. Most cadets can think
of another way to describe the
term, but there it is, God bless it,
reading “carefree
student”! . . . One
of the Los Angeles
newspapers follow
ing the Aggie-U. C.
L. A. game Octob
er 12, declared
that, “. . . . and
fewer than 300
Texas Aggies out-
Fuermann ye]led ^ 50()()
members of the U. C. L. A. pep
squad with ease.” . . . Overheard
at Saturday’s A. & M.-T. C. U.
tilt: “Now I understand why peo
ple say that the Aggies have a
yelling section and other colleges
have cheering sections.” . . J Best
of the past week’s stories coming
from the Infantry Regiment con
cerns the inquisitive freshmen who
wondered how Cavalrymen could
gracefully do an about-face on their
horses . . . Life’s minor tragedies:
It was W. L. (Tick) Bryce who left
the stadium Saturday afternoon at
the beginning of the second quarter
to buy a cold drink. The score was
0 to 0. Seven minutes later he re
turned. The score, A. & M. 21, T.
C. U. 0! . . . The September issue
of “Texas Parade”, official publica
tion of the Texas Safety Associa
tion, Inc., includes an article' titled
“The Ramparts They Watch”. Writ
ten by H. B. McElroy, assistant
head of A. & M.’s publicity depart
ment, it concerns the college’s part
in national defense as the largest
military school in the world and
you’ll find the story well worth
your reading time . . . Stories and
superlatives concerning the 300 Ag
gies who made the Texas-to-Cal-
ifornia trip to watch the Aggie-
U. C. L. A. game October 12 are
many, but here’s one that was omit
ted in the rush. It concerns G Bat
tery Coast Artillery which claims,
and apparently rightfully so, the
medal for having more representa
tives than any of the other 56
military organizations. The bat
tery’s 11 representatives were John
H. Holly, Willis Kellog, Leslie Mc
Carthy, Mayo Thompson, Earl E.
Jones, S. M. Jonas, Charles R.
Johnson, Charles J. Flynn, Whit K.
Alger, Horace Jennings, and W. J.
Moraski.
•
Aggieland Miniture.
It happens almost every Sunday
—usually late in the afternoon.
And it’s six-two-and-even that it’ll
happen any given Sunday that has
been preceded by a football game
or a dance. You can see it many
places, but the best places are the
depots at the old entrance, or in
front of Aggieland Inn, or outside
of any of the dormitories. There’s
a cluster of cadets and they’ve got
a funny expression on their faces.
They’ve got something on their
arms too—a girl. There’s usually
some baggage around somewhere,
but the cadet and his date are
little concerned with that.
Yeah, it’s the same old thing—
just a different Sunday. The cadet
spent a week anticipating the love
ly; she probably arrived sometime
Friday afternoon; the next 48 hours
went as fast as a ten dollar bill
at a carnival; and now (it isn’t
right, but it’s so) she’s going back
home or back to her own share of
a college education. Then a train,
or a bus, or a car honks or blows;
there’s a lot of last-minute laugh
ing and useless gibberish; a fond
farewell—usually; and she’s gone.
That’s when a fella has to reach
up to touch bottom.
•
Number Eleven Ross.
The old guard room, as such,
is history, but the title still goes
and now it’s applied to room 11,
Ross Hall. That’s where Claude K.
Jones, Tom Seay, and Walter M.
Lee do a little more than just sleep
and study. They live there, true
enough, but they’ve got a job that’s
tied-up with their room. In truth,
the old guard room is now an in
formation booth and especially be
fore eight o’clock in the morning
and after five in the afternoon.
That’s when all other offices are
closed, but there are still lots of
mothers wanting to get in touch
with Jim, or a family wishing to
notify their son of illness at home,
or a thousand other things.
“It’s appaling,” Claude observed,
“how few parents seem to know
where to locate their sons on this
campus other than by his post
office box number. Every Aggie
should let his immediate family
know exactly where he can be lo
cated in case of emergency.” How
ever, when a parent doesn’t know
where to locate the son, the job of
locating the cadet belongs to
Claude, Tom, and Walter. “And
sometimes,” Tom said, “it’s a sev
eral-hour job that seems to be al
most hopeless, but we seldom fail
to ‘get our man’!”
Propaganda.
Since the publication of Satur
day’s Backwash, your correspond
ent has been repeatedly quizzed in
respect to the so-called fifth col
umn activities here at A. & M. To
that end, here’s an explanation:
(1) The facts concerning the
two cases mentioned were given the
writer “off the record” and, there
fore, in no case will they be re
vealed here until the word “go” is
given.
(2) Neither of these cases is of
sufficient importance to cause
alarm and, as mentioned in that
column, one of them has already
proved to be a blank. The other will
be settled one way or another with
in 30 days. Furthermore, the ex
ercise of fifth column activities is
apparently considerable less here
at A. & M. than at many other
major American colleges and uni
versities.
Since the item appeared Back
wash has been notified by well-
meaning cadets and civilians of 14
other cases of fifth-column activi
ties. Most of them have been un
founded and ridiculous, but it clear
ly shows the attitude of the Texas
Aggies—one that’s okeh all the
way!
Let us help you to look
your best by cutting your
hair . . .
Jones Barber Shop
By Tom Gillis
Everyone at least likes to think
that he has a sense of humor and
a good way to test it is to go to
either show on Wednesday or
Thursday. If you can see either of
the pictures on those days at the
Campus or Assembly Hall without
doing your share of the laughing,
you may truly conclude that you
have lost your sense of humor be
cause two of the most hilarious
comedies of the year are running.
Both of these are high grade com
edies with top ranking stars and
that just makes them funnier and
better dramatically too.
“I LOVE YOU AGAIN” gets its
word ‘again’ from the fact that
leading man William Powell leads
a double life, and two more con
trasting lives could never be im
agined.*” Powell grows up as a slick
‘con’ man but lapse of memory
turns him for eight years into the
most perfect angel and grown up
Boy Scout that could be imagined.
During these eight years he has
become the leading citizen of a
small town, where he belongs to all
the lodges, the Chamber of Com
merce, a scout troop, and is treas
urer of the local Community Chest.
The fun starts when the show opens
as Powell gets struck on the head
again and assumes the character
Tennis Racquets
Restrung
String available for own
use. We have presses for
complete restringing job.
STUDENT CO-OP
1 Block East of North
Gate
of the slick crook with all the
past years a total blank. Thereup
on, he and a small time crook
Frank McHugh decide to return to
his little hamlet and plunder the
place for all he could get under his
angelic reputation. A complicating
element in the form of a wife
whom he married before regaining
his memory threatens to throw a
monkey wrench in the deal but
things finally work out.
The funny part of the show
comes in the situations Powell toss
es off back in his little berg when
he has returned to skin the place.
The smooth manner in which he
passes off remarks and little in
cidents about which he should know
everything but has forgotten are
really marvels to watch and would
give any pretender lessons. Myma
Loy, as the wife, has almost al
lowed herself to become typed, and
this role is another in the same
type as just the loving wife. Pow
ell is the whole show but Myrna is
plenty of complication for him to
try to explain during his lapse
of memory.
CAMPUS
150 200
to 5 p.m. to 11 P-m.
Today Only
“The Man With
Nine Lives”
with
Boris Karloff
Roger Pryor
Also Selected Shorts
Wed. - Thurs.
“He Stayed For
Breakfast”
with
Loretta Young
Melvyn Douglas
News - Cartoon
Weather
Insurance
For
BAYLOR TRIP
and all the season
For Cold Weather
Glover Outdoor
Leather Coats
Wool Coats
Wool Jackets
For Rain Weather
Alligator Slickers
Alligator Silk and
Wool Top Coats
U. S. Raynster
Coats
Sizes for everybody—
prices to fit every purse.
Bullock & Akin
Bryan
YOU get both smart st 7 \e and e * CeP "°
i for\ in this Thom NAcAm. Come m an
com
acquainted v/ith Amevica s
leading shoe brand.
PIPE TIME!
See Casey’s pipes before
you buy. Also finest to
bacco assortment in the
state of Texas.
CASEY’S
CONFECTIONERY
Old “Y”
they had to be good shoes to sell
100 MILLION PAIRS
THOM McAN STORE
Care of NORWOOD’S
102 South Main Street
Bryan, Texas