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DIAL 4-5444
STUDENT TRI WEEKLY
NEWSPAPER OF
TEXAS A. & M. COLLEGE
The Battalion
DIAL 4-5444
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
OF THE CITY OF
COLLEGE STATION
VOL. 40
122 ADMINISTRATION BLDG.
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, THURSDAY MORNING, JAN. 23, 1941
Z725
NO. 44
“Proceed Without Interruption 7 ' Watson Tells Seniors
Football Banquet Set For Friday Night Asks ' orm " h
Dough Rollins Is
Toastmaster; Walton
Is Program’s Speaker
By Dub Oxford
Taking' place tomorrow night
will be the annual football din
ner at which the 1940 grid team
will be honored. This affair, which
promises to be the highlight of the
season, will have as toastmaster,
Coach “Dough” Rollins.
For the first time in the history
of football banquets, part of the
program will be broadcast, going
out over radio station WOAI, San
Antonio. Handling the program on
the air will be Pat Flaherty, sports
announcer for that station. The
program will be on the air from
9:00 to 9:15 p.m.
President Walton will make the
main address, and honored guests
will be called on by Toastmaster
Rollins for comments and state
ments. Recognition and presenta
tion of awards by Col. Ike Ashburn,
E. J. Howell, Col. F. G. Andrews,
and Dough Rollins will then be in
order.
Special guests will include Dan
Rogers, James Stewart, and Dick
Arcade, III, chairman of the enter
tainment committee for the press
(Continued on Page 3)
Project to Consolidate Housing of
County Departmental Agencies Pushed
Manuals Produced
Locally Used In
Defense Program
Manuals used in the machinist
apprentice program throughout the
State of Texas produced by E. W.
Glenn of the Texas A. & M. college
department of industrial education
have been adopted for use by class
es in the various crafts for national
defense, according to E. L. Wil
liams, head of the department.
The manuals are being used now
in such classes in Fort Worth, San
Antonilo, Houston, Beaumont,
Wichita Falls, Monahans and
Orange. The available manuals in
order of their popularity are Shop
Sketching, Layout, Plan Reading
and Essentials of Arithmetic. The
department of Industrial Education
provides the manuals to all schools
having use for them at production
cost.
Schools also may obtain without
cost outlines for courses that are
being conducted under the National
Defense Program. A new course
has been worked out in welding
for ship builders, and will be avail
able soon; and work already has
started on organizing material for
a course to aid in the training of
riveters. The outlines for courses
now available cover the subjects of
machinist workers, automotive
workers, radio workers, ship yard
workers and electrical workers.
Two officials of the U. S. De
partment of Agriculture, Joseph
Haley, chief of the real estate di
vision of plant operation; and his
assistant, T. L. Smith, spent Tues
day at Texas A. & M. College dis
cussing with H. H. Williamson, di
rector of Extension and chairman
of the state Land Use Planning
committee, a project to consolidate
housing of department agencies in
counties.
Smith said the project was ini
tiated in Texas at the last meeting
of the State Land Use Planning
committee. The object is to bring
under one roof the several depart
ment agencies operating in the
counties in order to make it more
convenient for the farmers to con
duct their business with them. A
further objective is to establish an
agricultural center where farmers
and their families can go “to read
agricultural literature and hold
meetings without influence of of
ficials.”
No Texas counties have yet been
designated, but Haley and Smith,
who were here only as advisers,
said the State Land Use Planning
committee would have charge of
selecting certain counties within
the 12 Texas extension districts, ac
cording to location and needs, to
serve as models for expansion of
the plan.
Smith said that under the cur
rent set-up farmers having bus
iness with a department agency of
ten are confused in getting in touch
with it because locations are scat
tered. With all grouped in one
building his problem would be sim
plified. He added that it was the
intention to proceed slowly.
The two officials expect to re
turn to Texas in late February and
assist in discussions in counties
chosen by the state committee for
the first buildings.
A Dissertation;
Which Proves Things
Concerning A & M Fish
Three little fish in the itty bitty
pool,
Swimmin’ in the fountain in the
middle of the school.
“There’s something fishy about
the whole thing,” officials of the
buildings and college utilities de
partment thought when they found
15 small perch in the new fountain
in Saunders’ Park.
It’s a pity that biologists have
disproved the theory of abiogenesis
and will shake their bewhiskered
heads with condescending nods at
the slightest mention of sponta
neous generation, but no other ex
planation has been found for the
presence of the fish in the foun
tain.
The fish are temporarily spend
ing their winter vacation in the
college hot house, but will be re
turned to their fountain play-pool
in the spring. Their unusual and
unexplained presence in the foun
tain has not only been a mystery
but has proved that there is more
than one kind of fish on the A. &
M. campus.
Robinson Names
Rogers, Rosenthal,
Gillis Junior Editors
Engineer Off the
Press About Jan 29
The second issue of the A. & M.
Engineer will be ready for distri
bution about Jan 29, editor Jeff
Montgomery said yesterday.
The central theme of this issue,
aeronautical engineering, will be
portrayed on the cover and empha
sized in articles throughout the is
sue.
Many illustrations are included
in this issue, among which will be
a map of the college airport.
As in the last issue, the activi
ties of each engineering club on
the campus will be reviewed and
new plans will be announced.
An appointment of junior editors
for The Battalion Magazine was
announced today by Magazine Edi
tor, A. J. Robinson. Lee Rogers,
E. M. Rosenthal, and Tom Gillis
were those chosen to aid in the
direction of the magazine during
the second semester.
The selection was made on the
basis of the amount and quality of
work done on the magazine
throughout the past year. Each of
the new junior editors works on
The Battalion Newspaper and
holds a similiar position there.
The positions of junior editor
are positions of responsibility and
are planned to provide experience
and training as background for
the magazine editorship of the
coming year.
Rosenthal comes from Fort
Worth and is a student of agri
cultural administration. Rogers,
who is a student of the the same
subject, is from Bishop. Gillis, also
from Fort Worth, follows a liberal
arts course of study. AH three
students are classed as juniors at
JA. & M.
Band and Ross Volunteers
Help Inaugurate Pappy-O
By Bob Nisbet
With the Texas Aggie Band and
the Ross Volunteers as the offic
ial escort, GovemoiyW. Lee O’Dan
iel was royally inaugurated Tues
day for the beginning of his second
term of office.
Program for the day was begun
when the Aggie band broke forth
into the strains of the Aggie
War Hymn and started a parade at
11:00 a.m. up Congress Avenue to
the capitol. A radio program by the
band in the rotunda of the capitol
building and a 30 minute joint con
cert by the Longhorn Band of the
University of Texas and the Ag
gie Band preceded the actual in
augural ceremonies.
Through an arch of shining sa
bers presented by Ross Volunteers,
and marching tq the strains of
Hail to the Chief came the Gov
ernor at 12:00 noon to take the
■f-fceedings.
Guns of Battery C, 132nd Light
Field Artillery Regiment from Cle
burne, thundered a 19 gun salute
and airplanes of the 111th obser
vation Squadron roared overhead
to add to the noise and confusion
of the occasion.
Then the Governor began to
speak. “We must preserve the sac
red heritage of the past, to pro
tect our noble land, and defend the
rights of men everywhere to be
free.”
The huge crowd shifted uneas
ily and moved in the direction of the
savory odors coming from the ban
quet preparations on the lawn in
front of the mansion. “Serving will
not begin until the Governor’s
speech is finished”, boomed the
loudspeaker in front of the man
sion.
And the Governor continued.
“The Governor of Texas has
about as much power in guiding
I the ship of state as an experienced
oath of office and begin the pro-(captain who attempts to cross the
-ocean in a vessel with neither rud
der, engine, nor sail. . . .1 have
made recommendations to the Leg
islature which, if enacted, will go
far toward taking control from
the hands of self-seeking influen
tial cliques. ...”
A slip in referring to William
Barret Travis, hero of the Alamo,
as James Barret Travis caused no
little comment.
Then the speech was finished and
the entire assemblage retired to
the mansion lawn and ate barbe-
qued buffalo shot by the Governor
himself especially for the occasion
—that is, all but the Aggie Band
and the Ross Volunteers who were
treated to a banquet in the dining
room of the Driskoll Hotel.
Tuesday night dances were held
in every hotel, in the street behind
the capitol building and in Greg
ory Gymnasium.
At 2 a.m., Wednesday morning |
the Band and the R.V.’s returned
home, as they left at 6:15 a.m. the 1
morning before, sleepy.
Lieut.-Col. J. A. Watson
Here Is Complete
Text of Watson’s
Address to Seniors
Editor’s Note: The following is the
complete address made by Lieut.-Coi.
James A. Watson, commandant, last night
in Guion Hall to 550 seniors who will
receive commissions as second lieuten
ants in the Officers Reserve Corps next
June.
The address is considered by The Bat
talion’s editors as particularly significant
in view of the current national defense
situation.
I have called you together to in
form you at first hand of some of
my own ideas, the policies of the
Military Department, and advice
and recommendations that may be
of aid to you.
The majority of you will be com
missioned in June as 2d Lieuten
ants of your respective branches
in the Officers Reserve Corps. As
such you will be subject to call to
active duty by the Federal Gov
ernment. I believe that I thoroughly
realize what is uppermost in the
minds of most of you, that is the
approximate date or iminence of
that call. That, I do not know.
Many men say that they would like
to know in order that they may be
advised as to seeking for or ac
cepting employment. I believe that
you should proceed in these mat
ters without respect to any exist
ence of emergency. Why not? If
the Government requires your ser
vice you will be called and placed
on active duty regardless of em
ployment, but you may not be re
quired for months or even a year.
That depends entirely upon the
military situation. Meanwhile, you
must take advantage of your op
portunities for employment or the
pursuit of your professional ca
reer as they occur. If you are call
ed to duty you certainly have not
lost anything by your efforts.
The same philosophy must apply
in the pursuit of your education.
There has been a question in the
minds of some who will complete
their R. O. T. C. training this year
but who will not graduate from
College as to whether or not they
will be commissioned and made sub
ject to active duty prior to such
graduation. The policy of the Col
lege is that they will not, and this
will not be departed from unless
the National Emergency requires
such action. This will permit you
(Continued on Page 4)
►
Cadets Advised to
Continue Job-Hunting As
Under Normal Conditions
A & M Military Staff Gutted As War
Department Relieves Nine Officers of *
Local Posts; Bender Relieved at NT AC
By George Fuermann
Keynoting A. & M.’s policy of cooperation with the current national
defense program, Lieut.-Col. James A. Watson, A. & M. commandant,
addressed the 550 cadet officers Wednesday afternoon in what amounted
to an unprecedented move at the college.
“Continue, without interruption, whatever lines of endeavor you
are now pursuing,” he advised the seniors, all of whom will receive
commissions as second lieutenants in the Officers Reserve Corps next
June.
In an effort to halt a movement on the part of several hundred
cadets who are making no after-graduation plans on the basis of an
immediate call to service June 1 or earlier, Col. Watson delivered his
brief and impressive address to the assembled cadets and more than
200 civilians in Guion Hall.
“Uppermost in the minds of most of you,” he said, “is the approxi
mate date of your call to service. I realize that this consideration is
influencing you men in searching for and accepting employment after
graduation.
“It is my belief,” he went on,
‘that you should proceed in these
matters without respect to any
existence of emergency. Your call
to service depends entirely upon
the military situation . . . and it
may not come for months, or even
a year.
“You are being fitted to serve
the government as Army officers
in case of emergency, but without
the existence of such, the pursuit
of your careers as business men,
agriculturists and professional men
is vital to the nation. Let’s go on
with our work in all channels and
in that way prepare for any event
uality without loss of time or op
portunity.”
Col. Watson continued with an
outline of the cadets’ responsibili
ties as embryo Army officers.
“As the time for your active duty
draws near,” he said, “you are
probably concerned with how you
can best fit yourselves for the as-
(Continued on Page 4)
42 Seniors Added to
Local Reserve Unit
Forty-two more seniors have
signed applications to become junior
members of the Reserve Officers
Association, which brings the total
of 416, approximately 100% of the
seniors with advanced contracts,
local president R. L. Elkins said
yesterday.
Because a large number of se
niors did not receive or cash their
subsistence checks last Friday, the
“Officers Guide”
Includes 3 Pics
Of A & M Units
Three recent photographs of ca
dets participating in military ac
tivities on the A. & M. campus
appear in a military publication
which has just been copyrighted
and released. The publication is
the “Officers Guide,” fourth edition,
Howard Berry, Experiment Station
photographer, took the shots dur
ing the first part of the semester.
“The Officers Guide” is intend
ed to be used by officers as a ref
erence for military customs and
procedure followed within the army
as they pertain to commissioned of
ficers. It is published by the Mili
tary Science Publishing Company
at Harrisburg, Pa., and copyright
ed January, 1941.
All three of the pictures used in
illustrating a chapter on the Re
serve Officers Training Corps. One
of the shots shows a field artillery
battery going through standing
drill. The cadets pictured have on
the cotton khaki slacks worn at
the first part of the semester.
Another shot Is of a latest model
three-inch anti-aircraft gun used
by the coast artillery. It was taken
Military Day on the old Pa
rade ground when the equipment
was on display last November. The
gun is surrounded by cadets and
regulars who are explaining its op
eration.
The famous Aggie Band appears
in the third shot as a typical ROTC
band. The band is formed in the
shape of the “T” which was used
Guion Hall
Gets Curtain
And Cyclorama
A curtain and background cyclo
rama are being installed on the
stage of Guion Hall, it was an
nounced today by Phil G. Norton,
college architect.
The additions to the stage are
now being installed and will keep
the stage from looking as bare as
in the past. The use of a front
dray curtain will increase the util
ity of the stage and greatly add
to its appearance, Norton said.
The main draw curtain is made
of maroon valour, a heavy fabric
similar to velvet. The curtain op
erates on a track drawn by means
of a pulley to a position behind the
stage columns.
Also being installed is a valour
valence, which is a shield across
the top of the curtain and remains
permanently in place.
A biege cyclorama is being hung
on a track around the sides and
back of the stage. The cyclorama
may also be drawn back to the
sides by means of a pulley system.
Two biege borders are being hung
from the ceiling to obscure the
view of the roof through the top
of the other curtains.
The stage dressings were put in
to beautify the stage for Town
Hall programs and other perform
ances in Guion Hall. The complete
equipment was made by the South
ern Stage Equipment Company of
San Antonio at a cost of approxi
mately $600.
Vacancies Exist
In Advanced CAA
Training Program
A. & M.’s quota of secondary
filght trainees in the CAA train
ing program has not yet been filled,
Howard W. Barlow, coordinator of
the CAA flight training and head
of the department of aeronautical
engineering announced yesterday.
The original announcement that
this program would be given at A.
& M. college in the spring semester
was made last week. Although a
number of applications have been
received to date, there are still
openings for all those who are in
terested in going further with their
flight training.
Candidates for the course must
hold a private pilot’s license obtain
ed through the CAA primary flight
training program. According to in
formation received recently the
Civil Aeronautics Administration
is decreasing the number of col
leges giving this secondary train
ing and is endeavoring to concen
trate the work in a few outstanding
institutions. A. & M. College has
been selected by the CAA as one
of the colleges which is particularly
qualified to handle this work.
The secondary flight training
program is an intermediate stage
of pilot training which fills in the
gap between the private pilot train
ing and the commercial pilot license.
payment of R.O.A. dues was not j at several games this year. The pic-
completed. However, the regimental ture was taken before the Rice
commanders will collect the 75^ game.'
dues from those who did not com- The pictures published are three
plete registration. Applications are of a group sent to the publisher by
still being received Elkins said. Berry at the request of the War
A “get-acquainted” meeting is j Department,
planned by the Brazos County j Berry’s pictures are the only pic-
Chapter of the R.O.A. for the new tures included in the publication
members and will be announced in which were taken on a college cam-
the near future. j pus.
Plans Nearing
Completion for
Annual Fish Ball
A meeting of the freshman class
representatives was held Wednes
day night in the physics lecture
room for the purpose of discussing
plans for the coming Freshman
Ball on Feb. 15.
Very few ticket sales have been
made as yet and president T. S.
Parker said that a check-up will
have to be made Sunday, 26, to
see whether or not the required
three hundred tickets have been
sold. It is necessary to sell 300
tickets in advance to cover the
cost of the dance, Parker said.
Sbisa Hall has been procured
and the Aggieland Orchestra is
being considered to play for the
dance, but as yet nothing definite
has been decided.
Dean F. C. Bolton has vetoed
the proposed invitation to the
freshmen at the Texas State Col
lege for Women. Housing must
still be found for the dates of the
Aggie freshmen.
It has been proposed that Wal
ton Hall be evacuated to accommo
date the visiting girls, but final
approval has not been given by
Dean Bolton and Engineer Regi
ment company commanders yet.
Just One Bee Sting Wouldn't
Prove A Thing - Even for Science
By D. C. Thurman
For the sake of science I’d do it.
Yes, for the sake of science I’d let
a bee sting me—even two bees.
Everybody wouldn’t do it, but I
would.
Full of resolve and a deep sense
of martyrdom, I reported promptly
to V. A. Little’s beekeeping class,
entomology 308. We were going
to have lab work at the apiary that
afternoon.
Now beekeepers have a theory
that if you remove a bee sting im
mediately after you are stung that
the pain will be much less than if
the sting is allowed to remain for
a few minutes.
A study of the bee’s sting shows
that it is made up of a pair of
sliding lances which have a bulb
ous attachment or poison sac. When
the bee stings he looses all this
apparatus and the lancets keep
sliding back and forth while the
bulb pumps in more poison.
When we arrived at the apiary
J we found the bees unusually active
for this time of the year. From the
back end of the car we took a pair
of scales and set them up. No soon
er had we done so than one hive
took offense and scattered the lab
oratory students right and left.
Rather nervously I set about
catching my two bees. I wanted one
for each hand—one sting I would
pull out the other I would leave in
my hand so that the tink poison
bulb could get in its venomous
work.
I finally coaxed two to come my
way, but decided one wasn’t potent
enough, (looked frozen), so I threw
him away and Little caught a
third bee for me.
But wait—the story isn’t finished
yet.
On the way back to college both
bees got out of their vials and
commenced climbing on the window
panes. After a few painful minutes
I returned them to the vial but un
fortunately one had lost his sting,
though not on me. My beautiful
experiment was ruined.
What would one bee sting prove ?