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, MARCH 20, 1941
Z725 NO. 65
Senior Committee Investigates Motion Picture Deal
Houston Symphony Orchestra Presents Concert Tonight Clearance Between Bryan s
And College Is Main Issue;
Amusement Co. Is Cause
Is Organization’s
Third Appearance
Here; Begins at 8
The Houston Symphony Orches
tra, conducted by Ernst Hoffman,
will make its annual appearance
at A. & M. tonight on the Town
Hall program at 8 o’clock.
The orchestra is composed of
the finest collection of musicians
in the Southwest. In all of its ap
pearances this year the orchestra
has broken all previous attendance
records and has received unlimited
praise from music critics who ac
claim this year’s Houston Symph
ony orchestra as the finest in 28
years.
The coming of the orchestra is
looked forward to each year with
added anticipation. This, perhaps,
can be attributed to the fact that
Hoffman and the entire orchestra
seems to derive so much pleasure
from playing for the Aggies. The
tremendous amount of applause
given the symphony after the play
ing of some of the favorite num
bers seems to inspire both the
leader and orchestra to far great
er heights that each year increases
the unusual amount of encores.
Marjorie Steel, daughter of E.
W. Steel of the Municipal Engin
ing department, will play the cello
with the symphony when it appears
here. Miss Steel is a graduate of A.
& M. Consolidated High school and
has been studying music in Hous
ton for the past few years.
The 77 musicians of the Houston
Symphony Orchestra make up a
versatile group.
Ernst Hoffman, noted conductor
of the orchestra, was bom in Bos
ton and aside from being an ac
complished musician, he is formid
able on the tennis court. Though
physically slight, he is quite cap
able of handling competent op
ponents.
It was announced by Paul Haines,
student manager of Town Hall,
that there will be no increase in
Town Hall prices for those who do
not have reserved seat tickets. Tic
kets may be secured at the ticket
office at Guion Hall starting at
6:30 Thursday evening. The cost
will be $1 for adults and 50 cents
for students.
Aggie-Ex Will
Exhibit Work Here
The department of architecture,
has announced an exhibition of the
work of Richard S. Colley, archi
tect of Corpus Christi.
Drawings exhibited include ori
ginal sketches, studies and litho
graphs. The exhibition is on dis
play in the departmental library,
room 400, Academic building, and
may be seen from 8 a. m. to 5 p
m. daily.
Colley was a student here in
architecture from 1927 to 1931. He
has been in active practice in Cor
pus Christi for several years. His
work is distinguished by its fresh
ness, the use of native materials,
and by his originality of design,
observers say.
In commenting on the work of
Colley, Professor Ernest Langford,
head of the department of archi
tecture, said, “Colley is one of the
few men in whom the art qf de
sign seems to have been bom. He
is original, bold, and my guess is
that he will go far in developing
a style suited to the great open
spaces of the Southwest.”
Cain Attends Food
Preservation Meeting
In line with the recently initiat
ed work of quick freezing fruits
and vegetables, the horticulture de
partment sent a representative,
Robert F. Cain, to the Second Food
Preservation Conference held
March 13 and 14 at the University
of Texas.
The conference was attended by
investigators in the field of quick
frozen foods and they, in turn, pre
sented the results of their experi
ments and observations to the
group.
Pan-American
Seminar Begins
Monday, March 31
Gammon to Lecture;
Kyle Is Chairman of
First in Series of Four
Dean E. J. Kyle, dean of the
school of agriculture, will pre
side as chairman at the first of the
four evening seminars on South
and Central American countries
to be held March 31, Dean T. D.
Brooks announced. The chairman
ship of the other meetings will be
rotated to other interested parties.
Dr. S. G. Gammon, head of the
history department, will be the
speaker at the first of these dis
cussions. His subject, “Why Latin
America?” will give information
and the historical background of
the Americas. Their political organ
ization and diplomatic activities
in recent years will also be includ
ed. The discussion will be in the
Chemistry Lecture Room at 7:30.
The other three meetings will de
velop the subjects of South Amer
ican natural resources, economic
situation and culture.
The seminar programs are in
tended and scheduled to serve the
interests of both students and mem
bers of the faculty. If sufficient
interest is shown, they will be
continued next year.
The subjects presented deserve
treatment in regular credit courses
but are being presented now so that
the information may be made avail
able to more people, Dean Brooks
said.
The Cosmopolitan club, a campus
organization of natives of foreign
countries who are students here,
has expressed its intention to co
operate in presenting the seminars.
The other three programs which
will make up the series on South
and Central America have been
tentatively scheduled as follows:
April 15: Dr. C. L. Baker, head of
the geology department, will con
duct the second program. His sub
ject will be “Wealth and Poverty”,
dealing with the natural resources
of the countries and their state of
under-development. Dr. Baker has
obtained much of the information
which he wil present in his lecture
from original observations during
his explorations in South Ameri
ca.
April 28: Trade and Economic
situation of the Latin America
countries will be discussed by G. W.
Schlesselman, professor of agri
cultural economics. Schlesselman
is the instructor on the subject
of foreign trade.
May 12: J. J. Woolket, professor
of modem languages, will deliver
the last lecture in the series of
the cultural features of the South
American countries.
Hauer Will Lead
Concert Monday
The weekly record concert in
the music room of the Cushing
Memorial Library Monday at 7:15
p. m. will be conducted by Louis
F. Hauer of the English Depart
ment.
This is the ninth in the concert
series of annotated musical con
certs which are given every Mon
day night by faculty members and
students who are interested in mu
sic. The selections are limited to
the records in the Carnegie endow
ment collection.
The program Monday night will
consist entirely of selections by
Bach.
The numbers are: (1) “Jesu, Joy
of Man’s Desire,” chorus, with oboe
obligato. (2) “Chaconne,” from
Sonata in D minor, for violin alone.
An Appeal for Help
AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSION
•
This afternoon will mark the fourth daily showing of the
A. & M. Student Aid Fund’s first benefit picture show. Held
at the Campus Theater each day for a ten-day period, the ad
mission charge is ten cents, purposely made low enough that
any cadet, faculty member or civilian who so desired could
attend the show.
Thus far the largest crowd to attend a single showing was
less than 200 people. Thus far many first sergeants and project
house managers have not even sold five tickets.
Every cent of the money made through this benefit picture
show goes to the Student Aid Fund, and every cent that goes
to the Student Aid Fund goes to the cadet corps ... To the
Aggies.
As pointed out in an earlier Battalion editorial, the Student
Aid Fund belongs to the Texas Aggies. It’s theirs and, as such,
should have their unanimous,- all-the-way support.
Cases which have thus far come before the Student Aid
Fund are many. Already, though not even three months old,
the worth of the Student Aid Fund is tremendous.
Dental care, hospitalization and many other parallel cases
of merited need have already been handled through the fund.
The fund is more than just something unique in American
colleges and universities, it is fast growing into one of the
college’s most valuable assets.
Now, through The Battalion, the Student Aid Fund is
making an appeal to the cadet corps for cooperation. Students
attending the benefit show receive two hours of entertainment
which, in any ordinary case, would cost two or three times as
much as the ten-cent admission charge.
And they’ll be helping the Student Aid Fund.
The Battalion believes that every first sergeant and every
project house manager should do his part in pushing the sale
of tickets. Organization commanders and other student leaders,
too, can cooperate.
Every cadet can help make this benefit show a success
. . . And, to do so, takes but little.
Give to the Student Aid Fund—and, at the same time, the
cadet corps—your needed cooperation now. Attend the benefit
picture show!
World’s Fair Exhibit, “Previews of
Progress,” Shows in Guion Hall Friday
Tomorrow afternoon and evening-
at 4 and 7 p. m., the General
Motors “Previews of Progress”
will present its stage show in Guion
Hall, under the directorship of Er
nest L. Foss. Assisting Foss will
be Normal Cromwell, R.C.A. tele
vision expert, Ray Hayes, Robert
Morgan and Julius Ward. These
are the same technicians and
science commentators that manned
the “Previews of Progress” dur
ing its two-year stand at the New
York world’s fair.
Foss will take his audience be
hind the scenes of an imaginary
modem research laboratory, there
to show many things that might be
called magic. Eggs will be fried on
top of a stove which is ice cold.
To prove this in effect the frying
pan will be placed on top of a
newspaper, and to further make
this demonstration more startling,
ice cream will be frozen at the
same time in the same unit.
A complete R.C.A. television unit
is demonstrated as part of the pro
gram. Students will be televised
from a streamlined transport that
will be located outside the hall, and
they will be seen, as well as heard
by the audience, from the televis
ion receiver located on the stage.
The demonstrations will also in
clude the history of light, in which
light will be reviewed from the
candle through Edison’s first in
candescent lamp, the mazda lamp,
and finally to a tiny tube much
smaller in size than a cigarette
which gives 196,000 candlepower—
sufficient light to completely il
luminate a modern gridiron. In
conjunction with the light sequence,
Foss will exhibit the “talking flash
light,” where his voice is changed
into a beam of light, sent through
space, picked up by a photo-electric
cell and changed back into sound.
This is a brief summary of what
is to be shown free of charge in
Guion Hall by the General Motors
“Preview of Progress.” The pro
gram is designed to show that
the world is far from being finish
ed; that man has as yet only be
gun to scratch the surface and
that through the endeavor of in
dustrial research new jobs are be
ing created which will give employ
ment to hundreds of thousands of
Americans, utilizing the natural
resources and generally taking up
the slack in men, money and ma
terials.
The “Previews of Progress” is
being brought to Texas A. & M.
under the auspices of the Student
Engineers Council.
Lichenstein Enters
L.S.U. Oratory Meet
Morris Lichenstein, Dallas senior,
will represent the A. & M. Hillel
club in an oratorical contest at
Louisiana State University Sun
day.
A student in civil engineering, he
is president of the Hillel Founda
tion chapter of A. & M. which is
a national organization for the
promotion of Jewish cultural and
religious activities in American
(3) “Aair,” from suite No. 3 for colleges.
orchestra (better known as “Air
for the G-String”). (4) “Largo,”
from concerto for two violins. (5)
Accompanying Lichenstein will
be Selig Frank, treasurer; Harold
Hausman, chairman of the Hillel
“Toscata and Fugue in D minor,” council and Philip Golman, mem-
(Continued on Page 4) ber of the council.
Woman Diplomat
To Speak Monday
Ruth Bryan Owen Rhode, Amer
ica’s first woman diplomat, will
speak at Guion Hall Monday night,
March 24, at 8 o'clock under the
auspices of the Girl Scout council
of College Station and Bryan.
Mrs. Rhode will discuss her work
in Denmark and Greenland under
the title “The Business of Being
a Diplomat.”
-As minister to Denmark, Mrs.
Rhode had an opportunity to study
intimately not only Denmark, but
also the Scandanavian people as
a whole, and she brings an inter
esting and vivid picture of how
they live, their economic situation,
their sports, and other things per
taining to their daily life.
Tickets may be purchased at the
Y.M.C.A., Lipscomb’s Pharmacy,
Luke’s Grocery, Wilson’s Beauty
Shop, and the Consolidated school.
Special prices have been arranged
for students.
Becker, Fuermann and Elliott Talk With
Executives of Motion Picture Industry
In Dallas; Action to Be Taken Immediately
A senior class committee composed of W. A. Becker,
cadet colonel, Kaufman; George Fuermann, Battalion as
sociate editor, Houston; and Benton Elliot, president of the
Engineering Council, Dallas; investigated the current picture
show clearance situation in conferences with various theater
executives in Dallas Tuesday.
The motive behind the committee’s action was two-fold.
First, to learn the basic cause underlying the fact that Col
lege Station does not have day-and-date picture shows with
nearby Bryan, Second, regardless of the cause, to determine,
if possible, wliat means were available to correct the situa
tion.
Concerning the first point, it-
was learned beyond a shadow of a
doubt that the Bryan Amusement
Company was solely responsible
for the situation.
Dallas motion picture executives
explained to the committeemen that
the 45-day clearance clause in the
Bryan Amusement Company’s con
tract with its booking agent, the
Jefferson Amusement Company of
Beaumont, could be waived at the
instigation of the Bryan firm.
“The fact that College Station
does not have day-and-date shows
with Bryan can be laid at the door
of the Bryan Amusement Com
pany,” one theater executive, who
preferred to remain anonymous,
pointed out.
“It is in the firm’s power,” he
added, “to remove the clearance
clause and thus permit College Sta
tion to have so-called first-run pic
tures.”
Concerning a remedy for the
situation, the men were pessimistic.
“Our principal remedy seems to
lie in the government’s Consent De
cree passed last fall,” Becker said.
This decree sets-up in the various
centers of the motion uicture in
dustry arbitration boards which
are empowered to settle clearance
disputes, among other things.
Committeemen pointed out that
as yet only a few facts could be
revealed. Reasons behind this were
the fact that most of the men con
tacted in Dallas were reluctant to
talk for publication. Further than
this, conferences were not yet com
pleted as Ben S. Ferguson, owner
of the Campus Theater at College
Station, has as yet to be contacted
relative to filing a case with the
Dallas branch of the arbitration
board.
Signal Corps
Aggietone News
Edition Out Today
The Signal Corps edition of the
Aggietone News begins its three
day showing today in connection
with the Composite Regimental Ball
to be held Friday.
This is the second in a new ser
ies of seven Aggietone News pro
ductions being devoted to the sev
en branches of R. O. T. C. at A.
& M.
Cooperating with the Aggietone
News staff in producing this Sig
nal Corps show was a committee
headed by Cadet Major L. H. Grass-
hoff, LaGrange, and assisted by
Cadet Captain James Winsor, Dal
las, and Cadet Captain Fred Nich
ols, Dallas.
The Signal Corps show was film
ed by Frank Rusk, Wichita Falls
assistant director of photography
for the newsreel.
The Signal Corps production has
a running time of about seven
minutes and will show four times
each day of the commercial show
ing.
The remaining Aggietone News
regimental pictures include the
Corps of Engineers production,
March 26, 27 and 28; Cavalry Reg
iment, April 2, 3 and 4; Infantry
Regiment, April 23, 24 and 25;
Coast Artillery Corps, May 6, 7,
and 8; and Chemical Warfare Ser
vice, May 13,14 and 15.
Cotton Ball Plans
Progress as Bids
Mailed Duchesses
Invitations to the A. & M. moth
ers’ clubs, ex-student clubs and the
universities and colleges of the
southwest to send their representa
tives as duchesses in the Cotton
Pageant has been sent out during
the past week.
Invitations to the clubs on the
campus will be mailed within the
next few days, J. W. Pinson, social
secretary for the Cotton Ball and
Pageant, announced yesterday.
One hundred thirty-five, invita
tions in all will be sent, and 100
acceptances are expected before
April 15, the last day for accept
ances to come in.
Each duchess must select an Ag
gie for her escort, and she must
wear a dress made of cotton.
Each duchess and her escort will
be presented in the pageant, and
at that time it will be announced
where the duchess is from and
which organization she represents.
Medical Officer
Examines Candidates
For Naval Air Service
Lieut. Charles M. Parker, Med
ical Corps, U. S. Navy, will come
here today to give medical exam
inations to candidates for flight
instruction, according to an an
nouncement from the military de
partment yesterday.
Those students who pass the
physical exam will be sent before
a navy selection board and given
an opportunity to enter the Naval
Air Service at Pensacola, Florida,
in June, July and August classes.
Physical examinations will be
given to any student interested in
applying for naval flight training
as well as those who have already
applied for naval flight training.
Physical examinations will be given
in Room 37 Ross Hall.
Students who graduate from the
school will be commissioned as
officers in the Naval Air Corps.
ummey
Will Lecture
At Michigan
Will Head English
Session One Week;
Morgan to Take Part
George Summey, Jr., head of the
A. & M. English department will
journey to the University of Mich
igan this summer to take charge
of the second week of the summer
session for teachers of English
sponsored by the English commit
tee of the Society for the Promo
tion of Engineering Education.
This summer session will be held
for three weeks, June 30 to July
18 with a week devoted to each
of the following divisions of Eng
lish: literature, composition, and
speech.
Dr. Summey will be in charge of
the program during the week in
which composition will be discuss
ed. The lectures will be from all
parts of the nation and from uni
versities and colleges teaching
technical subjects.
Dr. Summey will give three lec
tures during his stay at the Uni
versity of Michigan, their titles
being: Scholarship That Works,
Normal Writing Style Today, and
Levels of Good Language.
Dr. S. S. Morgan, the only other
A. & M. man to take part in the
program will lecture during the sec
ond week also.
The S.P.E.E. has 56 members at
A. & M. It met at College Station
in 1938 at which time Dean F. C.
Bolton was elected vice-president.
600 Have Seen
Aid Fund Benefit
Show; Sales Lag
Over six sundred students so far
have already witnessed the show
ing of the comedies and musicals
which make up the Student Aid
Fund benefit show now playing at
the Campus Theater. The show is
arranged to run beginning at 4:10
each of the ten days so that every
member of the corps and people
interested in the college will have
an opportunity to attend.
“Since every ticket purchased
adds 10 cents to the Student Aid
Fund to help some other Aggie,
the committee hopes that all Ag
gies and persons interested in the
college will feel that they can
purchase tickets,” Dan Russel, ex
ecutive-secretary of the committee,
stated. “This is the first money
raising venture of the committee
and we want to have the funds
to assist as many cases as possible.”
The full price of each ticket
goes direct to the Student Aid
Fund because all facilities and
films used for the benefit show
(Continued on Page 4)
Raeburn and Composite Regiment
Ready for Annual Ball Friday Night
By John May
One of the most entertaining
bands in the dance field, as well as
one with the smoothest rhythms,
is Boyd Raeburn and his orchestra,
which comes to College Station to
morrow night for the Composite
Regimental Ball. Raeburn will play
at the Corps Dance the following
night.
The band is as entertaining as
it is danceable. Besides the charm
ing girl vocalist, Nova Cogan, and
Chet LeRoy, the romantic ballad-
eer, comedy is furnished by
“Hopeless Homer Hokum,” mimic
and comedian; Claude (Hey Hey)
Humphrey, drummer; and Max
Miller, virtuoso of the guitar and
vibraphone.
The dance committee felt very
fortunate in having a chance to
obtain this outstanding orchestra.
Raeburn has been playing at proms
at many of the schools in the mid
dle west and has just finished an
engagement at the University of
Wisconsin.
The orchestra committee is com
posed of Jack Forman, L. C. Street
er and W. C. Swain; the decora
tions committee consists of J. J.
Cupples and L. H. Packard; on the
programs committee are G. W.
Haltom, H. P. Lynn and O. H.
Westbrook; and the finance com
mittee is comprised of J. Barker
and G. R. Somerville.
The programs are in two colors,
one group in the colors of the Sig
nal Corps and one group in the col
ors of the Chemical Warfare Ser
vice. They are celluloid bound, with
a gilded emblem of the branch on
the outside.
Raeburn has been given the mus
ic to “The Aggie War Hymn” and
“The Spirit of Aggieland” and will
have orchestrations of them at the
dance.