-SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1941
Page 2
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, mnder 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
4-6444.
1940 Member 1941
Plssocided Go!!e6iote Press
Bob Nisbet Editor-in-Chief
George Fuermann Associate Editor
Keith Hubbard Advertising Manager
Tom Vannuy Editorial Assistant
Pete Tumlinson Staff Artist
J. B- Pierce, Phil Levine Proof Readers
Sports Department
Hub Johnson Sports Editor
Bob Myers Assistant Sports Editor
Mike Haikin, Jack Hollimon
W. F. Oxford Junior Sports Editors
Circulation Department
Tommy Henderson Circulation Manager
W. G. Hauger, E. D. Wilmeth Assistant Circulation Managers
F. D. Asbury, E. S. Henard Circulation Assistants
Photography Department
Phil Golman Photographic Editor
James Carpenter, Bob Crane, Jack Jones,
Jack Siegal Assistant Photographers
SATURDAY’S EDITORIAL STAFF
Earle A. Shields Managing Editor
T. R. Harrison Assistant Advertising Manager
Junior Editors
Will O. Brimberry W. C. Carter Don Gabriel
Reportonal Staff
Charles Babcock, Herbert Haile, Paul Haines, Carl Van
Hook, J. J. Keith, Z. A. McReynolds, Beverly Miller. Ehrhard
Mittendorf, Jack Nelson, L. B. Tennison.
A Decision Is Made
SUCH IS THE decree of the officials of the college
—the president, commandant and the executive
committee. The move was one of careful and sincere
consideration and on that was not hastily enacted.
The college officials have good and honest reasons
to back their decisions.
It was recognized that there were good quali
ties in the “Fish Day” and this fact was not over
looked in the consideration. It was also recognized
that there were extremely objectionable qualities
to the custom, qualities that brought discredit and
a bad name to the college and which gave it a
“black eye” in the minds of the public of the state
of Texas. A. & M. is an institution supported by the
taxpayers of the state; public opinion is the guide
that the college must follow.
As was the original purpose and idea behind
“Fish Day”, it was the day that marked the turning
point in the life of the freshman at A. & M.; it was
the day in which he dropped his title of “Fish” and
became “one of the boys.” The practice was to throw
an all day party in which the whole battery, troop
or company more or less “let its hair down”. It
was the day in the year when the upperclassmen
got a chance to really know the freshmen as men.
These qualities were recognized as worthy of all
the tradition attached.
If this had been as far as the custom had been
carried, there would have been issued no complaint.
But as is the nature of unthinking youth the bad
qualities of the practice grew with each year. Drink
ing became excessive at the parties; fighting and
water-throwing in the halls increased past the
danger point; kidnapping on nights before disturb
ed boys other than those concerned. These were the
practices deemed objectionable.
With time the objectionable practices increased
until the original purpose was lost in the chaos.
At such times the public is disturbed and ex
tremely sensitive to events; they will no longer
tolerate such outrages in a public institution; the
same attitude can be observed with reference to
strikes as can be observed in pending legislation.
A. & M. at present is very much “on the spot”
in the present set-up of national defense. It cannot
afford adverse publicity, and the executives of the
college have definitely decided that all steps will
be taken to prevent such adverse publicity.
Student executives were called upon, in the
interest of fairness, to suggest an alternative move
or substitute for the plan adopted. There were no
ideas available. Organization commanders declined
to accept responsibility for the actions of their or
ganization. They left the college officials no other
choice.
Worth the Praise
AN ORGANIZATION well worth all the pi’aise
and attention it can be given is Aggieland’s own
musical group, the Singing Cadets. They come into
their own Monday night with a Town Hall appear
ance. This appearance is the formal recognition of
their talent and effort that is long past overdue.
The Singing Cadets make no claim to being a
polished musical group nor does it intend itself to
be classed as a collection of trained concert voices.
As per purpose the Singing Cadets are a group of
boys who sing because they enjoy singing, who
work for the love of working, and who mix pleasure
with their work as no other organization can do.
For spirit, pep, zip, zest and snap there is no
musical organization in the country that can hold
a candle to them. For precision and punch they
-cannot be touched. The club is a success because
they can make the audience live and breathe the
music they sing. Such is the test of true music.
To J. J. Woolket who has inspired and pro
moted the organization since its beginning, The
Battalion proposes a toast to a job well done.
Town Hall’s program Monday night reproduces
the old legend of the search for the “Holy Grail”.
Town Hall, as did the knights of old, found its talent
at home.
In the 10-year period 1931-40, graduate students
in American colleges and universities produced
nearly 27,000 theses as candidates for doctorate de
grees.
William E. Jackson, son of the attorney gene
ral, recently won a $100 award at Yale university
for “superiority in English composition and decla
mation.”
OPEN FORUM
AS AGGIES we have a great many privleges and
traditions that are shared by no other school in the
Nation or the world.
One of these great privileges, that is truly
democratic, is one that few of us ever think of;
though we see it every day. I have in mind the
public bulletin board in the east entrance of the
Academic Building. On this board we place our
notices, of what we have lost or found, what we
wish to buy or sell, that we want a place for our
date to stay, that we have space to carry someone
to Denton, or we want a ride to Dallas. It is truly
a great privilege but it comes to my notice that
some don’t consider the rest of the corps.
A few days ago I placed a notice on the board
to the effect that I want a ride to Davenport or
vicinity. I came back the next day to see if anyone
had left their name on it. I looked all over the
.board but I couldn’t find my notice anywhere. After
long searching I found it on the back of one of
the notices. I can’t complain too much for it was
a notice to the effect that someone had found an
article that I am sure was very dear to someone.
But I just wondered as I made a new notice if that
fellow thought as he did that, that he was removing
my only chance to make a trip over Easter that
I can only make once during the long session, be
cause the trip is too long to hitch-hike except at
Christmas and too expensive otherwise.
Yes, fellows let’s take advantage of our every
opportunity. Let’s use the bulletin board but let’s
not misuse it. Don’t sell out someone’s chance to
sell a text book, to make some extra money typing,
to buy a pair of boots cheap, or a fellow’s chance
to see his mother over Easter. Aggies let’s not
sell all that for half a half sheet of paper. LET’S
BE CONSIDERATE OF OUR AGGIE BROTHERS.
Martin Hughes, ’ 43
Quotable Quotes
“ALL OVER THE LAND professors and other old
women are talking about the present generation of
the young as soft and lazy, mediocre and fat. May
be the young are soft. It is also true that all gen
erations of the young have in their times been de
scribed as degenerate by the elders about them. In
the history of the world there has not been a gen
eration in which the old were prepared to admit
that the young were as strong as they were when
they were young. It is the eternal excuse for stiff
joints in the presence of the supple. It is the anxient
vanity of memory over manpower. The young cer
tainly have their faults. They may not be as smart,
brave, energetic, strong as their elders who want to
be defended by them would have them be. But the
old folks were young once also and, being young, not
free from faults. The young have always, as the
old folks reported it, been soft and the old folks,
as the young folks hoped the young would believe,
have always been wise. That’s the rule, but America
need not be frightened now if our orled people will
be as wise as our young will be strong. We have
better reason to count on young strength than old
wisdom.” The Raleigh, N. C., News and Observer
thumps the critics of youth.
“The highest tribute society pays to colleges
is the tribute of expecting a positive contribution
from the benefiiaries of the college responsibility.
Of him to whom much is given, much is expected,
and society expects college women to accept re
sponsibility.” Miss Mildred McAfee, president of
Wellesley College, reminds graduate women of
their duties to the community.
—Associated Collegiate Press
As the World Turns...
BY DR. AL B. NELSON
MEXICO AND THE UNITED STATES have signed
a. treaty for the reciprocal use of air fields by the
military planes of the two nations. With the agree
ments already made between Canada and the United
States planes of the three nations may now move
freely between the north pole and
the Canal Zone in the interest of
continental defense. This particular
agreement is of tremendous im
portance to the proper defense of
the Panama Canal and also as evi
dence of understanding and coopera
tion between the two nations.
There is growing indication that
many of the present strikes are be
ing engineered and timed with the
deliberate purpose to sabotage the
Nelson defense effort of the government.
The tactics follow closely the pattern followed in
Russia, Italy, Germany and France previous to tfte
overthrow of the constituted governments in those
nations.
Workers who refuse to strike are being beaten,
intimidated and threatened in violation of the law.
Armed resistance is made to officers of the law
who attempt to protect laborers in their right to
work, the property of employers and of their em
ployees who desire to continue working, is de
stroyed by mobs of men engaged in what they call
peaceful picketing.
In contrast with this selfish or treasonable
activity (all depending upon the motive) a million
or more young men are giving up their business or
employment and accepting the draft at twenty-one
dollars per month. It might be a good idea to draft
every striker and put him to work for the same
sum, board and room plus twenty-one dollars per
month.
In Texas, violence and intimidation is now pro
hibited by law in all labor disputes. This is the only
reasonable attitude to take and should result in
orderly progress of defense work in this state.
A collection of some 500 land and marine shells
from all parts of the world is the latest gift to
Harvard University’s museum of comparative
zoology.
Janitors at the University of New Mexico are
campaigning to stop students from throwing pinon
shells on the classroom floors.
THE BATTAUaN
BACKWASH
Bu
George Fuermann
“Backwash: An agitation resulting from some action or occurrence.”—Webster
The Kyser Deal Behind the
scenes on the recent attempt to
bring Kay Kyser and his nationally
famed orchestra to the campus is
a situation which took root in Col
lege Station, Dallas and Los Angel-
__ es Pushed
from the start by
officials in the stu
dent activities of
fice, the original
hope was to bring
Kay and company
to Guion Hall
Wednesday night,
April 23 for his
once-a-week, hour-
long broadcast via
Fuermann a national radio
network. ... In addition to this,
plans called for a Town Hall pro
gram Tuesday night, to be follow
ed by a corps dance. . .First,
officials in the Dallas branch of
,the Music Corporation of Ameri
ca—Kay’s booking agent—were
sounded out on the deal. They
were all-the-way for it. Then came
Kay, and he, too, added his blessing
to the proposition. Last in order
was Kay’s sponsor, the American
Tobacco Company, and there the
answer was the same—okeh. . . .
The monkey wrench came in the
form of a telegram received Wed
nesday afternoon. Signed by MCA’s
Norman Steppe, it read, “Kyser
out completely. Sorry.” . . . .Al
though there is no confirmation as
yet, the belief here is that Ran
dolph Field at San Antonio re
ceived the broadcast. . . No. 1 re
gret of the student activities of
fice is the fact that the state press
gave considerable publicity to
Kay’s alleged engagement here.
The publicity, however, was releas-
de by MCA’s Dallas office and
was readily picked up by Dallas,
Houston and San Antonio papers.
• • •
Aggie Miniature
He’s taking 15 semester hours
of classroom work; he’s a liberal
arts student, and last semester he
made a ‘B ’average.
He’s blind, too.
The next time the going gets
a little tough and you start won
dering how you’ll pass a quiz to
morrow morning, start thinking
about James K. Martin from near
by Bryan.
His daily lessons are read to
him and he takes exam questions
in Braille before typing the ans
wers.
Like many blind people, he’s
more versatile than lots of his
friends who have normal vision.
He swims expertly; rides horse
back; plays the piano, saxophone
and clarinet; occasionally goes to
picture shows—to listen, and is an
ardent radio fan—Glenn Miller be
ing his favorite orchestra leader.
He has a sweetheart, too, but
“I’m strictly a one-woman fellow,”
he says with emphasis. The girl
concerned is an attractive, brown
haired, Austin girl.
His favorite magazine is The
Readers Digest in Braille. Follow
ing the completion of his work
at A. & M., he’ll attend law school.
An okeh fellow from the toes
up, he’s the kind of a person that
sorta makes a man “glow all over
inside.”
e • e
On Profanity
Seniors with advanced military
contracts are more often than oth
erwise called upon to fill out some
sort of form for Uncle Sam.
It was just last week that anoth
er one of the documents came
their way, and one of the questions
concerned the men’s ability to
speak foreign languages—if any.
All went well until early this
week when Signal Corps Senior Bob
Hoff received notice to call by the
military office.
“You didn’t fill this out cor
rectly,” the sergeant in the of
fice told Bob, indicating the form.
“Why not,” Bob quizzed.
“You’ve only indicated ability
to speak one foreign language,”
the sergeant replied. “Can’t you
speak anything besides profane?”
Club Picture Payments
Must be Made Immediately
Final payments of club pictures
in the 1941 Longhorn must be
made by noon today or the space
will be forfeited.
Club presidents should come by
the Student Publication Office to
day if they are unable to make
the payments and explain their
reason for non-payment.
WHATS SHOWING
AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL
Saturday 12:45—“WORLD
IN FLAMES,” produced by
Albert J. Richards, document
ed by William C. Park.
Saturday 6:45 & 8:30 —
“NO, NO, NANETTE,” star
ring Anna Neagle, Richard
Carlson, Victor Mature, Ro
land Young, Helen Broderick
and Zasu Pitts.
Monday, Tuesday 3:30 &
6:45 — “KEEPING COM
PANY,” with Frank Mor
gan, Ann Rutherford, John
Shelton, Irene Rich, Gene
Lockhart and Virginia Weid-
ler.
AT THE CAMPUS
Saturday — “WESTERN
UNION,” featuring Robert
Young, Randolph Scott, Dean
Jaggers, Virginia Gilmore,
John Carradine and Slim
Summerville.
Satui’day midnight, Sun
day, Monday—“THE INVIS
IBLE WOMAN,” featuring
John Barrymore, John How
ard, Virginia Bruce, Charles
Ruggles and Oscar Homolka.
It’s Here At Last!
MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL
Our Regular $2.50
5x10 for $1.50
AGGIELAND STUDIO
Joe Sosolik North Gate
At Last!!
Dancing
on a
Terrace
Frank Simon is proud to announce the opening
of his dancing terrace on Friday night. No cover
charge before six o’clock and no cover charge before
eight if you dine.
Come Out Tonight
FRANKLIN’S
1 Mile West on Airport Road - - Dial 4-1146
Bandleader Eddie Fitzpatrick
had one strike on him before he
ever set foot on an A. & M. band
stand. He did not bring any girl
vocalist with him to sit demurely
on the stand tapping her foot while
the Aggies ogled at her. Some voc
alists are given the leader’s permis
sion to dance with the boys (the
requests for dances are usually
many) and they always get a fine
swirl around the floor when they
do. So without a vocalist to gaze
at, Aggies just had to dance
with the other fellows’ girls or
do without. Anyone interested
enough in good music never not
iced that she was missing however.
If more people than just the
“INVISIBLE WOMAN” in that
show possessed the same quality
the show might get along a little
better. Outside influences keep
cluttering up the plot and con
fuse a situation that has to strug
gle pretty hard anyhow to make a
decent dent for itself in the dra
matic world.
John Barrymore works at being
a scientific genius who playfully
invents a machine to make people
invisible. He works on Virginia
Bruce, who goes around like Top
per’s friend, making embarassing
situations. The process for mak
ing people invisible gets into the
hands of a gangster who attempts
to use it for an ulterior motive.
The show is poorly directed and
the story is hackneyed. The better
Topper pictures have stolen all
this kind of stuff.
A show of a type which is be
coming increasingly more familiar
is at the Assembly Hall Saturday
noon. It is “THE WORLD IN
FLAMES,” a Nazi scorcher which
tries to lay the war guilt at their
door. These propaganda films
which attack foreign nationalities
where most U. S. made pictures
are shown. Such pictures could not
be exhibited in other countries, but
with that foreign market gone on
account of the war, Hollywood is
(Continued on Page 4)
College Station
15j? to 5 p.m. — 20^ After
LAST DAY
Prevue Tonight
Sunday - Monday
with Virginia Bruce
John Barrymore
Assembly Hall
"World in Flames"
SATURDAY
12:45 Only — Selected Shorts
Happy-Go-Laughing
Musical Romance
The glamorous star of
"Irene"—Vincent You-
mans' music - in the fa
mous "Tea For Two" |
musicomedy
(J\nna
NEAGLE
_ *
...
HELEN BRODERICK
im pins
EME ARDEN
tmaara
BILLY GILBERT ^
STUART ROBERTSON
Produced and directed by
HERBERT
WM
Screen Ploy by Ken
RKO
RADIO
Pictur*
‘s-'csfl
6:45 and 8:30
SATURDAY
—Shorts
Ray Whitley’s Orchestra - “Prairie Spooners”
Donald Duck in “Donald’s Betterself”
MONDAY & TUESDAY
“KEEPING COMPANY”
with
Frank Morgan