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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 17, 1941)
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 blished three times weekly from September to June, issued esday, 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 Angeles, and San Francisco. Office, Room 122, Administration Building. Telephone 4-5444. 1940 Member 1941 Pbsocioted Go!le6iate Press Bab Nisbet Editor-in-Chief daorge Fuermann Associate Editor Keith Hubbard Advertising Manager Tom Yannoy Editorial Assistant Pete Tomlinson 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 Editor Circulation Department Totnmy Henderson Circulation Manager W- G. Hauger, E. D. Wilmeth Assistant Circulation Manager F. D. Aabury, E. S. Henard Circulation Assistants Photography Department PhB 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 WiM O. Brimberry W. C. Carter Don Gabriel Reportorial Staff Charles Babcock. Herbert Haile, Paul Haines, Carl Van Hook, J. J. Keith, Z. A. McReynolds, Beverly Miller, Ehrhard Mittendorf, Jack Nelson, L. B. Term is on. On a More Beautiful Campus THE A. & M. CAMPUS is becoming more beautiful with every step taken by the Landscape Art depart ment under F. W. Hensel. Their latest effort in that direction is to landscape the bare space in front of the old mess hall by placing grass and shrubs in the area. This place has formerly been one of the eye-sore spots of the campus, as far as its beauty was con cerned, but one that nearly every campus visitor saw. All who ate in the old mess hall or saw the pres ident’s home nearby could note the bare appearance of the graveled mess hall entrance. Aerial photo graphs of the campus clearly show its former bleak appearance but the situation has now been remedied. Neat shrubs outline grassy plots of ground between the concrete walks leading to the entrance. Since the placing of the fountain in Saunder’s Park by the Class of '38 and the proximity to the pres ident’s lawn, the area which was once bare can now be shown as one of the campus beauty spots. Places like this and the east gate entrance give visitors a much better opinion of our campus and make it a more pleasant place for those that are here every day. On Being a Leader “HERE’S YOUR GOLD BAR. Now you are a leader of men.” That is what is about to happen to 500 or more seniors this summer. Leaders of men—that’s quite an assignment to pick up on short notice, because leading men is an art. Some men are born with the gift; others spend a life time and never learn the knack. In connection with this subject, one of the best discussions on record was made as an ad dress by Lieut. Col. C. A. Bach at a training camp at Ft. Sheridan, Illinois, in 1917 just before our country’s entrance in World War I. Though made 24 years ago this speech is still applicable. Basic principles of leadership applied in the time of Caeser and Alexander the Great—they apply now— and they will apply as long as men prowl the face of the earth. Human nature is always the same. Exerpts from Col. Bach’s speech appear as follows: “In a short time each of you men will con trol the lives of a certain number of other men. You will have in your charge loyal but untrained citizens, who look to you for instruction and guid ance. . . “They are perfectly ready and eager to follow you so long as you can convince them that you have the qualities of a leader. When the time comes that they are satisfied you do not possess them, you might as well kiss yourself goodby. Your usefulness in that organization is at an end, “Your commission will not make you a lead er; it merely makes you an officer. It will place you in a position where you can become a leader if you possess the proper attributes. But you must make good—not so much with the men over you as with the men under you. “Men must and will follow officers who are not leaders, but the driving power behind these men is not enthusiasm but discipline. They go with doubt and trembling and with an awful fear tug ging at their heartstrings that prompts the un spoken question, “What will he do next?” “Such men obey the letters of their orders but no more. Of devotion to their commander, of ex alted enthusiasm which scorns personal risk, of their self-sacrifice to insure his personal safety, they know nothing. Their legs carry them forward because their brain and their training tell them they must go. Their spirit does not go with them. “Great results are not achieved by cold, passive unresponsive soldiers. They don’t go very far and they stop as soon as they can. Leadership not only demands but receives the willing, unhesitating, unfaltering obedience and loyalty of other men; and a devotion that will cause them when the time comes, to follow their uncrowned king to hell and back again if necessary. “Leadership is the composite of a number of qualities. Among the most important I would list self-confidence, moral ascendency, self-sacrifice, paternalism, fairness, initiative, decision, dignity, and courage.” In a blanket decision, 575 co-eds at Pennsylvania State college lost their one o’clock date privileges for skipping a compulsory mass meeting. Behind the Trophy Case A TROPHY IS MERELY A TANGIBLE bit of evi dence of an accomplishment, a goal reached, or an award won. The trophy itself is perhaps a valuable piece of -silver or gold, but the thing that the trophy stands for is the honor to be remembered. Our Aggie trophy case in the Academic building is full to over flowing with awards for every conceivable accom plishment, but the events that they commemorate are what makes this school great, not the mere possession of the trophies. There are approximately 85 memorials of one kind or another on display there—some with beau tiful modern streamlined design, some tarnished plaques, tall columns, and felt pennants. Some of our trophies were won by the past actions of Aggies for outstanding achievements in football, competitive drills, rifle team, track, judging teams. And these trophies are by no means all that the history of this school contains. Each department and military office has a few more stuck around their walls somewhere. Not the cups themselves but what they stand for are the things to consider when passing that glass case. The names of past Aggies engraved as teams on some of the memorials are entirely un familiar to us now, yet the things that those boys achieved have made this school and all its glory. Take time to stop by that case sometime between classes and consider what stands behind those laurels, the efforts some Aggie made to win them. The achievements are rather impressive. A Noble Objective A WORLD STUDENT SERVICE FUND is being raised in the colleges and universities of this coun try to be used as the name implies, to aid students in other parts of the world. As students themselves, we should be interested in its objectives and progress, and also as students, we are being asked to aid the fund in its work. We understand the positions of students in the war countries of today. The universities of China are practically non-existant, or are unable to pro vide books and equipment for even such students as have been spared by the army service. In the Euro pean war countries, intellectual freedom has been suppressed and the universities closed or bombed. This situation, deplorable as it is, has not reached its full effect on world conditions, nor will the full effect be reached until the reconstruction period following these wars. The problem is that there will be no educated leaders to rebuild torn countries or again direct a peaceful society. The raw materials of this leadership is present in the young students but they are deprived of the facilities for develop ing knowledge or leadership. For the noble purpose of raising funds from among American students for providing materials and teachers for the youth of Asia and Europe, this World Student Service Fund has been organized. The fund is touching this campus in its drive for funds through a benefit show under the sponsorship of the Y. M. C. A. No one will deny that the objective is worth any assistance which we might be able to give, for we too will live in the era of reconstruct ion. Our future dealings with these countries in international politics will be influenced by the good will created by such assistance, and by the educated leaders in these countries which remain after the war. As the World Turns.. BY DR. AL B. NELSON BEFORE THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT a few days ago, David Lloyd George, world war prime minister of the British Empire, mildly voiced the view of many Americans as well as Englishmen when he stated that the “American war organiza tion is full of disappointments.” The bottlenecks of the American effort are not so much in the technical phases as in the political control of in dustry, and in the failure of the politicians to control the labor sit uation. The C.I.O. has called for a strike in all the General Motors plants and in three Hudson plants. These strikers, even those of mili tary age, are exempt from the draft call to active service on the ground that they are in essential industries. While they strike for higher pay, a famous baseball player has been drafted into the army (at a cost to him of nearly $50,000) the director of the New York Stock Exchange had to give up his well paid job to work for the Govern ment (army draftee) at twenty-one dollars per month. The strikers, however, delay the defense preparations, endanger the safety of the nation, and get higher pay than before. The new battleship WASHINGTON has been commissioned. This ship, together with her sister- ship, the North Carolina, are the first vessels of the new two ocean super navy to be launched. Both were begun well before the present emergency sit uation was recognized by the politicians in power. France is seemingly on the verge of joining Germany in outright war on England. German planes are already using French air bases in Syria for their attack on the English in Iraq and the Nazi’s are expected to use French North Africa as a base for attack on Gibraltar and for a sub marine campaign in the South Atlantic. Immediately following the intimation of the new French policy of cooperation with the Ger mans, President Roosevelt ordered guards aboard the French passenger and merchant ships tied up in ports of the United States. Legislation has passed both houses of congress authorizing the President to take over all of the foreign merchant ships which are lying idle in our ports. This makes possible (as soon as the President signs the bill) the transfer of these ships to the British as replacements for a portion of those sunk by submarines. Student council at Fairmont (W. Va.) State col lege is sponsoring a swing band. THE BATTALION -SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1941 - • - -- ^ if 1 ft .-j f f 'f. irm COVERING KtPP* F’v, - mi sKsV?- withje JTOMGIIUS I 4, lf you’re so in love with Myrno Loy why didn’t you buy seats in the orchestra?” B ACKWASN torgeFuermann “Backwash: An agitation resulting: from some action or occurrence.”—Webster The Last Backwash—As nursed by G.F.’s by-line . . . Putting one little word after another for a few tnousand Texas Aggies these past two years has been an assignment easy to take . . . Fact is, it’s been as much of a pleasure as dates on successive nights with Rita Hay worth, Sally Rand and Lady Godiva. . . . And now, with the last Backwash roundup at hand and with almost a thousand class mates about to be slapped with an initial brand in dicating their Fuermann , . . . status as Aggie- exes, the writer has come—at last —face-to-face with the facts of life. What with the story being unfolded about the bees and the flowers, a mile-long draft question naire staring the writer in the face, an announcement from the state legislature to the effect that Texas U. is just before installing an R.O.T.C. branch and the God like flight to Siotland of Mister Hess, yours truly has all of a sud den realized that he hasn’t even filed as a . candidate to fill the post of the late Senator Morris Shepherd. . . . With a laxative salesman, a goat-gland specialist, a collector of old tin cans and half a dozen other all-American candi dates, there ought to be room for at least one alleged journalist. . . . So move over boys. Backwash is cornin’ in. . . . Make no mistake, though. The writer wouldn’t care to do this thing unethically. • • • Postcards, Please By no means! Which is to say that yours truly is open to a postcard-push. Back wash, be it known, is willing to run on no mere drop of the hat. Upwards of 20,000 postcards, tel egrams, telephone calls and letters will be incentive-enough—if they come within 24 hours. Now, as to a platform, that’s something else again. Roommate has suggested a basic plank of free beer at all town squares, but that sort of thing would be a little contrary to Mr. Shepherd’s work and too little in the best interest of national de fense. The platform sounds something like this: As far as the current world con flict is concerned—jost any old thing which will gig hell out of brother Hitler and associates. Where home problems are con cerned — vigorous action to end labor strikes; a hasty farewell to Hitler’s agents and particularly to his constipating propaganda organ, “Facts in Review;” a continued push of peak production of defense industries and, as said before, just any old thing which will gig hell out of brother Hitler and asso ciates. • • • No Snuff Using this last column for prop aganda purposes is downright sin ful, but politics is politics and Backwash’s overseas cap is going into the ring a trifle late—just one broadcast ahead of the gover nor. The truth will out in the mud of the campaign, so the writer ad mits in advance that he doesn’t use snuff, is broad-minded about baby kissing (preferably U. T. coeds), is an ex-watermelon thief and has as yet to be a distinguished stu dent for the first time. But what the people of this state want is a good country Sen ator. They talk about putting a business men into office—what we really need is a good, honest, un- corruptable newspaperman, and Honest John Backwash is your man. Of course the fact that the writ er is not age-eligible to serve in the Senate is a minor point. We’ll get the Constitution changed! They’ve been changing it for every thing else and Backwash’s motto is whole-hog-or-none on a thing like this. Besides that, Senator Backwash sounds pretty good. Now, all the writer needs to announce is a few thousand post cards. But, as Josh Billings once said, “Don’t hold your breath!” • • • By Tom Vannoy The Campus is showing “BUCK PRIVATES” for the last time to day. As has been said, it will cause a riot of laughs at Abbot and Costello and invoke admira tion for the vocals that the An drews sisters do in the picture. “BACK STREET” is booked for the midnight show tonight, to morrow, and Monday at the Cam pus. Taken from Fannie Hurst’s famed novel, it is listed as one of the best pictures of the year. Charles Boyer and Margaret Sul livan turn in some excellent act ing about the love of a woman for a married man, who lives only for the few stolen moments of bliss with the one man in her life. “Back Street” is an emotional treat, and will tear at your heart strings with its reality and pa thos. The story was filmed in 1932 with Irene Dunne and John Boles in the leading roles, but this re filming makes it almost new again. The rather fantastic tale of an average American working man is “THE GREAT MR. NOBODY” at the Assembly Hall today at 12:45, 6:45, and 8:30. Concerning a newspaper advertising salesman who wants to get married and al so to sail around the world on a pleasure cruise, Eddie Albert plays the leading part. Joan Leslie fur nishes the necessary feminine counterpart. Of course, Eddie has some unbelievable good luck and everything comes out all right when he is promoted and given a raise. For the benefit of the World Student Service Fund, “COME LIVE WITH ME” will be shown at the Assembly Hall at 10:30 to night. Hedy Lamarr and James necessary to plug holes in awk ward silences when 'programs go haywire. Tommy Dorsey, who made such a hit for himself in “Las Vegas Nights,” is wanted for another film. Incidentally, “Las Vegas Nights” is the picture in which Dorsey featured his best seller “I’ll Never Smile Again,” as done by Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers. Although slated for the summer atop Broadway’s Astor Hotel, Tommy may yet decide to go Hol lywood again, and if he does he will probably commute between Catalina Island and pictures. Stewart do the principal roles. Hedy is a refugee from Austria who must get married in order to remain in this country. She wants to marry Ian Hunter, a pub lisher, but instead pays James Stewart to be her spouse. The last scene is purported to be the best in the show when Hedy imitates a firefly by flicking a flashlight on and off to show that everything is all right. “Come Live with Me” is light and pleasingly delightful. And with Hedy, anything would be good. A story of an English steel-mill owner who found that his wife was in love with the chief engineer of his plant, “RAGE IN HEAV EN” will be shown at the Assem bly Hall Monday and Tuesday. Robert Montgomery is the Eng lish mill owner; Ingrid Bergman, new Swedish star, is cast as his wife. George Sanders is the en gineer who falls for Ingrid and causes so much strife. Robert be comes a trifle eccentric and tries to kill George. A murder mystery, typical of Hollywood’s “whodun its”, “Rage in Heaven” is just so-so. (Jampus 15^ to 5 p.m. — 20£ After LAST DAY 7:24 - 9:25 SATURDAY PREVUE SUNDAY - MONDAY BACKSTREET A UNIVERSAL PICTURE Also CARTOON - SPORTS LATE NEWS For The Price of One Come at 9:00 and See Two Shows Thirty And so, with a bid for a U. S. Senatorship, Backwash bows-out under its current by-line. Backwash’s purpose has been— and will be—to act as a mirror of Aggie thought and opinion . . . A column written for and about the famed Twelfth Man. That’s what it will always be. Make no mistake. Without the coopei’ation of the great A. & M. cadet corps the column wouldn’t have been possible. That’s a tru ism without denial. The class of ’41 is almost his tory, and it’s a class which will make more history than any other since the turbulent days of 1917. It has been a great class and a part of a great institution. Watch for the Texas Aggies to be red- letter men in the hell-torn days to come. That’s all for Backwash. . . Assembly Hall starring EDDIE ALBERT * JOAN LESLIE um» HMI ■ WILLIAM LCNDIGAN . JOHN UTZL Dinewd br BEN STOLOFF • A WARNER BROS.-Fint N.fi Piew Coma pUr bf B«a M«dc«oa ud KcuMk QwbM • Fron * Story br H*ra)dTUM 12:45 - 6:45 and 8:30 -SHORTS- Mickey Mouse “Fire Chief’ “Take The Air” MUSICAL MEANDERINGS By Murray Evans Aggieland has ever had. Pearce, Lowell Riggs, clarinetist with newly elected leader for next sea- the Aggieland orchestra three se- son, is practicaly turning cart- mesters back, will return to A. wheels on account of rounding out & M. in September. Riggs will be his reed section with this valuable remembered for his fine clarinet addition, come September, and also sax take-offs, and for John Rosser, WTAW chief, is his ability to play any tune in any no duffer when it comes to throw- key whether it be of recent or ing together scripts. He has a line ancient vintage. of wit and originality especially For the past year and a half, he adapted to radio work, and it’s no has been with Bud Nelson’s or- trick at all for him to turn out a chestra, a hotel band, in Albuquer- whale of a good thing in the way que, New Mexico, and has been of a complete script—and in an attending the University of New amazingly short time. Mexico between notes. Too, like all of the announcer The oldest man in years, he is specie, he has the flowing gift also rated as the best musician of gab and ad lib qualifications COMING Monday - Tuesday, May 19-20 Robert Montgomery - Ingrid Bergman —in— “Rage In Heaven” Comedy — News 3:30 and 6:45 Each Day A % % ,-N * v # 1 < A. A, * * i i 1 % « 9 y