7
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DIAL 4-5444
STUDENT SUMMER
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF
TEXAS A. & M. COLLEGE
The Battalion
DIAL 4-5444
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
OF THE CITY OF
COLLEGE STATION
VOLUME 3
122 ADMINISTRATION BLDG.
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 13, 1941
NUMBER 10
Lt. Col. James A. Watson Relieved As Commandant
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Military Organizations
For Next Year Nearly Full
Engineers, CWS,
CAC Already Full;
Cadet Quotas Given
The Coast Artillery, Engineers,
and Chemical Warfare organiza
tions for next year are already
filled and the other organizations
are rapidly filling the Military De
partment stated department stat
ed recently.
The basis of the foundation of
each organization is 34 freshmen,
20 sophomores, 12 juniors, and 8
seniors. In nearly all organizations
the quota of juniors and seniors
has been filled completely. In the
Infantry, Cavalry, and Signal Corps
the quota of freshmen and sopho
mores has not yet been filled
while in the Field Artillery the
quota of freshmen has almost been
filled while there are many rooms
for sophomores.
Of the students enrolling in the
college and taking military science
25% will go into the Inf fen try and
live in dormitories No. 3, 5, 7, and
9; 25% will go into the Field
Artillery and live in dormitories
No. 4, 6, 8, and 10; 17% will go into
the Coast Artillery and live in
Hart, Bizzell, and Mitchell halls;
11% will go into the Engineers and
live in Walton and P. G. halls;
10% will go into the Cavalry and
live in Law and Puryear halls;
6% will go into the Signal Corps
and live in dormitory No. 1; and
6% will go into the Chemical War
fare and live in dormitory No. 2.
Students applying for rooms in
those organizations already filled
will be assigned to other organiza
tions. Students who are not citi
zens of the United States can not
enter the Coast Artillery, the
Chemical Warfare Service, or the
Signal Corps.
Curtis Scharmberg,
Manager of Creamery,
Resigns from A & M
Curtis Scharmberg, who has
been manager of the A. & M. col
lege creamery for the past two
years, resigned this week to be
come associated with the Blue Rib
bon Dairies at Alexandra, La., C.
N. Shepardson, college dairy hus
bandry department head, has an
nounced.
He will be succeeded by Merle
Walling, a graduate of A. & M.
in 1937. Walling comes to the
college from the Bell Ice Cream
Co., in Corpus Christi after hav
ing been with the Texas Milk
Products Co., at Longview and Mt.
Pleasant after gradaution.
Scharmberg graduated from
Texas Technological college but re
ceived his master of science de
gree in dairy husbandry from Tex
as A. & M. in 1939.
Construction
Of AAA Office
Building Started
New Building To
House Largest AAA
Offices in United States
Construction on the largest
A.A.A. office in the United States
has just started as foundation test
ing is well under way.
The office will be built diagon
ally across the northwest corner
of the dormitory area now under
-construction at a cost of $300,000.
Due to some last minute financ
ing details with the R. F. C. the
construction will not get into full
swing until about September 1.
The construction time of the build
ing is 6 months but this time may
have to be extended because of the
difficulty in obtaining materials
due to the national defense build
ing program.
The building will be of the latest
office type and will be constructed
of attractive materials. It will be
281 feet long, 81 feet wide, and
three stories high with a basement.
(See A.A.A., page 4)
Kyle Arrives in Mexico City
llitli
III 1
Illitli
MI
A & M Graduate
Visits Here For
Mexico University
Miguel Saldana, who graduated
from A. & M. college in 1938 with
a degree of bachelor of science in
chemical engineering, visited the
campus Friday for the first time
since he graduated.
He is now on a special commis
sion from the Department of Edu
cation of Mexico to arrange for
an exchange of technical papers,
bulletins of information, brochures
and catalogs from the University
of Texas and A. & M. college.
While back here he is represent
ing the University of Mexico and
the Polytechnic Institute of Mexico
Ctiy. Upon his return to Mexico
City Saldana will resume his posi
tion with Petroleos Mexicanos, the
governmental oil control organiza
tion.
Mr. Saldana is in charge of the
Mexico City tetra-Ethyl lead plant
of Petroleos Mexicanos.
He explained the recent gasoline
shortage in Mexico as the result
of a lack of railway transportation
facilities. The government rail
ways of Mexico have ordered 30
locomotives and 300 tank, freight
and passener cars; but it is dif
ficult to obtain delivery of these
items from the United States at
this time due to national defense
activities.
Dean E. J. Kyle, dean of the school of agriculture, flew to
Mexico City on his goodwill tour of the Americas, and is shown
here as he arrived at the airport. He was greeted by the Secretary
of the City Civic Department and a delegation of the Ministry of
Agriculture. He plans to continue his trip to the other republics
of Central America by air. The object of his trip is to study the
agricultural conditions of this section of Latin America.
Juke Box Prom Continues
As Chief Weekend Diversion
By Florence Hollingshead
Once again the weekend made
Aggieland history by the regular
Saturday night Juke Box Prom.
The dance got under way at the
scheduled time of 8:30 p. m. There
was still some rug-cutting, al
though it made people hot just to
watch such antics. The moral to
that is not to watcb the jitter
bugs.
Questions have arisen as to
whether or not there will be an
orchestra for the final prom and if
the dance this wekend will be the
last of the summer swing-outs. In
reply to these, the decision for
the former has not been decided
definitely and as to the latter, the
dance this wek-end will be next to
the last for this summer, so^try
to come out and join the fun.
Before the introduction of the
proms to the campus, there was
little to hear in the way of amuse
ment. Those who could went home
or elsewhere. Now that the dances
are in full swing, those who still
can, go home, or elsewhere. ’Tis
a shure thing that you’d enjoy
-f-the dances if’n you’d come out and
try your luck at shaking a wicked
leg, and you’d not regret it ei
ther.
Among the hits that furnished
the down beats, was the old but
still popular “Deep Purple,” “Star
dust,” and “Begin the Beguine.”
“Blue Champagne” could have been
played more often, and so could
that tenor special, “You and I.”
The top tunes of the day record
ed by the top ranking orchestras
of the age have been well selected.
The idea of informality is a boon
to civilization and so is the idea
of ice water being served at all
times during the dance. Maybe the
waiters enjoy watching the jitter
bugs wear themselves out as well
as anyone else. More power to
you, you rug-cutters.
Paging Emily Post-‘Such Manners’
Aggie Slanguage Rules at Camp
opened in our mess hall! In
EDITOR’S NOTE ^.penea in our mess nan: xn some
The following story appeared as an ar-T .. t -1.1 j. • , j j-
cle in “The Lachrimator,” student pub-1 cases the slightly famished dinner
tide 1.. * ..c
lication at the R. O. T. C. camp at Edge- 1
wood Arsenal, Maryland. This is the sum
mer camp for the Chemical Warfare
from over fifty colleges. This article was
written by Robert L. Fischel, student at
the university of Tennessee.
We were sitting in the mess
hall, eating in a leisurely fashion.
“Please pass the meat, sir,” said
the gentleman on the right. The
meat was passed, and in
spectable manner. From a distance
down the table another darling lad
requested a chance at the beans.
“They’re Boston beans in Boston,
you know. Any kind of a bean is
a Boston bean in Boston. It’s
pronounced like the ‘ah’ in ‘hah’.”
He was from M.I.T., of course;
you guessed right the first time.
“Please pass the sugar.” “The
bread, please.” “Thank you.”
These wertkthe softly chanted ex-
pressidn^^ie reads about in the
book-er, Emily Post knows some-
was forced to take a breathing
spell, when waiting for a choice
morsel to i'un the gauntlet down
that 440 table. Some fainted with
hunger in the interim, but never
a whine nor from the sufferer about
the bottleneck at the yonder end
of the table. Nay, never one squeal
of anguish nor evidence of lost
hope.
The mess sergeant stood beam
ing down on his charming patrons.
At times, he dabbed at a grate
ful tear with his hankie. “What
perfect gentlemen,” he would ex
claim, “how mannerly.” Ah, those
were the good old days. Those
were the days when the gentle
crunch-crunch of masticated cel
ery could easily drown out all con
versation. Those were the days
when a dropping pin would cause
all men to stiffen to attention.
Then came those Texas Aggies.
thing about it too; and it all hap- j It’s legend now, that the first one
some+to enter the mess hall calmly spat
tobacco juice through the rafters
and scored a perfect bull’s-eye, in
the finger bowl, twenty feet away.
It was clammy calamity, when
the vanguard of the passel of 35,
gave way to the main body. They
came, like the black plague in win
ter, to darken our fair mess hall,
to create confusion everlasting.
“Shoot the bullneck,” boomed one
Texan, meanwhile preparing his
greasy gun hand for action. The
meat was passed.
“Pass the stud,” roared his col
league; and we, of the lighter
blood, quivered with fear. He got
his ice tea quick-like.
Another Aggie yearned for some
sugar. We could see it in his
eye. “Sawdust!” That was his on
ly command.
“Sand and” hissed another. We
appreciated the undertone, even
though it was a hiss. One shak
ing camp-mate finally shook
(See CWS CAMP, page 4)
A & M Athletic
Coupon Book Sale
Nearly Completed
A word to the wise is suffi
cient so Bryan and College foot
ball fans who contemplate buying
athletic coupon books this season
had better hurry up and get theirs
as the stock is moving out fast,
E. W. Hooker, Aggie ticket man
ager said Thursday.
“We only had 1,000 books and
so far almost half of them have
been sold,” Hooker said. “They all
are in the most desirable sections
and high up in the stands so that
any seat is a good one.”
Each book, which sells for $8.25
contains football tickets for the
four varsity home games, including
the Texas game Nov. 27, and tick
ets for that game which are now
being sent out are down near the
goal line. Those in the coupon
books are for the same seats for
all games and far better than any
now available. In addition the
books are good for admission to all
home athletic events in basket
ball, baseball and track during the
1941-42 school year. The price
of the football tickets alone would
be $8.60. Add in the value of the
seven home conference basketball
and eight baseball games, plus the
track meets and the purchase of a
coupon book is a real value.
Edwin Riest,
Director Of
A & M, Dies
Had Been Board
Member Since 1927;
Gave Name to Hall
Edwin J. Kiest, thrice member
of the board of directors of A. &
M. College, died in Dallas Mon
day morning. The flag in front
of the Academic Building was
flown at half-mast during the day
in mourning.
Kiest had been a member of
the board for 14 years, having
been first appointed by Governor^
Dan Moody in 1927. After serv
ing that six-year term, he was re
appointed by Governor Miriam A.
Ferguson. Although approaching
his seventy-eighth birthday, Kiest
accepted his third appointment
from Governor O’Daniel.
“Throughout years of active
service to the collegd;” Dr. T. O.
Walton, president, said in a tribute
to Kiest, “Mr. Kiest missed very
few meetings of the board. Al
though he underwent a serious op
eration at the age of 75, he again
answered ‘present’ to roll calls
just as soon as he was able to
travel the distance between Dallas
and College Station.
(See KIEST, page 4)
Ashton Will
Address Fort
Worth Rotarians
Dr. John Ashton, member of the
rural sociology department, has ac
cepted an invitation of the Fort
Worth Rotary Club to be guest
speaker at their regular meeting
August 29.
Dr. Ashton, who has recently
returned from a tour of Central
America, will speak on “Nicara
gua, Costa Rica, and Guatemala.”
For the past nine months Dr.
Ashton has been in Nicaragua as
an American representative to the
Convention for the Promotion of
Inter-American Relations. While in
Nicaragua, Dr. Ashton acted as
Consultant Advisor to the Minister
of Agriculture.
The livestock of this country re
ceived much attention from Dr.
Ashton. He spent much time
studying the livestock and in find
ing ways to improve it. He re
ported that although the livestock
of Nicaragua is large in amount,
it is poor in quality.
Mrs. Ashton accompanied her
husband on the tour. The Ashtons
flew to Guatemala, where they
spent a week exploring the fasci
nating remains of Mayan civiliza
tion, before returning to the A.
& M. campus this summer.
Leaves A & M
m
isl
mm
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mm
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y.
Lt. Col. James A. Watson
Dean Gilchrist
Announces New
Department Head
Engineering Drawing
Department Receives
New Head from Tech
Two departments in the A. & M.
college school of engineering will
have new heads when the 65th
annual session opens early next
month, Dean Gibb Gilchrist an
nounced here today.
William E. Street has been se
lected to head the department of
engineering drawing, succeeding
H. C. Spencer, resigned; and Jud-
son Neff, who resigned as head of
the department of industrial engi
neering, will be replaced by an out
standing educator and expert on in
dustrial engineering management
and problems.
Neff is leaving to accept an as
sociate professorship in industrial
management at the Harvard Grad
uate School of Business Adminis
tration, Boston. Dean Gilchrist
has tendered the post formerly held
by Neff, and acceptance is expect
ed at once.
Street, who replaces Spencer, is
a native Texan. He took his de
gree of bachelor of science in elec
trical engineering and master ol
arts in engineering education at
Texas Technological college and has
been serving in the drawing de
partment there since- 1928.
Street is co-author of two books:
“Drafting Problem Layouts” and
“Practical Descriptive Geometry
Problems for Engineers.” At the
present time he is editor of the
T-Square department of the So
ciety for Promotion of Engineering
Education Journal. Street, his
wife and two children will move
here at once.
Neff, an honor gradaute of Tex
as A. & M. college in 1928, also
graduated from the Harvard school
of business in 1936. He returned
to A. & M. college in 1940 to head
the new department of industrial
engineering.
Ordered
To Duty At
San Antonio
Assignment
Is With CCC;
No Successor Yet
Lt. Col. James A. Watson, com
mandant, has been relieved of his
duties as commandant and P. M.
S. & T. of the college, accord
ing to orders received here from
the Secretary of War.
Under date of August 7, 1941,
the following Special Order has
been issued by the War Depart
ment in Washington: By direction
of the President, Lieutenant Col
onel James A. Watson, Infantry,
is relieved from assignment and
duty at the Agricultural and Me
chanical College of Texas, College
Station, Texas, is assigned to duty
with the Civilian Conservation
Corps, headquarters, Eighth Corps
Area, Fort Sam Houston, Texas,
and will proceed to that station
and report for duty. The travel
directed is necessary in the mili
tary service.”
The order is effective as of the
date issued. Col. Watson has been
commandant here for the school
year 1940-41, after replacing Col.
George F. Moore, ’08, now a gen
eral officer stationed in the Philli-
pines. His successor has not been
chosen.
Schooled at Andover
Before being sent to the college,
Col. Watson had served a varied
tour of duty which included P. M.
S. & T. at the University of Wyom
ing. Born in Ohio, Watson receiv
ed his school at Andover Acad
emy, Mass., later at Marietta Col-
(See COL. WATSON, page 4)
Minkler, Loving
Will Leave A & M
H. L. Minkler and R. O. Loving,
’36, instructors in the engineering-
drawing department, have resigned
their positions with the college, ef
fective at the end of summer
school, and will join the engineer
ing drawing department of the Illi
nois Institute of Technology.
They will be under H. C. Spen
cer, formerly head of the engi
neering drawing department here
and now head of the engineering
drawing department at Illinois
Tech. Loving will be an assistant
professor in the department and
Minkler will be an instructor.
The Illinois Institute of Tech
nology is the new school formed
by the consolidation of the Armour
Institute of Technology and Lewis
Institute. The institute is now car
rying on a program of rebuilding.
L. E. Grinter, former professor of
structured in the civil engineering
departme/t here, is now vice-pres
ident of the institute and also dean
of the gradaute school.
What About the Food?
Hash House Has Face Lifted
By Charlie Babcock -fclosed booth from which programs-f By the advent of the second
Say! You can throw away your I presented for the entertain- | semester, the basement dining
ment of students during the course | room will have been enlarged to
of meals. The booth will be sit- accommodate all cadets who are to
compass now. No longer will it
be necessary to hire a guide at
Aggieland Inn and prepare for an
all-day search in the massive con
fines of Sbisa mess hall in a futile
effort to locate the main offices
of the 'mess hall staff.
Under the remodeling program
now in progress at the dining hall,
the offices of the manager and his
department will be located in the
extreme northwest corner of the
basement.
But wait! There are other im
provements included in the $20,000
plan of renovation. The very lat
est in modernized refrigeration
vaults are being installed, along
with new pot, pan, and dishwash
ing rooms. A new vegetable prep
aration room and employee’s rest
rooms will also be included in the
order of things.
Perhaps one of the finest of
uated so that it will be within rea
sonable view of all cadets. The
booth will house the public ad
dress system, and an attempt will
be made later in the year to secure
singing and dancing talent for the
meal-time programs.
All of the aforementioned’ ef
fects will be installed by the be
ginning of the first semester of the
long session.
But when it is discovered that
there are other improvements to
follow, many Aggies will no doubt
hesitate in deciding their prefer
ence betwen the two mess hall
units, Sbisa and Duncan.
As soon as Mr. Hitler is defeat
ed, or at least driven back a bit,
$18,000 of stainless steel equip
ment will be dumped on the door
step of J. C. Hotard some bright,
sunny morning. Rest rooms for
both sexes are to be completed on
new features will be a glass-en- j the main floor of the building.
be housed in the four new dorms
under construction at the North
Gate area. This addition will pro
vide an emergency capacity of
5,138 people within the Sbisa
walls.
Present plans are to convert the
reception room into a small ban
quet room to supplement the large
banquet hall. If and when this is
done, a porch, eighteen feet wide,
will be built on the west face of
the building, extending from the
west entrance to the southwest
corner. The porch will be equip
ped with numerous chairs and sofas
and will serve as a sheltering re
ception center for Aggieland visi
tors.
Come back around in a couple
of years. You won’t recognize the
old hash house. What with six
inch steaks being served while
you’re entertained by fine musical
programs . . . must be Utopia.