Aggies Are Ready!, Student Poll Shows
By Mike Speer
At 1 o’clock Sunday afternoon the A. & M.
campus was enjoying its usual quiet, sublime way
of life. Then from the airwaves came the almost
unbelievable news that Hawaii, Philippine and
Wake Islands and many more protectorates of
the United States had been the victim of a sur
prise invasion by the Imperial Nation of Japan.
Idle gossip was immediately changed -to
talk of war, as quickly as one might change from
one radio station to the other. The “bulP’stopped
flowing in the “bull sessions,” all radios were
tuned in on news broadcasts crying out the
startling events of the past few hours and the A.
& M. campus was literally blitzkrieged with the
fervent talk of war with Japan.
These are the comments and opinions of
students typical of those men throughout the
campus.
David Pinson, C Troop Cav., Junior
“I’m not in favor of war with Japan but I
am ready to go when called for service. I have
been expecting this for quite some time but was
greatly surprised when I heard of it.”
J. C. Black, E. Inf., Freshman
“I’m in favor of war with Japan under the
existing circumstances but will not volunteer.
However, in the event the age limit should be
lowered and I was called I would be willing to
go.”
Chuck Chalmers, G, F. A., Junior
“We’ve been fooling around so long I’m glad
things finally came to a head. Now the only
thing to do is to “beat the hell out of Japan.”
That simple phrase “beat the hell out of
Japan” seems to have become the Aggie watch
word in the past few hours portraying the sin
cere feeling of every cadet.
Pete Adams, I Inf., Senior
“Although I am strongly in favor of war
with Japan now I am sorry to see it happen. I
will volunteer immediately if it appears to be
the wisest thing to do.”
Payson Tucker, 3rd Hdq. F. A., Sophomore
“I believe that war with Japan is the best
way of entry into World War II. I think it will
give us needed experience with an inferior country
that should aid us in event of war with Germany.
I am not in favor of any war but since it has
come we might as well do our best.”
Daryl Davenport, A. Signal Corps, Sophomore
“I am strongly in favor of war with Japan
and the quicker we get going the better I like it.
I am ready to go at any time and if volunteers are
called for I will volunteer immediately.”
M. H. Barrett, B. C.W.S., Freshman
“I think that Japan stuck her neck out by
declaring war on the United States. I am in
favor of war with Japan under present world
conditions but intend to wait a while before
volunteering for service should volunteers be
called for.”
The problem of volunteering for service seems
to be very prominent in the minds of many stu
dents, especially so with those who have no con
tracts or are under age. Many are undecided but
all seem ready and willing to service active duty
if drafted.
R. H. Bowden, C, C.W.S., Junior
“I feel that this is as good time as any. to
enter the war with Japan. I’m strongly in favor
of it for I feel that we would have been in it
sooner or later anyway. I think that our chances
are extremely favorable.”
H. N. Mogford, F. Inf., Junior
“I am very strongly in favor of war with
Japan. I don’t feel that diplomatic relations will
settle the disputes between Japan and the United
States and that war is the only solution.”
J. M. Reiber, C C.A.C., Freshman
“I’m all in favor of a declaration of war
against Japan and in view of the existing cir
cumstance I’m ready to go at any time.”
Practically every student contacted is in
favor of war with Japan, but “only” under the
present conditions. Had relations between the
United States and Japan remained purely diplo
matic none of them would have been in favor
of belligerency between the two nations.
H. G. Stevenson, D, C.A.C., Sophomore
“I think we should have been at war with
Japan a long time ago. I’m really ready to go
and think we should be drafted as soon as any
one else.”
A. W. Sissom, A, Signal Corps, Senior
• “I’m not glad that war was declared but now
that it has come I feel that the only thing left
to do is fight.”
G. W. Samsel, D, F. A., Senior
“I am very much in favor of war with Japan
but I don’t think we should employ our entire
fighting strength in combating them. I don’t
think that the seniors will be taken before the
(See STUDENT SURVEY, Page 4)
DIAL 4-5444
STUDENT TRI WEEKLY
NEWSPAPER OF
TEXAS A. & M. COLLEGE
The Battalion
* * * * 4 * «
DIAL 4-5444
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
OF THE CITY OF
COLLEGE STATION
122 ADMINISTRATION BLDG. VOLUME 41
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, TUESDAY MORNING, DEC. 9, 1941
Z275
NUMBER 38
« * •
Facilities of A&M Extended to US Government
Walton, Welty Urge Cadets to Continue Studies as Usual
“Technicians Necessary as Soldiers
In Waging Total War”—Col Welty
Wasting no time, the officials of A. & M. made definite
statements yesterday concerning the role of the Cadet Corps
in the present emergency.
Emphasizing the importance of remaining in college
until called, President T. O. Walton and Colonel M. D. Welty,
commandant, issued statements to The Battalion. “Techni
cians as well as soldiers are necessary in waging a total war,”
Colonel Welty added.
“A. & M. students have a sane attitude in regard to the
present crisis,” President Walton explained. Following is the.
text of the two messages given shortly after President
Roosevelt had delivered his message to Congress and both
houses of Congress had taken immediate action.
President’s Message
Office of the President
Texas A. & M. College
December 8, 1941
To the Cadet Corps
Texas A. & M. College
Today the President of the United States has ded
icated the entire resources of this nation toward the
end of preserving the American way of life.
To the cadet corps of Texas A. & M. College a na
tional emergency of this character brings forth a grave
responsibility. Already the full facilities of the college
have been pledged to the President. I feel sure that you
share these sentiments and are behind our chief execu
tive in whatever course he may lead us.
As president of the A. & M. College, I counsel you to
render full service to your nation in this great crisis.
Let us all remember that it is to the best interests of
this country at the present to serve this nation as stu
dents. Many members of the cadet corps will eventually
gain commissions in the Army of the United States. I
congratulate you upon this opportunity to serve your
country in this present time of need.
Even before the events of the past few hours, the
President, the War Department, and administrators of
the selective service act have urged you to maintain your
positions as students. I urge you, gentlemen, to remain
in college and render service to your country in this
manner. I feel sure that when your government calls,
you will respond for the service where you can serve
most effectively.
T. O. Walton
Commandant’s Message
Office of the Commandant
Texas A. & M. College
I December 8, 1941
To the Cadet Corps
Texas A. & M. College
Your country today has entered into a state of
war with Japan. Most of you have had military ex
perience while at A. & M. Without question many of you
will enter upon active duty with the Army immediately
upon graduation. This is your opportunity to serve your
country.
I urge each of you to remain in college at the pre
sent time. Every American will have a place in this na
tion’s defense efforts. At the present, your place in
national defense is here at college where you can better
prepare yourself for the task ahead. You can rest as
sured that when your country needs you, it will call.
A. & M. has a great military tradition to maintain.
I feel confident that A. & M. men both in the army
and in college are again ready to serve their country.
M. D. Welty, Colonel, Infantry
Commandant and P.M.S. & T.
War Developments . . . .
December 7, 1941
Cities of Oahu and Honolulu were attacked by Japanese planes.
At the same time Pearl Harbor was bombed.
Bombs killed 350 men in barracks at Hickam Field, Hawaiian Islands
A Japanese battleship was sighted in the vicinity of Pearl Harbor.
A United States transport ship laden with lumber was torpedoed 1300
miles west of San Francisco.
President Roosevelt called an extraordinary meeting of the cabinet and
congressional leaders for 8:30 tonight.
All naval leaves were cancelled and the men ordered back to their
ships or stations at once.
Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that they were mobilized
to meet all instances of sabotage.
Secretary of War ordered that all military personnel should report
to their posts in uniform Monday mornipg.
United States naval plane was shot down in a battle over Honolulu.
Battleship Oklahoma reported to have been set afire.
Residential districts of Honolulu were bombed.
Secretary of War ordered that all business organizations engaged in
producing deefnse materials should take measures to prevent sabo
tage.
U. S. S. West Virginia was reported sunk.
Blackout ordered in Panama.
Wake Island occupied by Japanese troops.
Dutch East Indies declared was on Japan.
Canada declared war on Japan.
December 8, 1941.
Congress assembled in the House of Representatives along with the
Supreme Court and the presidential cabinet.
In a speech of about five hundred words, the President asked for a
formal declaration of war.
Each congressional body met to vote on the proposed declaration.
All through the discussion, cries of “vote” were heard.
United States declared that a state of war existed between this coun
try and the Empire of Japan!
Jap Planes Reported Over San Francisco
Fourth Town Hall Program Features
Piano Duo Tonight at Eight O’clock
Town Hall tonight presents
Jacques Fray and Mario Braggiotti
in the fourth of the Town Hall
series. The program is scheduled to
start at 8 o’clock instead of 7
o’clock as was previously an
nounced.
Fray and Braggiotti pioneered
against the flat treatment of two
piano music as exemplified in two-
piano works of even the greatest
composers . . . developed a rich,
orchestral treatment of their own.
Says transcriber Braggiotti, “to
make two pianos sound as one
piano is wrongly accepted as the
aspiration of a piano-team. Two
pianos should always sound like
two pianos or else what advan
tage outside of extra noise is there
to be gained.”
They are the first and as yet the
only piano-team to present a full
evening’s program of original
transcriptions. Free to transcribe
what they please, their repertoire
is widely varied and in some cases
very advanced. Fray remembers
when they were considered revolu
tionary because they played
Debussy, Prc-kofieff and DeFalla
on the air and were the first to do
so.
Included on the program will be
“Rhapsody in Blue” by George
Gershwin, and “Five Caricatures
of the Theme of Yankee Doodle”
by Mario Braggiotti. They will
play eleven selections in all in addi
tion to any encores which the corps
demands.
Both men, In spite of their
classical training, are very enthus
iastic about swing music. In the
recent fracas against swinging the
classics, Mario and Jacques, who
swung Schubert’s “Serenade”
twelve years ago, defended popu
larizing the classics on the grounds
that the layman who becomes
familiar with pianists do not be
lieve in being disrespectful of pop
ular music. They point out that
inasmuch as jigs and waltzes were
made immortal by Bach and
Chopin, the popular music of today
stands an equal chance of under
lying the symphonies of tomor
row.
Kyle to Speak In
Assembly Hall On
S A Tomorrow at 7:30
Dean E. J. Kyle will speak to the
Latin-American Seminar group In
the Assembly Hall tomorrow night.
The subject of the talk, whcih wdl
begin at 7:30, will be based on Dean
Kyle’s research and findings dur
ing his recent tour through South
America.
Tickets to Cotton
Bowl Available For
Students at Y Des
Date Tickets on Sale
December 17; Students
Limited to one Ticket
Tickets for the New Year’s Cot
ton Bowl game are now available
at the Y. M. C. A. resk. Student
tickets are $1.65 with a coupon
book. All juniors and seniors with
military contracts may purchase
these tickets by drawing against
their January military science
checks.
Date tickets are not available at
$2.50 but will be put on sale at
$1.65 on December 17.
Any juniors or seniors who wish
to obtain tickets by drawing
against their military science
checks may do so by obtaining
a promissory note from the senior
instructor.
Each student is limited to one
student ticket, one date ticket and
two others. No date tickets will
be sold unless bought with a stu
dent ticket. Prices for the other
tickets are $2.50, $4.40, and $6.50.
War-time Volunteers
Boost Enlistments At
Bryan Recruiting Post
Reports from around the nation
that activity around the various
army and navy recruiting stations
had increased considerably was also
true at the Bryan recruiting office
according to Sgt. C. G. Janney, who
is in charge of the station at the
Bryan Court House.
Janney said that by noon Monday
12 applicants had signed papers
and that three of these were for
duty as flying cadets. His usual
quota of applications has been from
six to eight per week.
In order to accomodate the an
ticipated rush all recruiting stations
will open an hour earlier and close
an hour later than previously. The
new time is from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Only one Aggie was among the
group who requested affidavits
yesterday.
Eco Club to Have
F M Law as Speaker
At Meeting on Dec 15
F. M. Law, A. & M. Board of Di
rectors member, will speak before
the Economics Club on “Typical
American Business Problems”
Monday, December 15.
Law is president of the First
National Bank of Houston and is
a former president of the Ameri
can Bankers Association.
P. A. Nutter, sponsor of the Eco
nomics Club, announces that the
public is invited to attend the lec
ture which will be held in the chem-
J istry lecture room.
Pledge of Support Sent To
k Roosevelt Following Meet
Meeting in an extraordinary session yes
terday at 3 p.m., the Academic Council of the
college unanimously adopted a resolution ex
tending all facilities of the college to the na
tional government in this present war crisis.
All the research, extension, and instruc
tional facilities of A. & M. were placed at the
disposal of the President of the United States.
Individually and collectively the faculty pled
ged itself to support to the utmost the policies
of the Federal government in the present
emergency.
Immediately after the outbreak of hostilities the col
lege moved to render its aid in the crisis. T. O. Walton,
president, called a special meeting of the executive committee
of the college and presented to them a survey of what aid
A. & M. might offer. At that time college officials agreed
to reaffirm the stand of the college in national defense. An
immediate meeting of the Academic Council was scheduled
and the offer of A. & M. aid was immediately adopted by
that group.
Faculty Resolution
The Congress of the United States has declared
a state of war to exist;
The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas
is a land-grant institution, established under an act of
Congress in 1862, among the major purposes is the prep
aration of men for military service and technical pur
suits ;
The conditions of modern warfare demand techni
cally trained men both in the military service and in
practically every other activity supporting military op
erations ;
The College is the largest producer of reserve of
ficers in the Nation with thousands of its graduates,
and a considerable number of its faculty, already on
active military duty, with other thousands of its grad
uates engaged in technical activities essential to the
successful waging of a total war, and with 4842 of its
students enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps
preparing themselves that they may render more ef
fective military service to their country;
THEREFORE, we the Faculty of the Agricultural
and Mechanical College of Texas, in conformity with the
action of the Board of Directors, again tender to the
Federal Government all the research, extension and in
structional facilities at this College and we hereby, in
dividually and collectively, pledge our utmost support to
the policies of the Federal Government in this emer
gency. We stand ready to carry out the policies of gov
ernmental agencies in whatever respect we can render
the most effective service.
Over a year ago A. & M. first offered its services to
the nation in the interests of national defense. Yesterday’s
action reaffirmed this previous action. Throughout the past
few months A. & M. has been offering defense courses in all
parts of the state.
“This action will enable this institution to do the job
which is expected of it in this time of national emergency,”
Walton explained.
Immediately after the adoption of the resolution, a
copy was telegraphed to President Roosevelt in Washington.
In addressing the council prior to its adoption of the
resolution, Dr. Walton stressed the need for A. & M. to do
its share in the present war. “This is a renewal of our pledge
to the President of the United States of our support,” Walton
said.
“A. & M. men stand ready to respond to the needs of
the nation,” a statement made by Walton seemed to keynote
the desire of the college to do its utmost.