TUESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 24, 1943
THE BATTALION
PAGE 3
Hedge Hopping
Squadron IV
Tonight, after thinking back on
the short past of Squadron IV, I’m
wondering what is in store for us.
It seems as if we just arrived here
in the Detachment ourselves. Then,
too, after finishing the first part
of out academic work, in other
words School A, so fast we hardly
realize where the time has gone.
Now we are well on our way in
School B.
Oh yes; Mister Harlan W. Sloan
is the proud father of a seven
pound baby girl, born Friday 20,
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. One
of the Beavers happened to hear
him say, “Any man can have a boy,
but it takes a good man with nerve
and gumption to have a girl.”
Maybe some of the other Beaver
fathers don’t agree with him, but
we shall see.
Autumn as Spring, often catch
es a man napping as it did one of
our Flight Lt.’s in a Physics ex
amination. Upon receiving his ex
amination paper the Flight Lt.
gazed at it with disgust in his
eyes, for to him it was all Greek.
And not understanding Greek the
Flight Lt. wrote, “Only Good would
know the answers to this,” and with
a look of satisfaction in his eyes
he turned the paper in. Upon re
ceiving the paper back for his
grade, the professor for his reply
wrote, “I’m not God but I know
the answers.” Three guesses as to
who this Beaver is.
The boys of Squadron IV place
themselves among the top in Phy
sical training, because of hard
work. For instance, one Beaver has
developed himself to do 200 sit-
ups. Let’s keefi up the good work.
RUDDER
DUST
By A/S W. D. West
Sunday, I was very fortunate
in being able to spend the whole
day with my family and cousin.
Just how they made it over here
on the three gallon ration on gaso
line, is a mystery managed only
by my father, but the thing that
I consider the most prominent dur
ing the day, and the thing that I
shall write of here, is the candid
movies that we took out Sunday.
It wasn’t the pictures themselves
so much as it was when I started
to address the film packet, that
I though about my text for to
night. The Kodak Company was
kind enough to give me five cities
in the States and nine in foreign
countries in which to send my film
to be processed. Among those list
ed in foreign countries was one
in Berlin, Germany. It gave the
full address and I could send the
film there, but it was what I
imagined would happen was what
amused me. Here is how it would
happen.
STOCKHOLM, Aug. 24. — Re
ports came out of Berlin yester
day that held claims that the
American people are slowly crack
ing up as a result of the war. Hit
ler himself was called from the
Italian front to see the films they
base their claims on (those are
my films.) After seeing the film,
REGULATION
UNIFORMS
and
ACCESSORIES
It’s good judgment
to “check up” now and
replenish your Uniform
needs ... New stocks
are arriving and our
stocks are complete in
all sizes of Regulation
Uniform goods.
New Slacks
Reg. Shirts
Reg. Belts
Dress Caps
O’Sea Caps
Reg. Ties
Stetson Hats
Reg. Socks
Reg. Insignia
ACTD NEWS
Spotlight on Sports
By A/S W. D. West
Sport activities among the va
rious Squadrons continues to thrive
on in high pitch despite the fact
that we at the present have only
Squadrons 3 and 4 on the active
list, lucky Squadron 2 at this time
being on leave.
The strong touch football team
of Squadron 3 continues to make
fine showings at the recent prac
tice sessions. Mr. McKinnion has
at his disposal the services of
quite a few experienced gridiron
stars. The boys hope to soon shape
up, a team capable of providing
rugged opposition to any and all
comers.
Squadron 3’s giant slaying vol
leyball team after recent wins over
Squadron 4 and 2 is not letting up
on their sweat sessions, Mr. Claus-
er in charge of the squad says, and
they are ready to challenge the
best on the campus.
The Detachment All-Stars, after
the impressive win over Bryan
Field Guard Squadron last week
are out looking for new pastures.
The All-Stars boast a strong and
aggressive club and would con
sider a challenge from any other
team on the campus. Mr. Martin
who is in charge of the group feels
as though the boys are capable of
holding up its reputation among
the toughest of opposition. (A
note to any of the might-be-chal-
lengers—these boys are plenty
rugged to get a toe-hold on.)
In an interview with Lt. Segrest
Sunday evening I learned the fol
lowing bits of news, which holds
much interest for us all. The Phys
ical Training program has had a
change in the time schedule. The
program has been changed so all
men, excepting those on flying
duty, can take their P.T. classes
at the same hour in the afternoon.
This affords a grand opportunity
for inter-squadron competition.
All non-swimmers will be given
special additional instruction so
they will be effective swimmers by
the time they leave this command.
In the near future competition
in various types of sports will be
introduced among the other serv
ices here on the A. & M. campus.
Hitler had them reproduced and
sent to all major fronts to show
the Nazi soldiers that America is
finaly cracked. The film shows
an American soldier doing all sorts
of peculiar motions (that was my
rendition of the Lindy Hop) before
the camera and boys pushing
girls off of benches (that was my
brother and sister in a little slap
stick). Also there was positive
proof that Germany’s war of nerves
was at last taking effect. The peo
ple in the film kept coming from
a distance and walking past the
camera. A sign of ragged nerves.
(That was the only way I could
get action in the pictures). In short,
the German radio said, “We should
be in Washington by next spring
(where have I heard that before?)
Perhaps this is a long stretch of
the imagination, but, the addres is
Kodak, Aktiengesellschaft, Fried-
richshagenerstr No. 9, Berlin -
Kopenick, Germany. Bu( don’t any
one write, you might destroy Ger-
me-American relations, and we
wouldn’t like that, would we?
WXMBEBcrf • • DANSBi
wriJTi/
CLOTHIERS
College and Bryan
Fair Cotton Prices
Assured Farmers
COLLEGE STATION—Fair pri
ces for their cotton is assured
Texas farmers under this year’s
cotton loan program.
Based on ninety-percent of pa
rity price as of August 1, 1943,
the beginning of the marketing
year, the average basic loan rate
for Texas approximates 19.90
cents per pound but will veary in
different parts of the state be
cause of distance from warehous
es to mills. Under the 1942 pro
gram, the average loan rate was
17.92 cents per pound.
As in previous years, the loan
rate will be on the net weight of
cotton. Premiums and discounts
for grade and staple will be cal
culated in relation to the loan rate
on 15/16 middling cotton.
Citing difference in the basic
loan rate for key cotton points in
the state, P. C. Colgin, commodi-1
ty loan specialist for the AAA J
I in Texas, said the price varied
I from 19.75 cents per pound in El
Paso to 19.96 cents per pound in
I Galveston and to 19.96 in Jack
sonville.
Other leading points and the
rates on a per pound basis include
Abilene, 19.89; Big Spring, 19.84;
Corpus Christi, 19.78; Greenville,
Jack E. Shaw Editor-in-chief
Alan E. Goldsmith Managing Editor
Max E. Stump , Associate Editor
George A. Martin Associate Editor
Fred J. Rosenthal Associate Editor
Joseph E. Platt Sports Editor
Max E. Stump Squadron 2 Editor
Martin E. Ismert, Jr Squadron 3 Editor
W. D. West Squadron 4 Editor
OBSERVATIONS OF THE
COMMANDING OFFICER
The Commanding Officer de
sires to congratulate the news
staff on the fine service and
quality they have produced.
The Commanding Officer
takes great pleasure in the
spirit of eagerness and loyalty
which makes the students of
this command outstanding. The
Student Officers have performed
their duties in a soldierly and
dutiful manner, which reflects
honor and praise upon them
selves and their respective
commands. The Commanding
Officer is very proud of this
command.
Bonds Away
By A/S Jack E. Shaw
We call them War Bonds and
Stamps, but they are far more
than that. Every time an Ameri
can citizen buys a bond or a
stamp he is reaffirming the idea
on which this government was
founded.
He is not only putting his hand
to the business of winning the
war, he is also taking his stand
in the great company of those who
value the right to be free, in a
free world above all things.
The Chinese, fighting tanks and
planes for five years with prac
tically his bare hands, scorching
his own earth, so values it. The
Russian, driven to the gates of
Moscow and driving back himself
over the blackened land to his
raped village, so values it. The
man in the London street, in the
ruined streets of the cities of Eng
land, left alone against the world
invader, so values it.
Too many of us listened for
too long to the false prophets who
tried to tell us that we could reck
on liberty in dividends and dol
lars, that the right to be free
was our own personal possession,
that America had a patent on it.
But that vast silent army—the
people of Greece and Yugoslavia
and Poland, of Holland and Nor
way and Denmark, of Belgium and
Czechoslovakia, the stifled people
of France—have learned that free
dom can’t be patented, it has no
trade mark, it can’t be carved out
of stone and set up in a public
park to be shown once to our chil
dren and then left to the weather.
Freedom is a living force, Lib
erty is a living force, but it can
only exist where men are willing
to give up whatever is required
to make the whole secure.
That is the secret of liberty.
That is the basis of union. That is
what we are saying when we buy
a bond or a stamp. We cannot all
be leaders; but we can buy a
stamp with as much effect as the
president himself.
In doing so we are assuring
him, ou Headers under him, our
allies, and our enemies, that we
have staked out our comer In
America’s free future and in the
future freedom of the world.
19.96; Harlingen, 19.84; Vernon,
19.91; Waco, 19.91; and Lubbock,
19.84.
Loans will be made directly by
the Commodity Credit Corpora
tion or through lending agencies,
principally banks, approved by the
Corporation. Also in effect for the
second year are farm storage pro
visions which apply to all cotton
counties.
Aero Antics
By Martin E. Ismert, Jr.
The first transparent plastic
nose on a bomber was installed on
the Glenn L. Martin M-B-2, in
1921.
The real names for the following
nicknamed RAF planes—“Daffy,”
“Lizzie,” “Spit,” and “Maggie”
are the Defiant, Lysander, Spit
fire, and Miles Magister, respec
tively.
Physical Fitness
Physical condition cannot be
overemphasized. A tired, exhaust
ed, or poorly conditioned flyer is
cold meat for a well conditioned
adversary. Top physical condition
will not just come of itself. It
must be cultivated. Proper exer
cise, adequate rest between flights
will pay the biggest dividends.
Sound physical condition will con
tribute to a high morale, instill
eagerness to get on with arduous
tasks, insure the successful oper
ation of the unit.
The highly popular Canadian
Advanced Trainer is the North
American “Harvard,’’ similar to
the U. S. Navy and Army “Tex
an.”
The new Brewster SB2A is pro
duced for the U. S. Navy as the
“Buccaneer” and the RAF as the
“Berrpuda.”
Did you know that the P-38 can
climb at the rate of 5000 feet per
minute, has full maneuverability
on one engine, has a top speed of
over 400 miles an hour and lands
at a speed of 80 miles an hour?
Just in case you are interested
—the Air Corps insignia on an
officer’s shirt collar is worn on
his left side.
The four forces which act on
an airplane in flight are—pull,
lift, drag and thrust . . . the Army
Air Force’s heaviest single engine
fighter plane is the P-47 . . . Army
Emergency Relief is available to
all members of the Army and their
dependents . . . the step of a Ma
jor’s oak leaf insignia points prop
erly away from his neck ... a
peashooter is the name often giv
en to a fighter plane of the Armed
Forces . . . the Astral hatch of a
plane is commonly used by the
Navigator.
Victory by Plane
Air transport can and is short
ening the war, not by one day but
by many months and perhaps by
years.
It is no military secret to rec
ognize that our victory at Guadal
canal depended entirely upon a rel
atively few aircraft built for and
used by the airlines. The money
spent by our government and by
industry for that type of aircraft
is a paltry sum to pay for our suc
cess in stopping the advance of a
fanatical foe whose grip had al
most closed upon our last tenuous
lifeline across the Pacific. With
out those aircraft, the Japanese
aggressor would today have com
pletely severed our nation from the
Australian bastion.
Circling the Field
Squadron III
By the time that this column
appears in print Squadron Three
will have finished their first day
of flying. For many it was a new
experience although the Squadron
has quite a few experienced fly-
el's. We may safely say that all
the men have a considerable
amount of “bunk” time to their
credit.
After a hurried trip to the
heart of the South, A/S Kenneth
L. Nix still insists that Georgia
is the home of the most beauti
ful girls. And, Yankees, that in
cludes all those States north of the
Mason-Dixon Line too.
We Wonder
What Mr. Rodeman was doing
Saturday P. M. around 7:30. Was
it good ? ? ?
What the future “chant” will
be during “call to quarters” since
Physics will be dormant for
awhile ?
Where Mr. Marengo obtained the
beautiful red officer’s hat and
what’s the meaning of the words
“Chair Car” printed on the front
of it.
Mr. McCook, the generous Phil
anthropist of Bizzell Hall, sup
plied the whole Squadron with
gum the other morning. What we
can’t understand is why he is not
on speaking terms with Mr. Mc
Cloud at present?
The boys of flight 26 gave a
very fitting farewell to their Phy
sics instructor last Saturday morn
ing. As the men filed into the
room each one presented Mr.
Adams with a cigar and then stood
in front of his chair. When all
were present Mr. Lombardo led
the men in singing “For He’s a
Jolly Good Fellow.” Mr. Adams
then made a short speech thanking
the men and wishing them the
best of luck in the future. All in
all we don’t believe there was a
more studious flight in all of Texas
A. & M. last Saturday morning.
plus jar wrenches, metal pot
scourers, and workers lunch boxes
previously had been stopped.
There are a few other items for
which additional metal is being
made available. These include meat
grinder, can openers, and vacuum
bottles, says Louise Bryant, spe
cialist in home management for
the A. and M. College Extension
Service. The biggest increase will
be in war workers’ lunch pails.
Replacement cord sets for elec
tric irons now are to be produced
in small quantity. The cords will
be only six feet long and they will
be made so they can be taken a-
part and repaired easily.
Producers’ notes will bear inter- I Dairy farmers can expect con
est at the rate of 3 per cent per tinued rationing of milk cans du
ring 1944, Miss Bryant says. State
annum and will mature July 1,
1944, but will be callable on de
mand. Loans will be available un
til May 1, 1944.
According to state AAA re
cords, Texas has approximately
333,000 cotton farms, the majority
of which are expected to partici
pate in this year’s loan program.
Production of
Many Metal Goods
Stopped For War
COLLEGE STATION — Lately
the government has recognized
the value of baking pans, ice picks,
flour selves, carpet sweepers and
other household items, and civili
ans soon should be able to obtain
a few of these tools from their
dealers. Production of these items,
quotas are to be used upon gross
sales in each state during 1941
and 1942.
A new wrinkle in the manufac
ture and sale of kitchen cutlery,
scissors and shears also has been
announced. Miss Bryant says there
will be no more boxed sets. The
consumer will buy only the piece
or pieces he really needs. Only
two types of scissors and shears
will be manufactured, but they
will fill a real need, according to
the specialist.
Urging rural homemakers to
care for the household equipment
they already have, Miss Bryant
emphasized the government’s re
quest for bottle salvage. Empty
milk, ginger ale, and pop bottles
usually are good for 30 round
trips and if they are located and
returned to dealer civilian supplies
will be more abundant.
Wing News
We were al glad to welcome the
new Squadron V in last night, in
spirit at least, even if we couldn’t
be there physically. This was the
first Squadron in the history of
the Detachment to arrive by bus. I
am sure that they all enjoyed their
first meal here at Texas A. & M.,
and it won’t be long until they
find out the splendid life the men
of this Detachment lead and live
here. A hearty welcome is extend
ed especially by the officers of
this command and by the Physical
Training Instructors. The men of
Squadron V will soon and fre
quently be enjoying the beautiful
scenery of surrounding Texas ter
ritory, from a double time gait
during their P.T. classes.
We wish our “baby” Squadron
the best of luck and know they
will live up to the splendid repu
tation of their predecessors.
Attention Seniors and Faculty
Due to the conservation program'f
now being carried on because of
war conditions, the freshman class
takes this opportunity to invite
the military staff and the faculty
of the college to attend the Fresh
man Ball which will be held in
the Grove from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.,
on Friday, August 27.
In accordance with the old Ag
gie tradition, the Freshman class
also invites the Senior class to the
Freshman Ball.
Lighter Yarn To
Be Used In Hose
COLLEGE STATION—Women
who have been complaining about
the heaviness and thickness of
rayon hose have been offered a
ray of hope.
The Bureau of Human Nutrition
and Home Economics in Washing
ton has announced that greater
quantities of full-fashioned, mo
derately fine rayon hose are to be
produced this fall. Since April
when the original order for rayon
hosiery was issued, only heavy
yarns have been made into 39-
gauge stockings. . . . But now
lighter yarns will be used in 39-
gauge hose.
Mrs. Dora R. Barnes, clothing
specialist for the A. and M. Col
lege Evtension Servise, explains
that gauge refers to the number
of stitchec to one and one-half in
ches of knit fabric. The higher the
gauge, the finer the stocking.
She adds that if any rayon
stockings are knit of acetate ray
on, they may be one and a half
inches longer than those made
from other types of rayon yam.
That is because acetate rayon
does not stretch as much as the
other kinds. That will make the
acetate rayon stockings 30 and
one-half inches in length in com
parison with the average 29 inch
length.
News about socks is that they
will be limited to seven colors. And
henceforth, the length of the sock
will depend upon foot size. For
instance, a foot size 8 will have a
leg measuring seven inches. This
information should be of special
interest to farm women and girls
who now wear socks far more
than in former years.
Rodent Control Is
Effective Means
To Save Much Food
COLLEGE STATION—Rodent
control is an effective means of
saving substantials amounts of
food and feed yearly in Texas,
according to R. B. Hickerson. He
is the district field assistant of the
state Rodent Control Service wor
king in cooperation with the A.
and M. College Extension Service.
Wild creatures which feed up
on field crops include gophers,
rats and jack rabbits. In the same
category are coyotes and moun
tain lions which harm poultry and
livestock. Destruction of these ani
mals reduces the amount of grain,
peanuts, rice and other food and
feed they steal yearly, and at the
same time makes more pastures
for livestock.
Listing some results of con
trol work, Hickerson says that
in 1936 forty sections of the
Means ranch near Valentine was
practically worthless for grazing
because of prairie dog infesta
tion. An intensive control cam
paign resulted in an estimated 99
per cent kill. Clean up was con
ducted in 1938, 1939 and 1940. A
check in January of this year
showed less than 10 acres infested.
Hickerson says that the ranch
now carries 1,000 more cattle and
4,000 more sheep than was possi
ble prior to the control campaign.
Illustrating the depredations of
pocket gophers, Hickerson says
that Chester Latham, county com-
LOUPOT’S
Watch Dog of the
Aggies
missioner of Marion County, esti
mates he lost 500 bushels of his
1942 peanut crop to these rodents.
A bushel of peanuts was found
in one gopher store room. But be
fore planting his 1943 crop, La
tham treated the area with poi
soned maize for control of the
pest.
Coyetes were responsible for
the loss of 100 sheep and 85 hens
and turkeys in Jim Wells County
this year. Hunters employed by
WFA To Inspect
Housing Conditions
COLLEGE STATION—Repre
sentatives of the Office of La
bor, War Food Administration,
are expected to inspect housing fa
cilities in Colorado, Brazoria, and
Galveston counties in preparation
for the expected employment of
Mexican nationals in the rice har
vest, the Texas Extension Service
has been advised.
WFA labor representatives and
spokesman for the Rice Growers
Association met last week to
discuss plans for obtaining, dis
tributing and housing the workers.
No Mexicon nationals can be re
cruited in Mexico until the WFA
has approved housing facilities
and contracts have been signed
by the growers.
The Extension Service was ad
vised by Washington the first
week in August that Mexican na
tionals could be moved into Tex
as. Prior to August 7, the Mexi
can government had not agreed
for nationals to come into the
state because of alleged discrimi
nations.
While no indication has been
given of the number of Mexican
workers which may be obtained,
C. Hohn, assistant state agent
for the Extension Service, says
rice growers have requested about
3,500. The rice growing area now
is considered the most critical
section in the state with regard
to farm labor.
The War Manpower Commis
sion already has certified need
for 850 Mexican workers to the
Farm Labor Office of WFA. That
means these imported laborers
will not compete with farm labor
already available. Certification of
approximately 2,000 Mexican na
tionals for this area is believed
likely.
the county have taken 101 bob
cats and 661 coyetes in the past
12 months, Hickerson says. A male
mountain lion weighing 151 pounds
caught by dogs in southern Kin
ney County is credited with de-
troying 150 sheep and goats es
timated worth 900.
When in Doubt About Your
Eyes or Your Glasses
Consult
DR. J. W. PAYNE
Optometrist
109 S. Main Bryan
Next to Palace Theatre
LOUPOT’S
Where You Always Get
a Fair Trade
Your Appearance Counts---
Keep your hair trimmed frequent
ly—your appearance counts very
much when you are in uniform. Be
smart and neat. We will be glad to
serve you.
YMCA & VARSITY BARBER SHOP
Old “Y”
New “Y’
PRESERVE YOUR CLOTHES
Dirt and grit in the weaves of the
material of your clothing is one of
the great cause of wear. Preserve
your clothing and give them a much
longer life by having us clean them
properly by the best and latest
methods. Properly cleaned clothing
wears much longer and you will look
neater and better pressed —
By
PROPER CLEANING
Campus Cleaners
Phone 4-5114
Over Exchange Store