Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 1944)
PAGE 4 THE BATTALION TUESDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 8, 1944 SOMETHING TO READ Edna B. Woods Ass’t Circulation Librarian The name Negro correctly pro nounced, is never objectionable to members of that race. But accord ing to some Negroes, to call one of their race a “Nigger” is to ag gravate unpleasant relations and sometimes to provoke bitter re sentment. To ask that we give dignity to a rising people by pronouncing the name of their race correctly, isn’t an unreasonable request. It’s only a small thing; it won’t solve the serious economic and educational problems that face us, but it may help to pave the way for a better understanding in the future. Think ing Americans, especially thinking Southerners—^because of the con centration of Negroes in the South —already realize the necessity for a workable solution. Development has been and continues to be slow, but the most glaring problems are forcing their own, sometimes ill- fated adjustments. The Negro in American literature is by no means a new idea. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Marc Connelly’s Green Pastures, and Engene O’Neill’s Emperor Jones are outstanding works of fiction. The life of George Wash ington Carver and Booker T. Wash ington’s, Up from Slavery are very fine biographies of two great Ne groes. The acuteness of the Negro problem in the past few years and increased consciousness of it are responsible for the many recent books on the Negro. In 1931, Edwin Embree published Brown America, an excellent, read able study of Negroes in America. This spring, a new, revised and impressively enlarged edition of Brown America came off the press. Brown America furnishes a com plete background picture, envelop ing all phases of Negro life, point ing out actual conditions, and characterizing the greatest Negro leaders. New World A-Coming, with a subtitle; Inside Black America, is another recent book summarizing the Black man’s history in the United States. Roi Ottley, reporter- author, has dealt primarily with Negroes of the North and East, and more specifically with the con glomeration of races in Harlem. A few seasons ago, Richard Wright’s, Native Son, the story of a young negro chaffeur who mur dered his white employer’s daugh ter, shocked many readers and pro duced a great furor. But none of these recent- books has created such a reaction as has Lillian Smith’s novel, Strange Fruit. Lillian Smith, a Southerner by birth and environment, is unani mously credited with the most sen sational book of the season. “The theme of Strange Fruit” is the frustration by our peculiar Amer ican racial situation of what would otherwise be a normal, successful, and incidentally a very beautiful relationship between two indivi duals.” Strange Fruit was banned from sale in Boston, and since its A Little Place . . . ... A Big Saving! LOUPOT’S publication has been the subject of comment by practically every general reading magazine publish ed. And even though many of the magazines disagree violently, as do many who read the book, all are impressed by it. That, I think, is perhaps its greatest accomplish ment. Strange Fruit arouses con sciousness of the problems that exist in our relations with Negroes. First of all, Strange Fruit is a powerful story. The love story of Nonnie Anderson, beautiful, intel ligent Negress in the town of Maxwell, Georgia, and Tracy Dean, son of one of Maxwell’s foremost white families, is complete and real. But the complications forced by the racial climate of Maxwell, typical of any other town in the deep South in the early 20’s, and of many still, in 1944, emotions further stirred by the heat and a vigorous summer revival meeting, take effect in the forms of a mur der and a cruel lynching. The love story loses its meaning, and once more we face the explosive problem of race relations. Strange Fruit is Miss Smith’s first novel. The relative strength of her characterizations may be questioned. Her insight into the Negro mind in some cases may not be accurate, but the excellent pic tures she presents of the town, its people, and the little black road from Maxwell to “Colored Town” is well done. Strange Fruit, daring in its story and realistic in its presentation, is powerful and im pressive because of the author’s deep feeling, sincerity' and honesty. —ROOM— (Continued from page 1) campus for the weekend and if necessary, Dormitory 15 will also be opened. Students expecting to have their guests stay in the dor mitories may begin reserving rooms for them at & o’clock Thurs day morning. A charge of 75 cents will be assessed for each guest. Aggies will be allowed to clean up their guests’ rooms from 1 to 3:30 Friday afternoon and the girls may enter the dormitories at 4 o’clock. Light-globes and linens will have to be furnished by those having guests in the dorms. Following the Regimental dance Friday night there will be an all service dance from 9 ’til 12 o’clock Saturday night in the Grove.' All Aggies and servicemen stationed on the campus may attend the Sat urday night dance. Tickets for the Regimental Ball will sell for $1.80 including tax while the charge for the all-service dance will be $1.20. Dress for the Regimental dance will be formal while Saturday night’s affair will necessitate in formal attire. Fifth Army Pictures On Surgical Dressings Shown In Bank Window Ultimate use of surgical dress ings being made in Brazos County is shown in a series of pictures now on display in the window of the First National Bank of Bryan. These pictures were made with the Fifth Army in Italy and show the dressings being handled in hospital units abroad* through the sterilizer and on to the dressing actually be ing used on a wounded soldier. The bank window also shows dressings being made in this country and the display includes sample sealed packages of dressings as they leave the work rooms in College Station and Bryan. Practically every woman making these dressings does so with the thought constantly before her of the aid she is personally rendering a wounded man on some battle front. The display window was ar ranged by Mrs. Betty Howard, Brazos county chairman of surgi cal dressings. Maybe the man who wrote the rubber check was just trying to stretch his money. HELP BRING VICTORY * * * BUY WaR BOaNDS TODAY! Fish Blotto Blunders On Annually ’ SAY/-LETS SLIP A REAL SHELL IN , C3NE OF THESE w ) f HAW / HAW / IT’LL SCARE J - THESE GUVS SILLY / TWEET/REST PERIOD/ now 5 our GHANce: come: on / r — BATTERY RIGHT THREE FIVE HUNDRED HOLY SMOKE/WET FORGOT ABOUT THE PROJECTILE/ JI5T EZACKLY 1 NAOT DID YOU5E HAVE TO DO WID y PIS? /who THE SAM HILL DID 1 THAT p I'LL COURT-MARTIAL SOMEBODY/ I'LL- I'LL— ^ yeah/ rain withTfoam on it ?Iyeh/ foam ON IT / r'V ‘ A ' pssst/ let's clear outa here while the colonel and X