Page 2
THE BATTALION
THURSDAY AFTERNOON, APRIL 26, 1945
The Battalion
STUDENT WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Office, Room 5, Administration Building. Telephone 4-6444
Texas A. & M. College
BACKWASH
Backwash: An agitation resulting from some action or occurence.”—Webster.
The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of
Texas and the City of College Station is published weekly, and circulated on Thursday
afternoon.
Entered as second class matter at the Post Office at College Station, Texas, under
the Act of Congress of March 3, 1870.
Subscription rate $3.00 per school year. Advertising rates upon request.
Represented nationally by National Advertising Service, Inc., at New York City,
Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Member
Plssocierted Gr>lle6iate Press
Dick Goad
Editor-in-Chief
Ed Wendt Sport Editor
L. H. Calahan Feature Editor
R. F. Huston Sports Writer
F. B. DeLafosse Sports Writer
R. L. Bynes Intramural Editor
Dick Dillingham N....N Intramural Writer
J. B. Clark Staff Photographer
G. K. Dugan Circulation Manager
Reporters: J. L. Everett,
Rev Will Have Her Fitting Marker . . .
The stage show held in Guion Hall Friday night brought
to a close the Reveille Fund drive. Initiated at the beginning
of this semester, the campaign was begun to obtain sufficient
funds for the erection of a fitting monument for the unkept
grave of our beloved former mascot, Reveille. Twenty-five
dollars had already been donated the previous semester and
during the first few weeks of this term the freshmen in
Dormitory Two voluntarily gave one hundred and twenty-
/ two dollars more. With nearly one hundred and fifty dollars
to begin with, final plans to obtain the remainder of the
money needed for a suitable marker were made. It was de
cided to hold a Reveille Memorial night in Guion Hall with
all proceeds going to her tribute. With the entire corps con
tributing one hundred percent the show was very success
ful and slightly over five hundred dollars was taken in.
This brought the grand total to approximately six hundred
and fifty dollars, enough to cover the cost of a fitting
monument.
. As yet, the marker to be erected has not been decided
on but one is expected to be approved shortly so that the
final resting place of one we loved so well may not continue
to remain a disgrace but will be properly distinguished.
The corps can well be proud of itself for the manner in
which it supported this worthy effort. With only twelve
hundred students now enrolled, over six hundred dollars was
contributed, an outstanding achievement. If a corps of six
thousand ever returns to Aggieland as it is sure to do, it
would be a high honor indeed for them if they could dis
play the cooperation and enthusiasm for such a project as
the present cadet corps has.
Each member of the corps should take great pride and
consider it a privilege to have been able to contribute to
such a cause for each has had a part in keeping an integral
part of A. & M. with us forever in a fitting manner. If Rev
were alive today, she would not cuddle up to you or lick
your boots, but she would have a certain gleam in her eyes
that would tell you she knew that Aggies were still Aggies I
and that the friendly ( true, and loyal atmosphere she once
lived in and enjoyed so much had not vanished. Rev loved
Aggieland and Aggies loved her as she loved them. She
will soon have her fitting marker.
A Letter to the Editor ...
The Battalion of April 19 carried- the first complete
list of Aggies killed in this war. At midnight, Saturday,
April 21, cadet buglers blew the last Taps for these four
hundred and fifty men in a ceremony which is perhaps the
most significant and the. most deeply touching of all the
rituals of A. and M.—the Aggie “Silver Taps”.
We learn of the deaths of these Aggies with mixed
emotions. Perhaps the most common is the self-protective
“Well, it’s War!” And so it is. But in the last analysis we
cannot protect ourselves fro mthe pain of losing these men
—our students, and our friends. As we sit at our desks
we have within reach of our hands letters from some,
greeting cards from all corners of the world, sent by others.
We find it impossible fully to realize that from these men,
at least, there will be no further word.
In these trying times the so-called intellectual virtues
of objectivity and calm analysis have their places, as al
ways. We realize only too well that loss of life is the in-
ize too that life bears with it the burden of human dignity,
evitable corollary of the ghastly farce of war. And we real-
and that sentiment becomes cheap in the face of the price
paid by our dead.
But for all our reasoning, we remember these men as
friends—not as materials of war. As we read their names,
their faces and their voices are again with us. J. 0. But
ler—tall and clean-cut, his browned face glinting in the
summer sun as he swings his racket in an overhead smash;
Claude Riggs, stocky, blond and quiet, with the deep-seated
courtesy and the calm thoughtfulness which were so out
standingly his traits; Cy McCaskill—his slow drawl and his
shrewd ability to cut to the core of an issue under discus
sion; Howard Brians—on the front row in the classroom
because he wanted to stretch those long legs comfortably,
but always forgetting to stretch in his eagerness to take
part in some interesting argument—on or off the subject
of the day’s recitation. . . .
Gentlemen all, we miss you. To us you are more than
names in print, more than stars on a flag, more even than
the crystal notes of “Silver Taps”, floating over Aggieland
under a midnight sky in April. We know that in this dance
of death which is war there can be no place for long griev
ing, and we know that you would want it so. We know too,
that time will dim your faces from our sight, and that in
time your voices will be still—and that we will, indeed, be
ing human, eventually forget. But today we miss you most
deeply. You were our friends, our students, our sons, and
our brothers—you “lads who will never grow old”. May
God rest you.
—A reader.
There is a homely adage which runs. “Speak softly and
carry a big stick; you will go far.” If the American nation
will speak softly and yet build and keep at a pitch of the
highest training a thoroughly efficient navy, the Monroe
Doctrine will go far.—Theodore Roosevelt.
By Junior Canis
PRESIDENT GILCHRIST
ENTERTAINS
A gay time was had by all at
President Gilchrist’s informal ban
quet held recently. After a sump
tuous meal in Sbisa Hall the
group adjourned to the President’s
house where group singing and
good old “Aggie Bull” were the
main diversions of the evening.
With Captain Walter Sullivan at
the keys, Gibb Gilchrist on the
Mandolin, and Joe Skiles making
with the “sweet? and low, the roof
was seen; to shudder several times.
The quartet of Dan McGurk, Jere
Higgs, J. B. Kearby and Bob
Zivney is definitely a “must” for
the next stage show in Guion Hall.
Never before had such sounds
been heard as were issued by this
famed four to the tune of “Wild
cat Kelly” and “Cornin’ Round the
Mountain.” Upholding the honor of
the Junior and Sophomore Classes
respectively, Eli Barker and Dick
Baugh added their bit to “crash
on the highway” and the like.
HATS OFF TO WYBLE
AND AVERY
Hats off this week to Stanley
Wyble and his A Company Fresh
men who really got the' Trophy
Case cleaned up for the visitors on
the campus over the weekend.
Prior to their little “dusting” job
the plaques and medals were al
most invisible as usual with the
dust caked over them. This is a
sad condition for the trophy case
of a school which takes as much
pride in its athletic recoi’d as A.
& M. does. Thanks to the A Com-
panymen the class of ’95 and other
visitors saw the case in one of its
rare appeai’ances, not as it is
usually allowed to remain. Well
done, Stanley. While we’re in com
plimentary manner, Hank Avery
should be remembered as the boy
who did such a swell job in author
ing the Muster program held in
Guion Saturday night. A lot of
thought, time, and hard work went
into the production of that pro
gram.
TESSIE “FISH” IN SPOTLIGHT
Once again all x’oads lead to
Tessieland as the spry and gay
little “Fish” will hold their an
nual Freshman Ball Saturday
night. Seems quite a few gallant
Aggies will make the long trek
this weekend despite the “cloister
ed” atmosphere and 12:15 cur
few.
At this time we would like to
correct a false interpretation gath
ered by many who attended the
corps ball in Sbisa Hall Saturday
night. That was NOT Frank Sina-
tx-a who sang “Into Each Life Some
Rain Must Fall”. It was Burl
Ervin. This must be disappointing
to Doc Kelty and Whiskey Har
per whose limp forms wei’e caught
just in time as they headed floor-
wax’d when Burl gave out on the
first few notes. Oh, that boy!
Those planning to enter West
Point soon, take notice! Beginning
with the class entering the acad
emy in July an intensive Infan
try course similar to the one given
at OCS will be given all cadets
prior to their entry into the school.
THOSE TANNED AG
STUDENTS
Has -anyone noticed the remark
able tans which the Ag students
are sporting these days? Their
secret formula is very complicated,
adhering to Ag traditions of the
past. Just lie in the sun on your
back each afternoon from one till
six on a blanket or on the ground.
Don’t move or exercise, just sleep.
But that isn’t the complicated
part. If you want your back to
tan also, you must roll all the way
over on your stomach. One prere
quisite though is that you must
not have any classes during the
afternoon, not even R. S. No of
fense meant, Spragins, Evans, dag
gers, Brown. Also, it has been men
tioned several times that our pop
ular trumpeter (who sounds taps,
axxd x’eveille among his other many
accomplishments should sound pre
mature taps each night around
8:30 for these hax'dworking lads
that they might be sent to bed in
a fitting cex'emony. Bless their
hearts!
(See BACKWASH, Page 4)
PENNY’S SERENADE
By W. L. Penberthy n
A short time ago I heax’d two
men discussing a mutual friend
who had sexwed in the army with
them. One of the
«8|J| nxen said, “I never
|| called him in to
M ask his help in the
1 solution of a
problem that he
didn’t immediate-
1M ly go on the de-
|§§1 fensive and give
/ , a dozen reasons
:i| why the problem
. 4 |! could not be
solved instead of
offering one con-
Penberthy structive idea for
its solution.” I am sure all of us
know people of this type.
The old saying is that “where
there’s a will, there’s a way” but
I am afraid that in too many in
stances we x’ecognize that it will
take real effort to woi’k out a satis
factory solution to a problem and
the making of excuses is compara
tively easy, and gets easier with
practice. If there is anything" that
irks an instnxctor, it is to have
to listen to excuses when he is
seeking the correct answer or the
proper pex’foi’mance.
I feel that what our attitude
should be is very well brought out
by a story told me by the late
Mr. W. A. Duncan. He told of a
riding club that had planned to
give a big banquet. Before the
banquet was held, one of the
members of the committee con
ceived the idea that it would be
very appropriate to have the meal
served by waiters mounted on
horseback. When the steward of
the hotel was approached on the
matter he felt he should pass that
one on to the manager for a deci
sion, which was done. When it
was put up to the manager, he
didn’t offer reasons why it should
not or could not be done—but
turning to the steward said: “If
they are willing to pay the price,
serve the banquet any way they
want it.” And the banquet was
served from horseback.
By Dr. A1 B. Nelson
The Russians are in Berlin. Dx'ew
Pearson, and other radio news
casters have revealed that when
American troops were in the out
skirts of the German capitol the
Russians demanded that U. S.
troops retire and allow them to
capture the city. Most Americans
are willing that the Russians do
the job and make
the manpower
sacrifice involved
but the Russian
ax-mies were with
in; thiidy miles of
Berlin while the
Americans were
more than three
hundred miles
away so it is a
good time to men
tion for the rec
ord that t h N e
American Armies broke the Ger
man military strength and travel
ed three hundred miles across
Germany while the Germans had
the Russian Armies stopped cold.
Thirty Thousand shipyard work
ers will be laid off per month
through the remainder of 1945. On
the face of it this will solve the
government manpower problem,
but government officials are afraid
that shipyard workers will not
take jobs at lower pay rates so
the govexmment wanted to draft
men to take the lower pay jobs.
This was one of the reasons for
the government manpower bill.
President Truman is said to
favor the merger of the War De
partment and the Navy Depart
ment into one unified Department
of National Defense which would
do away with much of the duplica
tion and senseless bickering which
sometimes delayed the war effort
in the early days of our par
ticipation. The President’s attitude
will possibly be the deciding fac
tor in this controversy of many
years standing.
The San Francisco Conference
on World Organization opened
Wednesday night amid gloomy
predictions of failure from many
sources. The great handicap seem
ed to be the uncompromising Rus
sian demand for complete domina
tion of all the smaller nations of
Nelson
By Edna B. Woods
A person who selects his books
from lists of “blue-ribbon” best
sellei's seldom realizes that he
misses some of the best modern
reading. Reviewed here are two
books that you may want to re
consider and a recent one that you
shouldn't miss.
A Place in the Sun by Frank
Fentoxx was published in 1942. It
is the story of Rob Andrews who
became crippled as a child when
he fell off a picket fence, and tu
berculosis developed in his hip
bones. Sensitive Rob had leaned
on his Mother for years, and with
her death at the beginning of the
story, Rob is practically alone.
He neither resembles nor under
stands his brother Sam, a member
of the local police force, so he
starts out for California in Sam’s
discax'ded Model A touring car.
In his pocket is his share of the
money from the sale of the old
home place.
Rob’s experiences in search of
his place in the sun are the nar
rative, and the author’s descrip
tion of Rob’s sensitiveness as a
cripple to people and to their ac
tions toward him is thoughtful and
very well done. Rob is continuous
ly conscious of a necessity to get
a job or to learn a trade; he com
pares himself with normal indivi
duals who pursue conventional oc
cupations. Yet, no bunxing ambi
tion or desire to accomplish any
thing in particular challenges his
energies. When questioned about
his occupation, Rob conceals his
lack of professional ambition by
replying that he has been working
on an idea or that he is consider-.
ing a project. Meanwhile, he is
seriously concerned with his in
activity.
Seventeen miles from the heart
of Los Angeles, in the tip end
of the San Fernando Valley, Rob
rents a cottage, deposits his mea
gre possessions, and decides to
stay until he can think of some
thing better to do. In this small
colony he becomes acquainted
with Jonathan Shane, a composer
of music. Shane proves to be an
amiable if irregular companion,
and together they promote plenty
of excitement for two full-bodied
men. The most compelling scenes
from the book are those which
Rob shares with a night club
singer with whom he falls in love.
A Place in the Sun, Frank Fen
ton’s only book to our knowledge,
has plenty of action, and its plot
moves rapidly. The conversation
is good; the characters are for
the most part real, sometimes
salty, but always interesting.
The novel Tobacco Road caused
so much comment and the play
adapted from it was such a spec
tacular success that Erskine Cald
well’s reputation as a writer of
highly realistic literature has been
permanently established. Tragic
Ground, Mr. Caldwell’s most re
cent book, attracts attention not
only because of the author’s repu
tation but also because it depicts
another desperate type of Amer
ican life.
Tragic Ground reveals without
reserve the problems of war plant
eastern Europe, more especially
Poland. If there is to be permanent
peace in the world it must be
founded upon the principles of
equal justice for large and small
nations alike. If the conference
compromises at the expense of this
principle no peace will be lasting
and no woxdd organization ca^ be
worthwhile, but if the nations
come together with a genuine de
sire for permanent peace it may be
that the next generation may live
and die without knowing a major
war.
THURS. - FRI. - SAT.
“Winged Victory ,,
Lon McAlister
SUN. - MON. - TUBS.
“Something for the
Boys”
Carmen Miranda
workers who lose their jobs when
their factory closes down. The
story is set in the outlying dis
trict of a Gulf Coast industrial
town. This pax’ticular ‘shanty
town” is appropriately called
“Poor Boy”. These unfortunate
wox’kex-s move to Poor Boy with
radios, cars, and I’efrigerators,
which they bought on the install
ment plan. They dispose of these
prize pieces one by one to obtain
money for a little food and a lit
tle pleasure.
Specifically, Tragic Ground is
the story of Spence Douthit, his
wife Maud, who lay on a cot all
spring and summer with chills
and fever demanding bottle after
bottle of Dr. Monday’s stomach
tonic, and of their daughter Mavis,
who left home at thirteen in search
of excitement. Mavis’ escapades
attracted the attention of the
Welfare Department. A welfare
department was beyond the realm
of Spence’s experiences, and when
it descended upon him in the form
of an experienced spinster and
her young trainee, he was com
pletely baffled. Spence’s attempt
to effect Mavis’ return and at the
same time to find her a husband
. . someone with enough money
to finance their return trip to
Beasley county ... is an unfor
gettable episode.
In reality, the people of Tragic
Ground are pathetic. Their future
is non-existent to them, and the
present is measured in terms of
biological appetites t and imme
diate satisfaction. They are eter
nally hopeless. The problems of
Tragic Ground are genuine; the
characterization is excellent, and
Erskine Caldwell’s style is thor-
Opens I P.M. — 4-1181
THURSDAY — Last Day
“BRIDE BY
MISTAKE”
— starring —
Laraine Day - Alan Marshall
— Plus —
' Cartoon and Short
Double Feature
FRIDAY and SATURDAY
No. 1
EDGAR BARRIER
LOIS COLLIER
MARY NASH
MORONI OLSEN
Samuel S. HINDS
and
LON CHANE\
“■"as Hava ~
No. 2
Mirier. MAOTl • RlHari llSMW • Anilill WARD • frrHIt MESCU • Mil*,! STEWAB
SUNDAY and MONDAY
Cary
Gram
m<iEthel Barrymore
And Look!!!
“BUGS” BUNNY
—- 3 Days —
TUBS. - WED. - THURS.
SAMUEL G0LDWYN ^
s'*"”*
BOB HOPE ,0^
W PR .«i, VIRGINIA MAYO
tslMMd faoueh KO RADIO PICTURES. INC
— Plus —
Merrie Melody — Cartoon
Short Subject
oughly effective. But surpassing
all of these characteristics is the
deep vein of humor which nxns
through the entire story.
The welfare of the Nation is
to a large extent dependent on the
perpetuation of our forests.—Her
bert Hoover.
=£*<•• •>>•£=
Phone 4-1166
ADMISSION
IS STILL
Tax Included
Box Office Opens at 1 P.M.
Closes at 8:30
3N . 9c & 20c
FRIDAY and SATURDAY
Double Feature
—and—
“MR. BIG”
—with—
Donald O’Conner
Gloria Jean
Robert Paige
Also News of Day presents
Nation’s Final Tribute to
ROOSEVELT & TRUMAN’S
First Talk to Nation!
SATURDAY 9:30 PREVUE
SUNDAY and MONDAY
!2 rf f«Af/fO(o f ,
2q
and his orchestra arnwroi
—added—
“A LADY FIGHTS
BACK”
John Nesbitt’s narration
of a U. S. Carrier’s fight
for life!
TUBS. - WED. - THURS.
SUE VERONICA
miir 'Hie
Sid* by side in bailie
with the men they love!
CLAUDETTE
in Paramount's
Meet SONNY TUFTS
I’aramount'i new star!
»MARK SANDRICH rrooiiction
also Latest News of the Day
and Musical.