Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 17, 1945)
Page 2 THE BATTALION THURSDAY AFTERNOON, MAY 17, 1945 The Battalion STUDENT WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Office. Room 5, Administration Building. Telephone 4-5444 Texas A. & M. College 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 Pbsociaied CpUeftiate Press Editor-in-Chief Ed Wendt F. B. DeLafosse ... . Soptr Editor 1 R. L. Bynes Sports Writer ' J. B. Clark G K Dugan Circulation Manager Intramural Editor Staff Photographer You Are Potential Aggies . . . This issue of the BATTALION is being sent to many high schools in Texas to be distributed to those boys grad uating soon. It is so designed to take the place of a bulletin or message to each graduate that he may familiarize him self in a small way with the everyday life of A. & M. This paper can do no more though, for it can not properly inform him of the countless intangibles associated with Aggieland which have so distinguished A. & M. from other institu tions of learning. . But let’s go back to the beginning of this unique phe nomena that we may better know and understand the tradi tions and principles for which this college is so famed. In a very unimpressive initiation, A. & M. first opened its doors in 1876, intent on specializing in a curriculum pri marily dedicated to Agriculture and Engineering. But only six pioneering hopefuls registered for the first semester. This necessitated the declaration of a six week holiday where upon the indignant faculty and a handful of students vanished into the back country, corralling prospective stu dents. When once again the college doors were opened the registration chart listed the names of forty enrollees; a very humble beginning but a determined one. The years passed and still the college rolls increased and the fame of the Texas Aggies was spread to the four winds. Then disaster struck in Europe in the form of the first world war and A. & M. rolls were depleted as more and more men who had proudly worn the AMC’s on their collar left the campus to bring fame and glory to themselves and their school in the bitter mud and cold of France. Fifty- two of those who laid down their bookt* to fight for their country never returned to pick them up. Though they lie now in. Flanders Field their spirit and memory are vivid and alive in the school they loved so well. They have not been forgotten. Normal, peacetime living returned once again and life at Aggieland began anew. The years rolled by and with the passing of each year the fame of A. & M. grew. The undefinable Spirit of Aggieland became entrenched deeper and deeper in the hearts and minds of those who came in contact with it. More and more high school graduates were consistently drawn to the campus until a, peak enrollment of almost eight thousand cadets was achieved in 1942. With this enrollment A. & M. had grown, attaining national prominence as an institution of learning. Scholastically, the College ranks at the top. In the Military Science Depart ment, A. & M. surpasses all, having furnished more officers to the army than any other school, including West Point. More than sixteen thousand former students have answered their country’s call to the service and of these over thirteen thousands are officers. The record speaks for the school. Aggies are a proud lot, and rightfully they should be. Everyone is conscious of the record that has been made by Texas Aggies in the present conflict. Twenty-nine graduates are now generals, including General Bruce, inventor of .the Tank Destroyer and General George F. Moore, defender of Corregidor. Other distinguished former students include Ensign Gay, sole survivor of Torpedo Squadron 8, and Cap tain Johnny Hilger, Bomber pilot who participated in the first bombing of Tokyo. Also, of the nine Texans who have been accorded the nation’s highest honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor, three were Texas Aggies. All three receiv ed the award posthumously. They are representatives of the thousands of Aggies now engaged in this total war. But they were just high school graduates such as you before they came to the home of “The Fighting Texas Ag gies” ; before they had instilled into their senses all of the rich and magnificent qualities that A. & M. embodies. They were a little dubious too before they stepped on the cam pus to confirm their doubts, but they stayed, enduring their ups and downs, and when they left the campus after four long years they were real Aggies. And they wouldn’t have traded those four years spent at Aggieland for any price. An Aggie has that feeling. You are potential Aggies. Make the most of it. The Henry Culp Affair . . . In their initial conference meeting of the season last month a Texas u. baseball squad defeated the Aggie nine 14-0. Winning pitcher for the Longhorns was Henry C. Culp, twenty-eight year old discharged veteran. Last week, Bruce Layer, sports editor of the Houston Post, unearthed evidence proving Culp to have pitched professional baseball during 1937 and 1938 in Texas and Arkansas leagues. This evidence was submitted to conference faculty representatives in Dallas Saturday and the result was the complete exoneration of Texas u. officials. The committee allowed the result of the game to stand as before despite the ineligibility of Culp, who pitched the entire game. It seems strange indeed that an incident such as the above mentioned should be treated so lightly by officials representing the Southwest Conference. This athletic con ference made up of the seven Texas institutions of higher learning is regarded as one of the finest in the nation and each year it produces some of the outstanding athletes and teams of the sporting world. Yet, conference officials allow such a disgusting, demoralizing infringement of conference rules to go practically unnoticed. What is the destiny of the league if such practices are allowed to become a casual oc currence ? When A. & M. teams take the field they should be able to believe that they will be competing against teams who are restricted to their category and men who are autho rized to compete under conference regulations. Otherwise, a degrading aspect will be inserted into intercollegiate com petition which will destroy the whole purpose of the pro gram. Conference officials and not sports writers, should make it their responsibility that such subversive acts do not occur, or ever need to be feared/ A. & M. lost the ball game to Texas but this was not the stinging blow. The fact that underhanded elements con tributed to the defeat has cast a shadow on the game and the record of Texas u. that a casual exoneration by con ference officials will never erase. It is surprising that Aggie coaches have allowed the af fair to be settled in such a gloved-hand method. BACKWASH Backwash: “An agitation resulting from some action or occurence.”—Webster. _• ' By Junior Canis To the Prospective Fish Many of the hig-h school students receiving- today’s edition of the Batt will eventually wind up in the long- registration lines in front of the Administration Building come June 4. To these prospective Fish today’s column is devoted. As you future Kimbrough’s and Thomason’s wil soon learn after- spending a few moments on the campus, A. & M. is notshke any school you’ve ever . been to be fore. It’s just a little section of the United States with its own quaint but endearing customs and a mode of life that has always bewilder ed many. Although still bewilder ing to a few who don’t know why boys come to an all male school and who can’t understand why certain traditions can be so deeply in stilled in the hearts of Aggies, A. & M. still remain as it has always been, a man’s school. But, you don’t have to take my word for it, just scan the rec ord made by A. & M. graduates. Fish Tips A high school visitor to the cam pus recently was invited to have lunch in the mess hall. He was as surprised as you will be when he heard his former high school bud dies talking in such terms as, “Here comes the gum shoe with more gun wadding,” “Shoot me the lube,” “What’s the cush today?” “Pass me a shovel of sawdust and a glass of,sky.” No, he was still sane and his ears weren’t deceiving him. What’s it all about ? Just a little old Aggie slanguage. It will seem strange to you but so did it seem strange to thousands of other men- who came to A. & M. for the first time. And oh, yes, it isn’t just idle chatter either. That is, if you still care to eat. You’ll have to know these terms men if you want to make use of your appetite. Here are a few of them: Beans, artillery; hot-cakes, blankets; catsup, blood; meat, bull neck; eggs, cackle; milk, cow; dessert, cush; black pepper, dirt; butter, grease; bread, gun wad ding; gravy, lube; salad, rabbit; syrup, reg; salt, sand; sugar, saw dust; pepper sauce, shotgun; spoon, shovel; water, sky; lemon, sour; carrots, sunshine; toothpicks, tim ber; potatoes, spuds; mustard, baby; pickles and onions, sour rabbit; macaroni or spaghetti, worms; and a cup, china. Also well for the freshman to know are a few other terms associated with certain aspects of, life at .Aggie land. These include: Dusty, an Ag gie short in stature, built too close to the ground. Feather-legs, one who uses chicken practices. Ca dence, the Freshman’s Bible. Dean’s Team, list of students passing less than ten hours of work; candidates for one way corps trips. Bird dog, the third party of “three’s a crowd.” Bleed, to gripe. Bull, The, that rarely seen individual whose existence shadows and knows our every move, the Commandant. And, oh yes, the Bryan 400, that select group of Bryan’s feminine society which allows itself to be dated only by Seniors. This group has been depleted slightly lately. No, I know these terms didn’t come from Webster’s Dictionary, but they’re included in every Ag gie’s vocabulary. And take my ad vice and learn them before you come down here. It will improve first and second year cadet rela tions. PENNY’S SERENADE By W. L. Penberthy The summer I graduated from high school one of my classmates applied fpr a position at a factory in my home town. When asked what qualifica tions he had he proudly stated that he was a High School grad uate., Nowadays employers do not ask if their pros pective employees s:- are college grad- ill uates, they ask where he received his degree. My fine dad, Penberthy who made many sacrifices so that I could have an education, held that a college education prepared one in such a way that he was ready and wait ing when an opportunity present ed itself—I think he had it well figured. We hear a lot of talk these days about supply in connection with the waging of the war. An army can move only as fast and as far as its supply lines will let it, and then it has to call a halt until it can accumulate enough supplies to enable it to make another ad vance. It must be prepared. I am of the opinion that such is the case in our individual lives. We need preparation in order to go places in this world and the indi vidual who attempts to succeed without the preparation gained through a college education is at a great disadvantage. As in the case of the Army, we can stretch our supply lines just so far and then we must call a halt and do a little catching up in the way of increasing our knowledge in our particular field. I never saw a per son who knew too much about his particular vocation. Muster In Italy Texas A. and M. College Alumni Club members of the Med iterranean Theater of Opera tions in their 1945 Muster pro gram in Italy paid tribute to Aggie soldiers who have died in action. Committees for the Muster in cluded Colonel Henry S. Robert son, of Syracuse, New York, class of 1912, honorary chairman; Col. Manly B. Gibson, San Francisco, California, class of 1917, honorary chairman in charge of refresh ments; Colonel Jack E. Finks, Aus tin, Texas, 1925, chairman in charge of attendance, assisted by Lt. Col. L. E. Wood, Bryan, Texas, 1923, and Lt. Col. George D. Smith, Jr., San Antonio, Texas, 1930. Among the others present were Lt. Col. M. C. Engel, San Anton io, Texas, class of 1929; Lt. Col. Kurt H. Welgehausen, Houston, Texas, 1929; Lt. Col. J. W. Hull, Sonora, Texas, 1935; Major D. W. Williams, College Station, Texas; Major John W. Upchurch, Mart, Texas, 1934; Major John A. Wor ley, Dallas, Texas, 1934; Major H. E. Meisell, Gainesville, Texas, 1936; Major Larry Crow, Waco, Texas, 1938; Major R. L. Dailey, Texarkana, Texas, 1922; Major G. A. Ralls, College Station, Texas, 1934. And Captain George T. Young, Fort Worth, Texas, 1922; Capt. J. A. Pranglin, Pearsall, Texas, 1932; Capt. Fred V. Lillie, San Antonio, Texas, 1933; Captain W. J. Mc Bride, Falfurrias, Texas, 1942; Lt. G. U. Mueller, Kenedy, Texas, 1927; Lt. Joe E. Carstens, Houston, Texas, 1938; Lt. R. R. P. Brauchle, San Antonio, Texas, 1938; Lt. Le roy W. Shane, Star, Texas, 1942; Lt. Alex J. Mayer, Henderson, Ky., 1943; Lt. R. M. Stacey, San An tonio, Texas, 1943; Lt. Charles G. Sones, Houston, Texas, 1944; and Private Joseph L. Moody, Nash ville, Arkansas, 1946. Two visitors present were Col. Douglas W. Lawley and Major Aubry Nathan, both of San An tonio, Texas. CLASS OF 1946 SILVER TAPS: Pfc. Luther Marney Tillery, paratrpoper of the 82nd Airborne Division, was kill ed in action in France on March 14. Lt. Huie Lamb, of Abilene, now with the 8th Air Force, is wearing the DFC and the Air Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters. Sgt. Jack E. Turner is now at the AAF ORD, Greensboro, N. C. A/C James A. Luscombe, of An ne, recently received his wings from Blackland AAF at Waco. Sgt. James W. Cooper is in OCS at Fort Benning, Georgia. Lt. Frank E. Price, Jr., is with the 207th AAFBU, Biggs Field, Texas. Pfc. Charles W. Read, Jr. reports that he is somewhere in Germany. A/C Joseph P. Mueller has been transferred to the USP school at Chapel Hill, N. C. Clarence Hunter, S 2/c, of Uvalde, has reported to Columbia University’s Midshipman School. Glen C. Richardson is now sta tioned at the USNTC, Great Lakes, 111. Francis J. Smythe, minister of the First Christian Church in Bryan, contributed this review in the observance of Religious Book Week, May 6-13. * * * In His Steps By Charles M. Sheldon The famous best seller In His Steps, by Charles M. Sheldon — a Congregational minister and editor for many years of the “Christian Herald”—was first written as a serial, and was published in a re ligious weekly, while the author was pastor of the Central Congre gational Church of Topeka, Kan sas. Because of a defect in the copyright, the novel was declar ed without legal ownership. It was published by some sixty or more publishers in America and abroad, thus giving the story a very wide circulation. Over three million copies were sold in England alone, and the book is reported to have greater circulation than any other book except the Bible. It has been translated into twenty-one languages, and is being widely used by church groups, and by college students in its drama form, even today, forty-nine . years after it was written. The author, presumedly still liv ing and in his eighty-eighth year, has published many other books and articles, including a later book entitled, In His Steps Today. Charles Sheldon was born in Weels- ville, New York, in 1857. Among the other pastorates which he min istered to was the above mentioned church, with which he was affil iated for twenty-three years. It was out of his practical experience as a minister that he wrote this immensely popular book about a minister, the Rev. Henry Maxwell, who determined to answer the chal lenge of Christianity’s practicabili ty by leading his congregation in taking for an entire year this standard of action, “What would Jesus do?” The results were start ling! The subsequent experiences of the fifty or so who volunteered to take this motto constitute one of the most inspiring Christian novels ever written. The basing of Christian discipleship on this pre mise created a spiritual revolu tion in the life of Henry Maxwell and in the group that followed him in the pledge. The profound and soul-shaking results of that sim ple question and its literal appli cation can hardly be anticipated by the most thoughtful reader. Few people would subject them selves to this literal testing of their Christianity as the principals in this novel did. Too many are satisfied with their own limited definition of Christian disciple ship to ask themselves, “What would Jesus do in my place?” To do so involves a spiritual up-heav- al! This book has qualities in it that stir the ^ouls of men, because it puts the fundamental principles of Jesus’ teachings into practical application. The problems and ex periences of Rachel Winslow — church soloist, Virginia and her brother Rollin Page, Edward Nor man—the newspaper man, Alexan dre Powell—railroad man, Milton Wright—storeman, Dr. Donald Marsh—President of Lincoln Col lege, Dr. West—physician, and many other members of the First Church in Raymond, along with various other ministers and towns people involved in this grand exper iment, make one of the most excit ing and inspiring literary exper iences the reader will ever ihave. No other book one can think of, has such personal and intimate impli cations in it for the reader him self (in the way of direct chal lenge to take this motto for one’s own) as has this epic tale of Christianity in everyday life. The deepest issues of life are in volved in this story of following in Jesus’ footsteps. The death of an itinerant printer, out of work and dying from tuberculosis, who stepped before the refined, well- groomed audience at First Church one Sunday morning, and in words of pain and pathos told how he had walked the streets of their town for days without help or even sympathy, except from their own minister (who said that he was sorry), and asked them what they and their pastor meant by “fol lowing Jesus” as they professed and as their pastor had just preach ed on, and who then collapsed to the floor in a faint (to die a few days later) was the soul-searing incident that precipitated the strange series of events that make up this novel. These are his words: “What do you Christians mean by following the steps of Jesus? What do you mean when you sing, “I’ll go with Him all the way”? My wife died four months ago. I’m glad she’s out of trouble. My little girl is staying with a printer’s family until I find a job. Somehow I get puzzled when I see so many Christians living in luxury and singing, “Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee” and remember how my wife died in a tenement in New York City, gasping for air and asking God to take the little girl too. Of course I don’t expect people can prevent every one from dying of starvation, lack of proper nourish ment and tenement air, but what does FOLLOWING JESUS mean? These words of the dying tramp burned like fire into the memory of the minister and those present. They were never to be forgotten, and they provided the theme of this story—the story of a minister and a church challenged to live the Christ-like life! It has been this book that has popularized the grand criteria of modern Christianity for the individual, “What would Jesus do?” The romantic element in the story is provided by the consecrated and gifted young choir singer Rachel Winslow—who gives her life and talent to help in the serv ices of the Gospel Mission down in he Rectangle (saloon-area of Raymond), and Rollin Page— the rich young society idler, converted in the Mission, and by Filicia Sterl ing and Stephen Clyde—a young couple who give their lives to work ing in the Settlement House (a project of two Raymond ministers) situated in the most wretched part of town. This is all the result of Henry Maxwell’s movement to get his church and the town of Raymond to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. The book is a real adventure in Christ ian thinking and deserves to be read by every person who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ. One can read far and wide with out coming upon a tale of Christ ian living more pregnant with meaning for this day than In His Steps, by Charles M. Sheldon. 30,- 000,000 copies that have been read bear the greatest testimony pos sible to the worth of this book. By Dr. A1 B. Nelson President Truman has fired the Federal District Attorney who prosecuted the Pendergast gang and sent Pender gast himself to prison. You and I are entitled to wonder whether or not this means the return o f what is left of the old gang to * > A ' "mk complete power in the State of Missouri. Peacetime Mil- Nelson itary training legislation has been laid aside by Congress until next fall, accord ing to reports from Washington. This is an explosive subject and Congress may ze expected to handle it with kid gloves until the individual members have time to feel out public sentiment. The Double Cross has one more been handed to her allies by Rus sia in regard to Austria. An agree ment had been made that the Al lies would jointly organize a tem porary Austrian government but Russia ignored her agreement, as she had previously done in regard to Roumania, Poland and Bulgar ia, and organized a government of her own choosing for Austria. This was done in spite of the fact that American troops liberated more Austrian territory than did the Russians. The Pro-Nazi Franco govern ment of Spain is still being ap peased and supported with money and supplies from the United States. This policy causes demo cratic nations over the world to distrust the motives and the lead ership of the United States. Ireland is another “nation” which has been permitted to grow rich on the necessities of the United Nations in spite of the in direct aid given our enemies. Prime Minister de Valera made a personal call on the German Am bassador in order to express his regrets at the death of Adolf Hitler. The Russian government has de manded that the Republic of Uru guay prevent its newspapers from publishing any articles critical of the Russian policies. The Govern ment of Ui:uguay refused the de mand. :Student Reviews: The movie, “The Keys of the Kingdom,” is a religious movie, but regardless of your religious de nomination you will enjoy every moment of this living story. The movie begins at the end, you might say. Father Chisholm (the leading character as portrayed by Gregory Peck) has just returned from China to his native parish in Scotland. The story is unravelled from a journal which he wrote dur ing his last days at the Chinese mission. The story goes back to his child hood days. Francis Chisholm was the son of Scottish parents. His father was Catholic and his moth er was Protestant. Because of his religious beliefs, his father was beaten. That same night Fi-ancis’ father and mother drowned while attempting to cross a flooded riv er. Francis was then taken under the custody of his father’s distant cousins, Ned and Polly. When Fran cis was ready for college, Polly sent him to Holy Well, a Catholic college, hoping that some day he would become a priest. Francis did not wish to enter the priesthood although he was a firm believer in his religion. His only intention after finishing college was to mar ry Nora, Polly’s niece. During Christmas of his last year at col lege, Francis did not come home as he had planned to. Nora knew that Francis did not wish to be come a priest, but yet Polly’s in fluence on him was stronger than hers. When he did not come home on Christmas, Nora thought that Francis had been deliberately kept away from home by Polly. She realized that her chances of marry ing Francis were now gone. As a result she lost control of herself and her emotions; and a baby was born to her illegitimately. She died as a result of the birth. This shock ing incident changed Francis’ mind and he decided to enter the priest hood. He failed miserably at the sem inary. He failed his first three curacies. Finally, he reached his goal and earned the title of Father Chisholm. As a priest, he was a failure. His attitude was somewhat different and his sermons were not up to standard. Once to a very stout lady who came to him for advice, he advised her to reduce as the pearly gates of heaven were not very wide. The bishop then decided to send him to China as a missionary. He was given the mission of St. Andrews in the province of Chekow. Prior to his arrival in China, the mission had been burned to the ground by some Chinese terrorists. Much to his surprise, Father Chisholm found that his job was not only to rebuild the mission and to revive the par ish, but also to rid the Chinese of the idea that they could sell their souls to him for some rice or an equivalent sum of money. After years of hard work and sacrifices, he succeeded in rebuilding the mis sion. His kind and tender heart won the admiration of his Chinese followers and the nuns in charge of the school. That is, all of the nuns except one, the Mother Su perior. Her arrogance was in direct contrast to Father Chisholm’s hum bleness and meekness. She could not understand why Father Chis holm worked like a Chinese day laborer, ate in the kitchen, kept his boots dirty and wore simple clothes. After a few years at the mission, she saw her injustice to Father Chisholm and went to him for repentance. After spending his lifetime in China, Father Chisholm came home. He had achieved and done more for the propagation of the Christian faith in China than any other missionary. Further more, he proved that with a little perseverance and hard work, you could overcome your drawback. The “Keys of the Kingdom” is a religious movie depicting the life of a priest and his religion. If you haven’t seen “The Keys of the Kingdom,” make it a point to see it at your first opportunity. R. Guerrero. D. B. Gofer, teacher.