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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 12, 1945)
Pai?e 2 THE BATTALION THTITTRSDAY AFTERNOON, JULY 12, 1945 h-i. hr! t-H 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. y . 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 Pbsoaded CoUe&iate Press J° hn /• Spragins, Jr : "“H'.lMana^ng Sam A. Nixon, Jr — REPORTERS K: ^. R , ViT- B - w - c “ wl ’’ " G. Reese, Will You Help . . . As the official newspaper of the College and of the City of College Station, THE BATTALION is interested m news of all sorts which has to do with either college oi community activity. Our reporting staff is limited m size, and our reporters are all students who are carrying a heavy war-time schedule of scholastic work. We are interested in the social life of the community: in your parties, your club meetings, your trips, youi out- of-town visitors, your illnesses, your achievements, it is difficult for our student reporters to keep in touch with these events unless you are willing to co-operate. With the multitude of curricular and extra-curricula,r departments and organizations on the A. & M. campus, it is next to impossible for our staff to contact everyone every week But we would like to know about your scholastic pro jects, your official and unofficial visitors, your technical and hometown clubs. We can understand the natural reticence of the aver age person to advise the press of news in which he is the central figure. But we want you to know that we aie anx ious to have it, and that we would like for you to call us at 4-5444 whenever you have news of any type. Will you help us? BACKWASH Backwash: “An agitation resulting from gome action or occurence.”—Webster. The Aggies at McCloskey . . . How gratifying and encouraging it must appear to those gallant Aggies now ponfined within the walls of Mc Closkey General Hospital to know that the corps of cadets has never allowed them to drift from within its thoughts. Those former cadets of A. & M. know with certainty that although they are out of sight to most of us, they are NOT out of mind, and knowing that as they do should make their long days in the hospital a little more cheerful. From an idea originated largely through P. L. Downs, ’06, those Aggies now convalescing at Temple were discov ered and were brought to the attention of the more fortunate Aggies all over the state. Scores of favors, many of them items of considerable cost, were bestowed upon those Ag gies there in order to make their confinement more pleas ant. All too often, the expense was personally borne by men like P. L. Downs; men who are only too eager to do all in their power to b^ing cheer and happiness to the incapacitated Aggies regardless of expense. But the fact remains that there is some little something that each and every one of us can do to help a fellow-Aggie along. It doesn’t have to be something intrinsic at all. Just keeping alive the memory of those Aggies who are “down and out” is about the sum total of their desires. Many fine gestures have already been extended to the Aggies at McCloskey. Perhaps the most outstanding is the blanket invitation to come to Aggieland next fall as guests and witness all our footfall games from choice fifty-yard line seats. Another commendable undertaking is that of the collection of vases to alleviate the shortage at McCloskey so that our men can enjoy fresh flowers that are continual ly being presented them by Aggie Mothers Clubs. Those things are the big things that require more expense than most cadets at A. & M. can afford; but there are a thous and and one little things that cost absolutely nothing that each of us can do. There are scores of things we each can do to make it known to those wounded Aggies that they are still a part of A. & M. and are not forgotten. Such things as a wild-cat when those men entered the mess hall last fall after a game did more to impress them than did the entire game. It is the speaking on the campus, the wild- catting, and the demonstration in their presence and out of their presence of being good Aggies that makes them realize that we have never forgotten them. Tentative plans exist at present to expand the program of aid for those wounded Aggies now returned. Trips in cluding cadets from the corps are being planned and it is possible that the Singing Cadets can include trips to the veterans hospitals to entertain our wounded in their sched ule of appearances. All these plans are being brought about in an endeavor to do the most possible to make the wounded Aggies a little happier. Besides backing all those wonderful plans to the limit, we, the corps, can contribute the most toward their happiness by keeping their memory evergreen, and the best way to do that is to display ourselves to them and to every one in a manner befitting the style of Aggies that they had such a large part in creating. THE BATTALION --SAYS-- BUY WAR BONDS By The Collaborators Junior Canis has gone. It seems that he found out about California’s big redwood forests with all the trees and everything, and so he took off immediately. Neverthe less, BACKWASH must go on, and we, The Collaborators, are just the men to carry it on and on and on. We pledge ourselves to carry on the good work, and to live up to the high journalistic standards set by our predecessors. In con clusion we pledge ourselves to plagiarize only the very best of stories, jokes, witty sayings, and Aggie tales. 0 The latest story concerns Mr. Tad Moses and Mr. E. E. McQuillen who invited a student to join them for a cup of coffee. “No thanks.” replied the student, “I have a class next hour and coffee keeps me awake.” 0 This next bit of information is strictly for the benefit of anyone who wants to be on his or her toes for the next couple of weeks. Louann’s, in Dallas, will be closed from this Tuesday night until the 26th of this month. Undoubtedly this will come as a severe shock to those of you who make this place your headquarters when in Dallas. Backwash is more dis appointed than shocked. 0 Backwash was astounded the other day to find a dozen or so pennies lying between the feet of Sully’s Statue. For the Middies of Annapolis it might be all right to toss coins at the feet of “Tecum- seh”, but Sally doesn’t need any money. The “Fish” will take care of him free of charge. P. S.—As far as “Backwash” knows, the pen nies are still there. 0 Oh, I am worried ’til I’m weary O’er this problem grave and deep. Shall I sleep and lose mj^ break fast, Or shall I rise and lose my sleep ? Purcell (Okla.) Bam 0 Remember all those drowsy aft ernoons you spent in the Assembly Hall watching bull text picture shows and trying to sleep in those hard, hard seats? Well it ain’t gonna be that way no more. The old Assembly Hall is going to be remodeled. Instead of being torn down as was first intended, the old place is going to be fixed up with air-conditioning, cushion seats and all the other trimmings. At last the Corps gets a first class motion picture house on . the campus. 0 Third floor Academic Building has a new rule. From now on every student who takes a course in the English Dept, must pass a pro ficiency test in grammar or have his grade in the course lowered a letter. Kinda tough on some of those fellows who were whizzes at grammar five years ago but who have lost that magic touch. 0 How about all the plans now afoot for solving the problem of what to do about the veterans now attending A. & M. for the first time? Seems that everybody has a different idea about how to get these men in the swing of the corps. Some of ; those fellows have really got the spirit and it would be a shame to pass up an oppor tunity like this to unite the student body. 0 Drag Line Bill Davis telling Bob Campbell that when he gets married he’s gonna get a straw hat like Bob’s —brown and white band and all. Fount Ray practicing up on a couple of Singing Cadet numbers during Sociology class. How about a solo, Ray? Those mournful melodies floating through Dorm 6 every night about taps time. That’s Harold “Blotto” Borofsky on the harmonica. Could be real talent for one of Bill Turner’s Jamborees. Could be? By the by, who are all these women that daggers is being- seen with lately? Is it a new one every time? It has been rumored that certain Cadet Officers of certain companies had best get on the ball. A little more whipping out on the part of the freshmen would be a fine thing and also profitable. ' At this writing “Backwash” has a few more things to say, but we feel that it is better to withhold certain opinions. \ Good Neighbors Colombia . . . Crossroad of the Western Hemisphere By Ruben R. Caro Costas Colombia, a country which was named after the great discoverer of the New World, Christopher Columbus, is the only country in South America which looks toward both the Pacific and the Caribbean Seas. During the earlier colonial days, this country controlled all the trade coming from the dif ferent Spanish colonies in South America. Her ports were bloom ing with trade as all the goods coming from the interior of South America and going to Spain were handled by the Colombian ports. Although the country was named after him, Columbus himself did not touch on the shores of this country. Alonso de Ojeda, who had been with Columbus in his second expedition, was the man who colo nized Colombia. The Indians were very hostile and not until after twenty-five years of constant fighting did the Spaniards suc ceed in establishing a colony in Colombia. The Lake of Gold The anxiety of the Spaniards in their search for gold was a pre dominating factor in the settle ment of almost impenetrable re gions which even today defy rail road and highway engineers. Fan tastic was the ability of the Spani ards to push into incredibly diffi cult terrain, which Colombia offers in great variety. This was all done in search of the precious metal— gold. They heard a legend of a chieftain who once a year covered himself with gold dust and bathed in a lake while his slaves were throwing precious metals into the lake. They set forth looking for this lake and after two years of wandering through tough terrain and establishing settlements they founded Santa Fe de Bogota as the capital of Colombia. The Spaniards, or Conquista- dores, did not find the mythical lake; but they did find a fertile land, as well as a land of a variety of natural resources. Colombia is the world’s chief source of emer alds; and third in the output of platinum; extensive mines of salt cover large tracts of land. Her chief export is coffee, which ranks second in export to the outside world. Her second most important product for export is bananas. Rub ber, oil textiles, sugar, are other products that are exported in small er quantities. Airplane and Muleback Transportation has been Colom bia’s key problem. Three segments of the Andes, great South American mountain range, run north through her territory, making her a coun try very difficult for transporta tion. Railroads and highways have presented stupendous engineering- problems and difficulties, and have forced her to become the first nation in the Western Hemisphere to develop commercial aviation. Colombia has twice as many air lines as the United States. Even though the airplane has helped to solve a great part of the trans portation problems, there are still others which cannot be solved with the use of airplanes. The planes can’t go into regions where many important products are developed, such as rubber and quinine, and these products so vital to the pro secution of the war have to take the long trail through rivers and on mule back. Land of Poetry and Philosophy These transportation difficulties have given to Colombia’s inland provinces an individual flavor which persists even now, preserving the purity of her language, and making Colombia a nation of in dividualists who take their great est pleasure in the things of the mind: philosophical discussions, poetry, and the arts. In literature as in art, the classical Spanish tradition has dominated. Nearly every leader of Colombia has been a man of letters and it is said that almost everyone in the capital is a philosopher or a poet. Colom bians enjoy sports but even more they enjoy abstract discussions. Bogota, the capital of Colombia, was founded by a lawyer, and for centuries has been the gathering place of writers, philosophers, ar tists, musicians, and scientists. In 1573 was established the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo By Paul S. Ballance PLEASANT VALLEY Our Federal Government and the various state agencies are con stantly telling us today to gi-ow our own vegetables and fruits, not only to be self-sufficient, but in an effort to help feed the war- torn nations of the world. All of the food grown in our home and victory gardens means that we will have to buy less from the corner grocery and thereby release that much more to our Army and the starving people of other lands. Louis Bromfield in his book “Pleasant Valley”, not only urges and recommends that we be as self sufficient as possible; he has anoth er motive in mind. The author very vividly portrays how man for the most part, for the past half century or more has proceeded to actually “mine the land”, in other words take everything from it without thought of returning anything for the improvement of the soil. He has illustrated in many instances where two and three genei-ations of a family have com pletely taken everything from the soil, and when it has reached the point of unproductiveness they have moved away from the “dead land”. This cycle has gone on for years and continues until the present time in many localities. The whole story that Louis Bromfield tells is a personal one, and it is primarily a recitation of his resolve to return to the land, and not only prove to himself but to other Americans what can be done in x-estoring ”wox-n out” and “dead” land. The farm in Pleasant Valley which was finally called “Malabar” was not all completely depleted and “run down”. How ever, a lax-ge part of the 1,000 acres that finally made-up Malabar had been “mined” like many other places in this once fei’tile Ohio Valley. The present farm that Bromfield has rebuilt and brought back to life is made of some three adjoining farms. It is apparent from i*eading this book that many of Bromfield’s ideas and theories about the “land”, came from his living in foreign lands, principally in Europe. It is apparent that the European, and more specifically the Frenchman has an entirely different attitude from that of the American farmer. Fix-st of all there are a great many more of the non-land holders or tenant farmers in this country than in Europe. The chief thought and objective of the majority of Amer ican tenant farmers and some land owners, as I have said before, is to take everything from the soil. This is done of course by planting crops that drain the land of all chemical elements that are a source of food for the plants and crops. Leguminous crops and livestock have no part in the farming plan of these individuals, because they ax-e primarily interested in growing what may be sold immediately for cash. The attitude of the Euro pean is entirely different from that of the American. The European farms are usually smaller than ours, but they are more intensively cultivated and worked. A greater number of these farms are owned • • • • Your City • • • • BY TAD . MOSES (Fifth of a Series) History of College Park College Park, first residential area established in the present City of College Station, was launched by the Southside Development Company which was incorpox-ated Aug. 4, 1921. Dr. F. B. Clark was px-esident; Mr. C. W. Burchard, secretary and treasurer; and oth ers interested included Dan Scoates, M. M. Daughei’ty and R. R. Lancaster. Dr. Clark, who came to A. & M. in 1916, says the housing situation on the campus even then was very unsatisfactory. Dr. W. B. Bizzell, then president, gave Dr. Clax-k as surance that if a residential area was developed off the campus, when as many as ten residences were erected, college utility lines would be extended to college pro perty limits where they could be connected with privately-owned tx-ansmission lines. After a survey of likely sites, Dr. Clark and associates chose a ti-act of 66 acres south of the campus which was bought from Ed Hrd- licka on July 5, 1921. Another 17 acx-es was bought from Mr. Hrd- licka on Aug. 10, 1923 and these 83 acres make up College Park as it exists today. Still another 17 acres were bought by the com pany April 8, 1937, but this tract has not been improved. Landscape by Hensel The development company used college technicians in their off- hours, including landscaping by F. W. Hensel. By the time maps of the area were recorded there were five home-building prospects and thgre, was little delay in getting the additional five, Dr. Clax-k said. First lot sold in College Park, according to Dr. Clark’s recollec tions, was to J. A. Peterson, now of Houston, who erected a resi dence now occupied by M. P. Ward. Next was a temporary resi dence erected by Drink Milner, which now is owned by J. T. L. McNew and is handled as rent property. Mr. Milner shortly built another residence, now owned by Thomas one of th<, oldest univer sities in the Western Hemisphere. The Old and the New To know Bogota is not neces sarily to know Colombia’s other cities. The influence of Spanish social life and French intellectual life are felt throughout the coun try, but each city has its own in dividuality. There is the old-world colonial flavor, the blending of the old and new; and as one goes from one city to another, the cities seem to belong to diffex-ent countries and to different centuries. Each one has its own life, both social and intellectual. Education and Politics Although the difficulty of trans portation has made the education (See GOOD NEIGHBORS, Page 4) Norman Rode, presently occupied by J. E. Loupot. Third residence was the log cabin in which Dr. and Mrs. Clark lived for a time, and which now is used as a studio by Mrs. Clark’s sister, Miss Marie Haines. Among the other early builders was Miss Jennie Camp, now among the larger property owners in College Park. Lots Sold Themselves Dr. Clark and associates never hired a lot salesman, and never paid a commission on sales. They never approached anyone fix-st in the interest of a sale. “In other words,” he says, “the lots sold themselves.” “We never allowed any of the lots to be bought for speculative purposes,” Dr. Clark continued. “If a lot was sold and at the end of three years no improvements had been made on it, the company re served the right to buy it back. “We operated on a shoestring and sold lots to people who did their financing on the same scale. If a man wanted a lot and had any nerve he could get it. However, we never lost any money on our sales and there have been no fore closures. “I do not hesitate to state that the px-oposition was financially successful, but we did not make a lot of money. That was not our intention in the first place.” Burgess Takes Over 9 After South Oakwood and West Park were started, the unsold lots in College Park were purchased on a wholesale basis by H. E. Burgess, leaving the undeveloped tract of 17 acres which now is on the market as a unit. When the City of College Station was incorporated, the utility trans mission lines laid by the South- side Development Company, the sewage system, and another built in conjunction with H. E. Burgess and known as the College Park- Oakwood Joint Association, were sold to the City. New Development In the meantime, Dr. Clark had bought a 200-acre tract to the south, 28 acres from Ed Hrdlicka and the rest from the Federal Land Bank of Houston, being land of the Weinzetl Estate. Lots off the near end of this acreage now are being offered for sale by Dr Clark. “My chosen life work is econo mics,” Dr. Clark said,” and I wouldn’t take anything in the world for the practical economic experience I have had in developing College Park.” ALTERATIONS LAOTERSTEIN’S PHONE 4-4444 by the people who farm them, even though they may be small. The European has long since learned what an important part livestock plays in the continuing fertility of his plot or farm. He also under stands that it is cheaper to grow everything that his faxxxily needs than to have to buy it from the stores. There seems to be some thing even deeper that what I have mentioned, thex-e seems to be a definite love of the land in the heart of these people, and that is defi- i^tely something that the migrant tenant in America does not have. This book proves that what has been done in restoring land from a “worn out” and “run down” con dition to one of greater productive ness and fertility can be duplicated thousand of times over in Amer ica. The author convinces one of the fact that if the farmer of rural family is made more stable that this condition will naturally have a great influence on making our economic structure more solid. There is enough human biography of folklore and legend in this book to make it very readable and interesting to every countryman and every gax-denex-. This book should prove interesting and be en joyed by those who have any in terest whatsoever in the “land” and the rural life of America. Air-Conditioned Opens 1:00 P.M. — Ph. 4-1181 Thursday—Last Day IT'S GREAT ON THE SCREEN! And “Bugs Bunny” Cartoon Friday and Saturday Double Feature No. 1 Rosalind Russell Fred MacMurray “FLIGHT FOR FREEDOM” No. 2 Anne Shirley Michael O’Shea i • “MAN FROM FRISCO” Sunday and Monday “OBJECTIVE BURMA” — starring — Errol Flynn Tues. - Wed. - Thurs. Fred MacMurray — in — Also “Barney Bear” Cartoon We have Brown Rubbe Heels Any Size Holick’s Boot Shoi