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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 9, 1945)
=T SB .95 95 S+ M Paes 2 THE BATTALION THURSDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 9, 1945 P; P Y ( II I A t; I r: a g t| a ! ti s s i 11 r I 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 Pbsockoted Col!e6^e Press John F. Spragins, Jr. Sam A. Nixon, Jr REPORTERS Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Clyde C. Crittenden, M. C. Kury, R. w. ” • - H. A. Pate, F. D. Baca, R. M. Wren, O. J. Hebert, Ed Brandt. W. Simms, B. W. Cantrell, R. G. Reese, “Somebody Else Taking Our Place?” . . . Early this week, Aggieland was privileged for the first time to gaze upon the beautiful new “Daedalian , the an nual of the girls at our sister college, T. S. C. W. Any Ag gie, or anyone else for that matter, who thumbs through its beauty-packed pages cannot deny for one minute that it is one of the most lavish ever produced by any college; let alone a non-coeducational institution. To that hard-working staff, whose many obstacles of production are but too well appreciated by the Aggie annual staff, we tip our caps in praise and vote the girls of Tessieland a vote of congratula tions on a job well done. But the sad part about it all lies in the fact that Ag gieland, for the first time, was but poorly represented in the “Daedalian”. As obvious as was the book beautiful was the slighting that Texas A. & M. received in the annual. After the wonderful build-ups given us in the past by our sister school, it is not difficult to conceive how A. & M. would be in a position to count on fondly and look forward each succeeding year to being devoted a featured part of the “Daedalian.” Yet, this year, a sad disappointment lies in store for the Aggies who expect to find our customary and traditional tribute, awaiting us, because there just isn’t any. Aggies make no effort to conceal their jealousy of anyone or any group which threatens our traditional status with T. S. C. W., and being overlooked as we have this year will no doubt cause many an Aggie to scratch his head in bewilderment over the contributory reason. About all that any of us can and will say is that it just isn’t like T. S. C. W. to snub us as they have. Whether this indifference has been intentional or not we are at a loss to know, but we do know that our feelings have been hurt. Possibly, through some fault of ours the bonds that have bound Aggieland and Tes- ieland so closely for years in the past have slipped a little; and possibly we are not so close to them as we once were. Perhaps, since our once mighty corps is slightly, depleted, we have lost much of our appeal. Or could it be that our activity-packed curricula which prevents our making fre quent trips to Denton as we once were enabled to do, have caused a tinge of “out of sight out of mind” within the minds of the Aggie sisters? For that, we have but one answer, and that is that we realize our corps is but a meagre one these war-time days; but we are dong our very level best to carry on as nearly as possible in a manner befitting the once glorious days of Aggieland, until we can resume a normal peace-time pace again. If we are not as appealing as we once were, we would appreciate the girls bearing with us until we can regain our strength in numbers and in deeds and can again provide that appeal that formerly insured us a place at T. S. C. W. never to be occupied by any other group. If the reason of fault lies with us, then we have no one to blame but ourselves; and blame ourselves we shall! Even so, however, we have lost footing for the time being, it seems; and for that there is cause for worry. This coming week-end, most all of Aggieland will journey up to Denton for the festivities. Several splendid entertainments have been planned for the enjoyment of everyone; but for the Aggies who go, the spirit of the thing might prove greatly dampened by this unwanted event. The corps most certainly does not want anything that even ap proaches a change in the Aggie-Tessie status of the past, but for a while, it IS going to wonder just what Tessies really DO think of the Aggies. Are Aggies going to continue to occupy their unparalleled position at T. S. C. W., or is it time that we woke up and realized that “somebody else is taking our place?” Yell Practices . . . Culminating a long period of anxious waiting was the final approval of authorized yell practices by the Execu tive Committee of the college. The announcement found a corps enthusiastic and elated over the announcement; and morale around Aggieland registered an immediate jump. For many a month now, everyone has been conscious that the present “fish” class is about to assume its respon sibilities as upper-classmen with but two yell practices be hind them. Naturally, everyone has wondered just how it would be possible for that group of freshmen to assume its responsibilities as upperclassmen when they had not been adequately prepared for the job when freshmen. Two yell practices could do no more than orient the “fish” to the procedures of an Aggie yell practice; Aggie spirit just doesn’t come that easy. The present class of “frogs” does not know what a yell practice is except by name only. With the rare exception of a few who have been privileged to witness or participate in a yell practice, almost one hundred percent of the “frog” class does not know one single solitary thing about the tradi tional yell practices that are so deeply rooted at Texas A. & M. They are not the ones to be condemned, however, for that total absence of something little less than sacred to an Aggie; for they have not been in the position to grant or deny yell practices. From now on though, they will be sup plied with the opportunity to demonstrate their anxiety to give forth with all they have within themselves to make the most of our yell practices. And likewise w r ith the “fish”. In their case again, these yell practices will be indispensa ble; for their education as freshmen, which has already been sadly neglected, will not be complete unless they can derive the most possible from these forth-coming practices. Nothing now stands in their way to prevent their making these sessions really constructive. Heat of weather* brevity of yell practices, or any other excuse offered, can be disre garded, because Aggieland has witnessed short and infre quent yell practices in the hottest of summer months for three years now, and results bordering on the best have been emitted from summer yell practices, just as these yell practices to come will be. There is no excuse for the fresh men nor the upperclassmen to fail to accomplish at least a little something. Limitations imposed curtail some construc tive phases of former Aggie yell practices; but even so the corps can still see many good things brought about by this latest concession to having yell practices. So, ole’ army, don’t let the brevity and the infrequency discourage you. We can still accomplish many things. We are nearly ready to receive a new “batch” of sophomores in our midst, and before they can stake their claim to a Texas Aggie dewdrop, they have some more learning to do! \ Good Neighbors \ ECUADOR Picturesque Land By Ruben R. Caro Costas In Ecuador the principal poi’tion of the country is devoted to agri culture, which is the principal source of wealth and the patri mony of the majority of the inha bitants. Bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west, by' Colombia on the north, and by Peru on the south and east, Ecuador occupies a stra tegic position in South America. Ecuadorian possessions include the Galapagos Islands on the western coast, which are essential for the defense of the western approach to the Panama Canal. Geographically, Ecuador can be divided into three different re gions. In the central area is a mountainous region, where the bulk of the population supports it self by subsistence farming of such crops as wheat, corn, barley, oats, beans, and potatoes. The tro pical coastal region, with Guaya quil as itis chief port, produces most of the export crops: cacao, coffee, bananas, and rice. Due to their wider contact with the out side world, the inhabitants of the coastal region are generally more aware of the country’s economic problems. Mineral deposits of gold and oil are also found along the coast. The third geographical region lies on the east side of the Andes, and is potentially rich in oils and fine woods; it is isolated and sparsely populated. The Spaniards Arrive When the Spaniards arrived in Ecuador in 1529 they found a fas cinating country, peopled by a race of Indians, the Incas, who were probably the most advanced tribe in the hemisphere in crafts, in architecture, and in social organi zation. Spanish rule was accepted without protest because the peo ple were already accustomed to a highly centralized administration, and because of the country’s iso lated geographical position in the Andes. Territorial Disputes Ecuador, like the rest of the South American republics, has been involved in disputes over territorial claims. A frontier dis pute with Colombia resulted in brief hostilities, but peace was signed in 1831, and the boundary between the two countries has re mained unaltered ever since. Anoth er border dispute with Peru was at last settled at the Rio de Janeiro Conference in 1942. Self-government posed many problems, complicated in this case by the isolation of the coastal area from that mountain area, and frequent changes in th econstitu- tion. But these problems have been partially solved. The government has been stabilized, bringing a or derly administration with imlproved finances, buildings, roads, and pub lic buildings, which have attracted foreign capital. Transportation has been solved to some extent. The construction of a railroad that rises over very difficult terain at a height of 12,- 000 feet has been one of the most brilliant engineering feats in the Americas. Air travel has come as being due to inadequate railroad and road transportation. Most of Ecuador s population is self-sufficient and this has caused a low volume of foreign trade with the rest of the world. Imports are largely manufactured goods such as machinery of all kinds, cotton equipment, chemicals, paper, tires, wool yarns, trucks, and cloth. Local factories produce shoes, soap, furni ture, cement, beverages, leather, and buttons. The ancient art of weaving straw hats, which has made Ecuador the chief producer of “Panama Hats”, is a home indus try of considerable importance. Quito, with its Spanish colonial churches, old white adobe houses with terra cota tile roofs, and cob bled streets, lies high on an An dean plateau surrounded by snow- covered mountains. It is among the more isolated of South American capitals, but has the most invigor ating climate in the world. More than any other city on the conti nent it has kept its Spanish colo nial atmosphere. One picturesque aspect of life in Quito is the markets. The type of goods sold changes with the days of the week, with furniture on one day and food the next. Only on Tuesdays the great market opens and sells everything. Writers in Politics Ecuador has had a long literary tradition. Her famous president Grabiel Moreno, was a poet and journalist. His greatest rival was an essayist. During the last decade, Ecuador has seen the' emergence of a vigorous group of writers vitally concerned with the social problems of that country. Education is compulsory and has increased in the last few years strongy. There are elementary schools, and colleges and univer sities for the education of her sons and daughters. Four universities offer training in law, engineering, medicine, dentistry, agriculture etc. Ecuador’s contribution to the war effort is a leading one. The government has granted to the United States bases in the main land and in her islands while Ecu ador’s forest products are essen tial to the United Nations in war. :: Your City :: By W. D. Bunting Ninth of a Series A&M CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL The A. & M. Consolidated School was housed in buildings on the campus from its origin until 1940. In November 1938, a committee from the school board was author ized to investigate the possibility of the College allowing a new school site of fifteen acres and making other provisions for the school. The committee was informed that there was not much chance of the school receiving help from the College. First Buildings Erected On February 10, 1939, the school board received a petition from lead ing citizens of College Station ask ing that an election be held to vote bonds for financing the building of adequate school facilities. The board ordered this election for February 25, 1939, which approved by a large majority the issuance of $75,000 in bonds for this pur pose. A contract with the architects Ernest Langford and Jack Finney, was signed March 13, 1939 at which time two school sites were offered, one of fifteen acres in College Hills Estates and the other the Holick property site. The board accepted the Holick property site at its April meeting. This site, consist ing of approximately fifteen acres, was bought and paid for by pub lic subscription from some 116 in terested patrons at a total cost of $5500.58, and the property was given to the school board as a site for the proposed school buildings. On September 8, 1939 the board let a contract for the school build ings to William Smith, contractor from Waco, on a bid of $69,825. The original contract called for four elementary units having four teen classrooms, office space and the like; a high school building of BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS six classrooms with auxiliary rooms and a building to house the Indus trial Arts and Music departments. It was found later that classroom space of the high school was not adequate and a contract to add two additional classrooms was signed October 27, 1939 at a cost of $3,567. The buildings were formally accepted on March 8, 1940, and school furniture and equipment were moved from the old campus site. Plant is Expanded On January 8, 1941, the board received a petition asking for an investigation of the possibility of building a combination gymnasium- auditorium-cafeteria along with an athletic field and a suitable Negro high school building. After the board had made a thorough study of this request, an election was called for March 29, 1941 for voting the issuance of $40,000 in bonds to finance the project. The election carried by a large majority. A building committee was appointed by the board and it was authorized to purchase adjoining property and make plans for the proposed build ings. H. D. Mayfield, Jr., was em ployed as architect and approx imately two acres more of land adjoining the school property were bought from James Holick. A contract to build the bus garage and football bleachers was given to Ole Martinsen of Bryan in July at ta cost of $4,345. A contract to build the gymnasium- auditorium was given to N. R. Smith of Bryan on August 26^. 1941 at a cost of $25,000. The bus garage and stadium were completed in October 1941 and the gymnasium was completed in February 1942. By Paul S. Ballance JAPAN AND THE JAPANESE Now that the Nazis have sur rendered and our entire efforts have been concentrated on crushing the Japs it may be well to analyse the type of peoples that constitute our only enemy. The one American who perhaps knows as much about the Japanese as anyone else is Joseph C. Grew, formerly U. S. Ambassador to Japan, and now Under Secretary of State. Mr. Grew has written a very readable and authentic book “Ten Years in Japan”. This book is a record of Mr. Grew’s ex periences as drawn from his diaries and private and official papers from 1932-1942. The book is writ ten in diary form, and gives the day by day happenings in the life of Ambassador Grew while living in Japan. The author has tried in this narrative to present to the people of all the United Nations a more accurately focused view of Japan than is now widely held. In his foreword Mr. Grew states that only through a correct con ception of that country and its people can we approach with in telligence the difficult problems which will have to be solved after our military victory is complete. The author endeavors in this book to point out to the reader the fact that there are many Japanese to day who did not want war, who realized the stupidity of attacking the United States, Great Britain and other United Nations, and who did everything within their power to restrain the military extremists from their headlong and suicidal aggressions. In reading this volume one will realize that there are some good elements among the Japanese people, and that there are those Japanese who are bitterly opposed to war with the United States. There were men who cour ageously but futilely gave, all that was in them and ran the gravest dangers of imprisonment and as sassination in their efforts to stem the tide of insane military conquest. Mr. Grew states that Jap an’s power to wage war must be wholly destroyed, the decision must be complete and irrevocable if our sons and grandsons are not to fight this war over again in the next generation. Japan, no less than Germany must never again be allowed to threaten world peace. Aggressive militarism must be permanently eradicated. The whole volume makes interesting reading, Mothers’ Club Promotes Project During the school year 1942-43, the Mother’s Club, through a com mittee headed by Mrs. W. T. Car ter, began the landscaping of the school campus. N. M. McGinnis gave generously of his time and ability in helping Mrs. Carter, and many shrubs were planted dur ing the year. Gravel walks also were put in joining the major points about the campus. In 1943- 44 the Mother’s Club with the help of the City Council and the school board put through a project to build concrete walks about the buildings since the gravel walks had not proven satisfactory. At a cost of approximately $750 a con crete walk was built in front of each of the four elementary school units and then were joined together by a walk running the length of the west side of the school proper ty. Lloyd Smith, city manager, Mrs. W. T. Carter, Major J. E. Breland, president of the School Board, and N. M. McGinnis should be given credit for putting this project through to completion. In the fall of 1944, the City Council at a cost of approximately $1,000 graveled and topped with asphalt the circle entrance to the high school building, this being- designated as a city street. This work was done at the same time the city graveled and topped the street west of the school property giving to the public all-weather entrances to both the elementary and high schools. Men of Community Co.operate In November 1944, plans were begun by the Mother’s Club to build additional side walks on the campus. Mrs. E. B. Reynolds, with the aid of her budget committee, had set $420 for sidewalks which the school board agreed to match. This $840 was found insufficient to build all of the walks needed. Major Breland asked the men of the community to lay out and set forms for the walks so that ready- mixed concrete could be poured in the forms. Some 20 to 30 men met several aftemons and graded and set forms for approximately 1,500 feet of five-foot sidewalks. Withj the assistance of R. B. Butler the school board was able to complete and even if it is the day by day events in the life of one individual, it gives an excellent insight into the affairs of an unrestful and aggressive nation. The volume entitled “Behind the Japanese Mask” by Jesse F. Stein er, published in 1943 4 by Macmillan, gives an excellent insight into the lives of the Japanese as a race of people. The author begins by showing how unpredictable the Japanese people are, and how cost ly our complacency toward this brown race proved to be. A com parison of the traits of the Ger mans and Japanese is made, and for two races of people to be so disimilar in character, to be allies in their world conquest. The author makes it plain that we should not too readily assume that the founda tions of the Japanese state are un secure because they are imbedded in myths and traditions, that from our point of view cannot stand the light of scientific scrutiny. On the contrary, it may well be claim ed that Japan gains security from the fact that its root lie deep in the religious traditions of the people. The unbounded confidence in their ability has at times led them into ridiculous errors which would not have been made by people less sure of themselves. The Japanese in their contact with things foreign tend to assume a superior air. Any thing received from the West needs be adapted to their peculiar needs before it is acceptable. Some evi dence of their national conceit ap pears even more clearly in their tendency to assume priority in im portant inventions. The Japanese claim to have invented the airplane in 1894. The Ford Motor Company in Japan was sued by a Japanese for stealing one of his inventions It must not be forgotten that the Japanese have been interested only in studying the material side of our civilization. All spiritual val ues and the more enduring philoso phies of life have originated, they point out, in the East. To under stand the Japanese attitude under which they had their early asso ciations with occidentals. Late in the 18th century Portuguese tra ders and missionaries, after nearly a hundred years of friendly inter course, were expelled from the country. So determined were the Japanese to free themselves from all foreign influence and contacts that no Japanese were permitted to go abroad upon pains of death. The attitude of racial hatred has this- project at a total cost of $1,423, a saving of some $600 on the project. During the spring of 1945 the lawns were plowed, thanks to Jocko Roberts of the Agricultural Ex periment Station, and it was the intention of the school board to level, fertilize and sod the front lawns to keep them in good shape. This work has been hampered by lack of proper machinery, but the school board hopes to complete this work by the end of the year. N. R. Burkhalter, our county com missioner, has been most helpful in allowing the use of his grading equipment for pulling trees, levell ing grounds, opening drainage ditches, graveling, and the like. The school board hopes to fur ther improve the grounds with play equipment and other facilities in cooperation with the City Recre ation Council so that the school also will become the play center of the community. Negroes Provided For During this time, facilities for Negro education have not been neglected. In 1940 there were three elementary s'chools in the dis trict with five teachers and the few high school pupils were sent to Kemp High in Bryan. In the $40,000 bond issue voted March 29, 1941, a Negro high school building was included. Three acres of land were bought in the Hrdlicka Addition and a contract to build a six-classroom building was given to N. R. Smith in August 1941 at a cost of $12,000. This building was completed the latter part of Sep tember. The Washington Chapel and Rock Prairie schools were disbanded and the children came to the new school but the Wellborn school con tinued for the elementary children, but high school pupils riding a bus to the College Station school. The Washington Chapel building was torn down and moved to a new site by the National Defense class under the direction of E. M. Cun ningham and now serves as a shop room for vocational agriculture classes. In the spring of 1944, the Negro school building at Wellborn was (See YOUR CITY, Page 4) continued for centuries. This mounting tide of anti-foreign feel ing reached new heights as a re sult of the American agitation for the exclusion of Japanese immi grants during the first decade of the present century. This Anti- American feeling reached a new high point in 1924 when the newly enacted immigration legislation ex cluded Japanese immigrants on the ground that’they were aliens in eligible for citizenship. As soon as this news reached Tokyo an ex cited mob cut down the flag at the American Embassy and slashed it to shreds. This widespread repudia tion of the western world finally reached its culmination in their declaration of war against America and England. The author discusses at length how Japan was seized and controlled by the military, and how the enemy were treated by the Japanese soldiers. The inhumanity and cruelty which makes the Jap anese soldier such a ruthless foe is paralleled by his courageous facing of death as he goes forth to battle. This book is easy to read and will be found exceedingly in teresting from beginning to end. These books are to be found in the College Library. Air-Conditioned Opens 1:00 P.M. — Ph. 4-1181 Thursday — Last Day PAT O ERltN-ROBERT RYAN ■ RUTH HUSSEY with Frank McHUGH • Barton MacLAf^ Friday and Saturday Double Feature No. i Joel McCrea Gail Russell Feature No. 2 Phyllis Brooks Robert Lowery “HIGH POWERED” Also a Color Cartoon Sunday and Monday fiij: i: bv/.M: i»i :i: ■ .v/ii :jj?m wist" * A REPUBLIC PICTURE And “Woody Woodpecker” Cartoon Tues 3 DAYS - Wed. - Thurs. 4 CHARUE BERGEN..! MCCARTHY BONITA W. C. I GRANVILLE * FIELDS. SAMMY KAYE ««Sm We not only sell polish and brushes but we GiVE infor mation to you on how best to shine your own shoes. Holick^ Boot Shop L0IPHT5 WHERE YOU ALWAYS GET A FAIR TRADE S i 4 x* » % A M 1 ♦