Page Two • THE BATTALION, College Station (Aggieland), Texas Saturday, March 22, 1947:
The Last Man...
(A Fable)
A hot wind swept out of the west, densely saturated with
fine yellow dust. It was not a straight wind but one that
swirled and twisted, searching out the few patches of top
soil that still remained scattered over the earth. The wind
was angry and harsh. It whined through the pock marks
and pot-holes of wasteland, sucking away at red clay and
hurling blasts of sand against jagged rocks, wearing them
down into more sand to be sucked away.
In early morning, the sun lifted itself out of the abyss
of the east and shone like a huge copper ball, casting a glow
of red throughout the firmament. At noon, it was the same—
at eventide, the same, except for dusky purple shadows col
ored like giant fingers stiffening in death.
Beneath this sun, two men staggered aimlessly onward.
They were miles apart—one traveling toward the east, the
other to the west. Each shielded his eyes with the knotted
knuckles of wasted hands. Otherwise, they were different.
The westward traveler was short and course. Beneath
the tattered edges of leather pants, his large knees swelled
like carbuncles between portions of legs that were the same
size beneath and above. He wore no shoes and, as the wind
whipped up his tracks, little spots like scabs were left in re
lief where blood-moistened particles resisted for awhile. He
wore no garments above the waistline except a sandy beard
and hair that grew together like a great burr. Gaunt arms
groped out, one at a time, the other holding the knuckles over
his eyes. Around his rusty body, protruding ribs circled
half-way around to a sunken sternum.
The other was tall and full clothed in remnants of cloth.
His skin was a blistered white, stretched tight over frail
bones. Neither of these men carried food because there was
no food—neither carried a weapon for there was nothing to
kill. It was destined that they meet and each trudged on with
a hopeless heart.
There was no green upon the earth. Trees had wither
ed—died and split away into gray rampikes standing like
sentinels of desolation. Long ago, the grass had been parched
and beaten away by the winds. No flowers colored the sides
of the gulches where, years before,, cancerous flood waters
ate away the soils and belched them into the sea.
No crickets chirped at eventide and the call of the birds’
songs had long ago died from the earth.
Each man passed through deserted towns and saw build
ings slanting shabbily on sunken foundation stones. Weather
boarding curled away from splintered studding in ashen gray
troughs. Door-yard gates squeaked and bumped in the wind.
Their road led against ancient farmlands. Here giant
barns had fallen away at the ends and sat on their haunches
like tired beasts. Now and then the mummified carcass of
some animal lay half-buried in drifting earth with open eye
sockets peering toward the copper sun. No decay had taken
place for there was nothing to rot except entrails and blue
gums. Starvation had used up all flesh, leaving only a taut
hide to cover the skeleton—nothing to rot.
Endless and forever stretched the eternal marks of ero
sion and out of the west blew the relentless wind with its bur
den of sand.
Finally, the travelers met. There was no enthusiasm at
their meeting. Each sank beside the road without complaint,
but nursing the sores and bruises of his body.
The man from the east spoke first. “Are there any oth
ers?" he asRed in a broken brogue that was itaxd
stand.
“No,” answered the man from the west. “They are all
gone. Are there others to the east?”
“None! I am the last,” came the despondent answer.
Simultaneously they both questioned: “Water?”
“None” was the dual answer.
Despondent silence then prevailed and each man laid
down, facing the bleak space toward the sun. Two vultures
circled high against the wind—waiting.
The men and the vultures were the last living things on
earth. The men would pass first—then the vultures would
pick their bones and live until this final sustenance was gone.
They, too, then would die, leaving the earth to the sun and
the beating wind.
Man had failed—failed to conserve and replace the na
tural resources that he harvested for his comfort. In the be
ginning, there seemed enough for all men for all time to
come—fertile soils—verdant forests—never-ending waters—
teeming wildlife—abundant minerals. Wealth -was there for
taking, but it must be taken fast lest another would take and
the riches would be divided. Forests were unscrupulously
cut away and the undergrowth destroyed by fire. Then hun
gry floods were given a chance to carry away the soil that
produced more trees. Grasslands were plowed and exposed
to the wind which swept away the germ of more grass. Wild
life was driven into concentrated areas because of dwindling
habitat, then shot away by those who cared not for the fu
ture.
Minerals were taken for instruments of war until the
bowels of the earth could give no more.
Last were the waters which failed because there was a
lack of earthly moisture to create rain.
Man had failed—utterly failed.
Over the prostrate forms the vultures swept lower and
lower. Short gasps were carried away by the sand. Clenched
hands, with finger nails biting into the flesh, gradually re
laxed and straightened out on the parched earth. The vul
tures settled down—greedy and squawking.
The copper sun looked down and the relentless wind
whined on.
The last man was gone—gone because other men had
failed.
E. W.—Kentucky Happy Hunting Grounds.
—Taken from Texas Fish and Game.
The Battalion
>
The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of
Texas and the City of College Station, is published tri-weekly and circulated on
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons.
Approaching Recession . .
Economy
On Stilts
By A. D. Bruce, Jr.
This country’s economy at pres
ent is up on stilts. Px-ices, higher
than at any time since the boom
period that followed World War
I, are still rising. Industry is
turning out goods at a rate nearly
double the pre-war level. Trade, in
dollar amounts, is at record levels.
The question now is whether
the present boom can run along
indefinitely without correction, or
whether the spurt now occurring
in production and prices is the last
spurt before a first postwar “re
cession”. Because prices have start
ed to xise again after a brief de
cline late in 1946, there is a grow
ing tendency to believe that there
is no end to the boom in sight. '
★
Actually, a turn from boom to
setback is appi’oaching, and prob
ably will become apparent soon
after midyear. PROSPECTS OF
BUSINESS DECLINE. A price
decline is likely to appear in some
important commodities before, or
soon after' June. Before it is
completed, the general level of
commodities at wholesale , is likely
to be down as much as 20 per cent,
though the decline in farm com
modities very probably will be
greater. Ti-ade will be affected
as prices decline. Buyers at re
tail tend to delay purchases if they
become convinced that lower prices
are obtainable by waiting.
With inventories high, business
purchasing is likely to be curtailed
considerably at the first clear sign
of a bi’oad price decline. Produc
tion will reflect quickly a down
turn in pi-ices and ti’ade. Unem
ployment will rise sharply with a
reduction in trade and in industry’s
rate of activity. High wage rates
will encourage industry to get
along with as few workers as pos
sible when boom times end. Prof
its, too, will suffer, as activity
slows. New wage increases about
to be given to large numbers of
workers in industry will be added
to costs not long before volume
may begin to shrink.
That, bi’iefly, is the pattern of
the “recession” that seems to be
approaching. In duration, the de
cline, from time of its start until
the time when recovex-y is well un
der way, px-obably will be 12 to
15 months. A recovery is expected
to be apparent by or soon after
midyeai-, 1948.
PENNY’S
SERENADE
W. L. Penberthy
Every once in a while during a
sports contest one of the teams
will get into a situation that is
a little unusual, and immediately
some of the spectators will ask
of each other—What are they go
ing to do now? The team may do
the orthodox thing, or the captain
or field general may decide to be
a little unorthodox and take a
chance. If, as the result, things
turn out well he is a hero; if no,
he is just the opposite.
For behavior in
all phases of our
life there are cer
tain well-estab
lished patterns to
follow, but very
often we get into
a position where
it is difficult to
select the pi'oper
pattern, and in
such cases we de
cide to try some
thing new or take
a chance.
I have heard
coaches tell their
quarterbacks to
lots of confidence
and not be afraid to try something.
These coaches were smart enough
to realize that you had to give a
field general a little opportunity to
use his own judgement in situa
tions that were a little different.
As a general dule it is a pretty
good idea to follow tested pat
terns, but very often there are
times when, if we are to get the
job done, we must do something
different, and those of us who
know when to do this have unusual
success.
There is nothing so uninteresting
as to watch a performance when
one can call the plays before they
occui’, unless it is to be associa
ted with a person who is so set
in his conduct that his every action
and reaction can be predicted. The
person who is always taking un
called for chances usually gets no-
whei-e fast, but, as I read the
other day, “It is a pretty safe bet
that the fellow who claims he
never had a chance, never took
one.”
Penny
go in there with
What’s Cooking
Member
Fbsocided Gr>Ue6«ate Press
Entered as second-class matter at Post Office at College Station, (Aggieland),
Texas, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1870.
Subscription rate 4.00 per school year. Advertising rates on request. *
Represented nationally by National Advertising Service, Inc., at New York City,
Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Allen Self
Vick Lindley
Charles E. Murray
J. K. B. Nelson
David M. Seligman
Paul Martin
Andy Matula
Wendell McClure „
Martin E. Crossly
Ferd B. English, Frankli:
Corps
Veteran
Editor
Editor
—Tuesday Associate Editor
-Thursday Associate Editor
..Saturday Associate Editor
Sports Editor
Sports Writer
English, Franklin Cleland, William Miller, Doyle Duncan,
Ben Schrader, Jack Goodloe, Wm. K. Colville, Walter
Lowe, Jr., Lester B. Gray, Jr., Carl C. Krueger, Jr., Mack T.
-Advertising Manager
-Circulation Manager
-Reporters
SUNDAY, March 23
8:30 a.m. — Newman Club re
ceives Holy Communion in a body.
MONDAY, March 24
7:00 p.m.—Range & Forestry
Club, Agricultural Engineering
Building. Election of officers will
be held.
7:15 p.m.—A&M Collegiate FFA
Chapter, lecture room of Agricul
tural Engineering Building. Mr.
R. A. Manire & Mr. Lano Barron
will be speakers.
7:30 p.m.—Marketing & Finance
Club.
7:30 p.m.—Aggie Wives’ Circle
of the A&M Methodist Church
meets with Mrs. Albert Martin,
It Won’t Be Long Now . . .
Cancer Cure Is on the Way
By Walter Lowe, Jr.
A cure for cancer will be found!
Top flight cancer authorities expressed that opinion at
a meeting of the National Advisory Cancer Council held
recently in Washington.
Since 1939, physics and chemistry have already found
♦■five promising leads to the cure of
cancers. They are 1. Injection
treatment with male sex harmones
to x’elieve pain and prolong lives
of elderly women with breast can
cer; 2. Discovery that a chemical,
urethane, brings at least tempor
ary improvement in leukemia and
other types of so-called blood can
cers; 3. Discovery that the nitro
gen mustard war gasses give at
least as good results at X-rays in
treatment of some of these blood
cancers; 4. Radiophosphorus for
leukemia and radioiodine and oth
er radioactive chemicals, atom
bomb by-products, as potential can
cer weapons; and 5. Discovery that
sugary chemicals from some germs
can destroy cells in animals, leav
ing normal cells unharmed. These
chemicals, now being tried on pa
tients, are developments by Am
erican scientists that are equiva
lent to the much-publicized “K-R”
anti-cancer serum of Soviet scien
tists.
Ah’eady, chemistry has given the
lead for treatment of cancer of
the prostrate gland, whereby one
out of five men are being saved
from once-certain death. This in
turn has led to the sex-harmone
treatment of breast cancer in wo
men.
Thirty out of every 100 patients
with stomach cancer, third most
important kind, can be cured by
operation if they report to the
surgeon early.
In the same way that scientists
had been talking about atomic
power for several years before the
uranium atom was split in 1939,
scientists in many laboratories are
now seeking a key to unlock the
secrets of growth. With work to
ward that end going on, any day
someone may learn one of these
secrets which will show the way
to conquest of cancer, as splitting
the uranium atom showed the way
to unlock atomic power.
To help speed that day, grants
amounting to $300,000 to support
25 studies of cancer in 19 univer
sities, hospitals, and research in
stitutions, were recommended by
National Advisory# Cancer Council.
American-British
Relations Group
Sponsors Contest
An essay competition for
undergraduates in American
colleges and universities on
the subject “Respect for the
Individual Man — Democracy in
America and the British Common
wealth”, has been announced by the
American and British Common
wealth Association, Inc., with the
cooperation of the “A 11 a n t i c
Monthly”.
With a first prize of $750, a sec
ond prize of $250, and a third
prize of $150, the essay contest is
open to any under-graduate stu
dent of a selected list of American
colleges and universities who does
not already hold a degree. The
subject may be approached from
the point of view of the contest
ant’s field of interest.
Essays will be judged on signifi
cant thought, interest of presenta
tion, and literary quality. Corres
pondence in regard to the essay
should be addressed to American
British Essay Committee, 8 Ar
lington Street, Boston, Massachus
etts.
Essays should be typed, double-
space, on 8% x 11-inch paper. The
student’s name, home address, col
lege, and college address should
be on a covering page which can
be detached. Completed essays
should be mailed to the address
above before June 15, 1947.
The American and British Com
monwealth, Association, Inc., is an
American oi’ganization supported
by American funds, interested in
the betterment of Anglo-Ameri
can relations through factual un
derstanding.
Veterans Administration sup
plied disabled veterans with 438,-
883 prosthetic devices, ranging
from arch supports to wheel chairs,
during the fiscal year 1946.
Sites now have been selected
for 68 of the 75 new hospitals
which Veterans Administration is
authorized to build and for which
funds have been appropriated.
303 Guernsey, College Park.
7:30 p.m.—Newman Club meets
m tne casement ox at. mar y's
Chapel.
7:00 p.m.—National Guard meet
ing in Bryan Chamber of Com
merce office.
TUESDAY, March 25
7:30 p.m.—College Music Club
meets in the R. R. Lancaster home,
207 E. Dexter, College Park. Miss
Cynthia Lancaster will be presen
ted in a harp recital.
7:30 p.m.—Singing Cadets will
perform in Bx-yan Field auditor
ium. No admission charges.
6:00 p.m.—Management Society
Banquet, Sbisa Hall.
WEDNESDAY, March 26
8:00 p.m.—Baptist Student Coun
cil meeting.
Oscars Go to March
And DeHavilland,
Year’s Top Actors
Olivia De Havilland and Fi’ed-
eric March were named best ac
tress and actor of the year at the
nineteenth annual presentation of
awards by the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences.
“The Best Years of Our Lives”
of Samuel Goldwyn Studios was
chosen the best picture of 1946.
It paved the way to Oscars, awards
and statuettes for the film-folk
connected with it. Frederic March
won his Oscar for his performance
in it—William Wyler for the dir
ecting of it; Harold Russell, the
handless veteran, for his support
ing role in it (he previously had
been given a special award); Dan
iel Mandell’s cutting on it won
an award; as did Robert Sherwood
for the best written screen play;
statuettes went to Hugo Fried-
hofer and Emil Newman for the
best scoring of a dramatic film.
Olivia DeHavilland won her Os
car for her performance in “To
Each His Own”, Anne Baxter was
chosen best supporting actress for
work in “The Razor’s Edge”.
Lawrence Olivier was presented
an award for producing, directing
and starring in “Henry V”.
Short subjects awards went to
Warner Brothers for “A Boy and
His Dog”, best two-reel short, and
best one-reel short to the same
studio for “Facing Your Danger”.
The cartoon award went to Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer for “The Cat Con
certo”.
The War Department received
an award for distinctive achieve
ment in documentary production
on a short subject, “The Seeds of
Destiny”.
The Oscar for sound recording
went to John Livadary for his
work in “The Jolson Story”. Ano
ther award connected with this
picture was the Oscar to Morris
Stoloff for his musical scoring.
The best achievement in special
effects was presented to Thomas
Howard for his trick photography
in “Blithe Spirit”.
The estimated number of Nat
ional Service Life Insurance poli
cies in force with Veterans Ad-
ministi’ation on Dec. 31, 1946, was
around 5,600,000, consisting of
nearly 5,000,000 term and over
600,000 permanent plan policies.
SUNDAY and MONDAY
IDA LUPINO
ROBERT ALDA
yy/c/
ANDREA KING
Siiim
WARNER HIT Directed by RAOUL WALSH
Win pvay by Catherine turney . adaptation by jo pagano ant cathirwc tornct. prow a romp, by mameta woir.
TUESDAY - WEDNESDAY
OPENS 1 p. m. DAILY
HOME FOR EASTER
VIA BRANIFF
THE BRANIFF REPRESENTATIVE
THOMAS A. WHITLEY
Will be at
Texas A. & M.
March 24-25
On the Campus
MAKE YOUR ADVANCE RESERVATIONS
This time enjoy the fullest vacation possible —by flying. You save time on the way and
have more time at home. The Braniff representative will be here for a limited time
—to help you make advance reservations — there
Pk.SI //N and back-to any point in the United States served
by air transportation.
fkievj Ca/vue#
3w£
PASSENGERS • MAIL • EXPRESS • FREIGHT
Letters
GREEK TRAGEDY
Dear Editor:
After reading the recent edi
torial, the “Greek Tragedy”, it
looks from this corner like some
one is not able to comprehend
the full significance of President
Truman’s proposal to held the
people of Greece and Turkey.
Therefore, if the Battalion believes
in writing editorials on national
issues, both sides of the question
should be presented. Whether the
Batt is Wallacesonian or truly
Trumanite (or neither), we believe
the important question at the pend
ing change of foreign policy should
be discussed properly, which can
be done only by a non-biased ap
proach. This cannot be done in a
puerile editorial whose writer is
not fully versed on the subject.
Since a well-informed student is
vital in the development of a good
voter, we believe national issues
should be discussed pro and con.
C. N. BEYRLE
R. P. RAWSON
(Ed. Note: The Batt is not
only willing but anxious to
print dissenting opinions on
international and national af
fairs. To Readers Beyrle and
Rawson; how about another
letter, taking specific excep
tion to points in the Greek
editorial? Namecalling doesn’t
bother us, and we would like
to debate on these subjects.
To all other readers: How
about your opinions? Pro, con,
or in between, they will be
welcome. Only one request—
be specific.)
NEW
RAZOR
Simplifies Shaving
World’s Newest Razor Gives
Swifter, Smoother, Safer Shaves
Mystic, Conn., Mar.
7, 1947. There’s a
new razor out, sim
pler by far than any
that has ever been
made.
The new Enders
Razor is all one
piece, no moving
parts, no extra gad
gets. All you do is
click the blade in
and shave. And what a shave! The razor
doesn’t clog; it’s easy to clean and keep
clean. Its modern plastic handle is curved
to fit your hand. Its shaving angle is so
well set to your face that it reaches easily
all the hard-to-get-at spots—around chin,
ears, nose.
Get this amazing new Enders Razor at
your campus store, at the special intro
ductory price.
SPECIAL OFFER...
RAZOR AND 5 BLADES... 49^
DURHAM-ENDERS RAZOR C0KP., MYSTIC, CONN.
Opens 1:00 p.m. Ph. 4-1181
TODAY—LAST DAY!
WARD BONO • GEORGE ^ HAYES
AUDREY LONG • ELISABETH RISDON
DON DOUGLAS
, r ■ -••■Hill by ROBERT FEUOWS . 0i;sc{e3Ty[QWI>l L, MARIN
Screan Play by Michael Hogan A Paul P. Fix
RKO RADIO PICTURE
PREVIEW TONIGHT
11:00 p. m.
SUNDAY - MONDAY
Joan -Fontaine
Flrturo ^eCbr^oVa
Frenchman^
* C«cil K«llaway
ph Forbti • DlrtcUd by Mltch«ll Ul»t® ‘
Prow th« Novd by Dophn* dv Mourlar l