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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 1947)
THE BATTALION, College Station (Aggieland), Texas A Professor’s Life . . . Page Two Seven Blind Spots ... Seven blind spots in man’s knowledge offer unlimited op portunity to researchers, according to Watson Davis, dir ector of Science Service. Whether or not we succeed in ex ploring these blind spots may determine whether or not the human race will survive. Will A «& M graduates be the ones to explore these dark places of world thought? There is no greater challenge to scientists, engineers or agroculturists. Mr. Davis recently declared before a librarian’s associa tion meeting that control of the human factor is the greatest unsolved problem in science. “Hatred”, according to Davis, “like the neutrons form fissionable material, can cause emotional chain reactions of great violence. “As with the atomic bomb, it is already very, very late to try to stop or control these emotional explosions that set peoples against peoples.” Listing war, mind and emotions as uncharted fields for science to explore, Mr. Davis outlined seven “blind spots” in man’s knowledge that offer unlimited opportunity to re searchers. He said the “blind spots” are: The problem of disease. The problem of the nature of life. The problem of the nature of the universe. The problem of the chemical elements. The problem of photosynthesis. The problem of the mind and emotions. The problem of war. “We must learn,” he explained, “how we can settle differ ences between human groups without resorting to the in sanity of war.” Thusrday, March 27, 1947: ‘INTELLIGENT VOTERS’ Dear Editor: Your editorial in the Batt last Tuesday on “Intelligent Voters” was a piece of writing of which you and your staff can well be proud. It is one for the pin-up collection and one which everyone of us can well afford to keep in plain sight everyday to be con stantly reminding us of an obli gation which we take largely for granted and barely appreciate. . . our government. It has arrived at a point nowa days where a man can’t talk ern- estly about government responsi bility, duties, and privileges as an individual voter unless his hearers tag him as a politician, a radical, an ax-grinder, and a lot of other things. However, some few people will admit that an individual Am erican ought to know more about what’s taking place from day to day in not only the U. S. Senate and House, but also in the state legislatures. Those few will then ask what can we do? And having asked it, forget it and go to a movie or turn on the radio. If everybody will just stop to realize that there are 45,000,000 average Americans who are unaf filiated with any group, organized minority or union who do just that, they will realize what poten tial force that is. If 45,000,000 Americans, uncontrolled by any organized opinion other than the desire for good government were watching every step the govern ments made and the people who made them—wouldn’t that make a lot of politicians, grafters, lob byists and national “squeeze play ers” sit up and take notice? Wouldn’t we start getting some better men in office and some real public servants? In my humble way I’d like to make a suggestion for you to go one step further in your editorial. That suggestion is this: no amount of instruction and education is worth a darn if it isn’t applied and worked; to that end an edu cational institution should foster in every one of its graduates a desire to take a working, partici pating part in his government; he should know the issues, but he should also let his congressmen and legislators know what he thinks. That involves too much study and time in our competitive life today—in fact it gets so in volved it is prohibitive—but if enough of the 45,000,000 are in terested and serious and demand ing couldn’t an easier way be found ? There’s no use having a good idea if you don’t do something about it. You’ve got one in that editorial. Why don’t you start a series with the idea of bringing home to everyone the idea of in forming himself and doing some thing about it ? The only danger in any government is the failure of the people themselves. The lack of information is the fault of yours and mine and Joe Blow’s. If any body doesn’t believe that, we’d all better drag out the hardware again and get ready for another war— maybe within the U. S. the next time. Government isn’t just His tory 306 to be forgotten as soon as we leave here. It's something to own and take a part in if we value it. How about plugging for some thing that you’ve already started? Sincerely yours, WALTER B. STONE (Ed. Note: Thanks for a thoughtful and provocative let ter. As for what we must do— it is an individual matter. If every one of us takes an intel ligent interest in our country, state, and national govern ment, paying attention to what goes on, not swallowing such misinformation as is often handed out by politicians, we will have gone a long way to ward improving American gov ernment. In the early days, Ameri cans and Texans took their politics seriously. Today we tend to say, “Let the other fellow worry about govern ment.” It is against such a shirking attitude that the edi torial was aimed.) Teachers Face Crisis Dae To Low Salaries By A. D. Bruce Jr. A university teacher does not expect wealth, but he does hope for the essentials of life. He hopes for a secure old age and looks upon freedom of thought and ex pression as a sacred right—a right which, in turn, cannot exist with out economic freedom. In many universities and colleges instruc tors find it expedient to do a little “apple polishing” in order to get ahead. In spite of the fact that they can’t afford it, the wives of younger teachers often feel ob liged to entertain the administra tive potentates and their families, especially those who control sal aries. Some teachers’ salaries have been raised as much as 20 percent, but what good does such a raise do when the cost of living has risen about 50% ? It takes no great mathematician to realize that the teacher is certainly not the win ner in such a deal. Columbia Uni versity knows so well that its professors are underpaid that it officially encourages them to teach at night, to lecture, and to earn what extras they can. Naturally this robs them of the time neces sary to prepare properly for their classes and also it robs them of the chance to do the scholarly work and research on which pro motion depends. Many instructors , find they have to work in the summer in order to make ends meet for the year. Thus they have no real vacations, and grow dull and weary, for the statement about Jack still holds. Mousetraps, Defrosters— Patents Total 350 Weekly by Ferd B. English Every week the United States Patent Office receives between 350 and 400 applications for patents on various machines and systems. Many of these are not only interest ing, but also practical. Among the applications receiv-'f" WAR? BOSH! Since the proposal by President Truman for monetary aid to Greece and Turkey, some short-term thinkers, commentators, editors, and alarmists have begun raving in tones reminiscent of 1939. “Be gin immediate mobilization,” they cry. “War is inevitable!” “Russia may attack!” Bosh! The Soviets do not wish war any more than we of America wish for it, nor are they much better prepared for war than we. We are certain of that fact from the reports of on- the-spot interviews in Russia. Does Russia have the atomic bomb in production? We don’t think so. In spite of her greater Army, does Russia have the equip ment, resources, or real wealth, actual or potential, for fighting ^ tates? »| ordinary individuals who know No. Does the U. S. S. R. have a +w ^ naval force capable of competing favorably with the United States either in naval warfare or in abi lity to land fighting troops on foreign soil? Hardly. No nation in the world wants or is ready for war at this time. In fact, only Russia and the United States could wage war on a large scale, should there be any occa sion for war. I do not believe such an occasion should or could exist. We might as well realize that the United States and the USSR are the controlling na tions of the world today. All of the other former great powers have been defeated either physi cally, morally, or economically to such an extent that they no longer play a significant part in the pic ture. What reason have we of the United States to begrudge Rus sia her economic interests ? Rus sia, Turkey, Greece, the Balkan States, Rumania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia are as destined to be come an economic entity as are the U. S., Mexico, Columbia, Ven- zuela, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. I can not recall any charges on the part of Russia which condemned the United Stat es as “imperialistic”, “coercive”, or “dangerous” although no clear- thinking person can fail to per ceive that we have our zone of influence much the same as Rus sia has hers. What was that story about the pot calling the kettle black? Let Russia have her economic and political union as she and the member countries see fit even if it includes England. Let the nations of Europe fall in behind Russia if it is to their political or economic advantage to do so. If Communism or the above-mentioned “sphere of influence” should fail, it is no con cern of ours. Rather, the future of the United States and that of the nations of the Western Hemisphere lies with in itself. We constantly discourage outside influence; can we blame Russia for doing the same thing? I hardly think so. I heartily oppose loans to Eng land, Greece, Turkey, or any other European countries unless they are made on a “strictly business” bas is. We have too long attempted to be a combination Santa Claus and benevolent watchdog of the World with no resulting advantage. We must assume a “live and let live” policy with Russia and allow her to have the same rights and pri vileges as we consider ourselves to have. Yours sincerely, R. E. Scruggs, ’47 Luke’s Easter Egg Hunt Set Wednesday Luke’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 2 in the park encompassed by Dexter Drive south of the Col lege Campus in College Park Ad dition. Pre-school children and those in the first, second, third, and fourth grades at Consolidated are invited to attend and bring their parents. Prize eggs will be donated by merchants, and a $10.95 Easter Bonnet will be presented by the Smart Shop to the mother who de signs and models the most orig inal hat trimmed with some form of fresh fruit or produce. Starting salaries of $2250 are not particularly attractive to a man who has spent four to seven years and considerable money for a college education, especially when garbage collectors, dog-catch ers, bartenders, and even school janitors get as much and often more. Even if salaries remain as they are, and living costs go high er, . the profession always will at tract a certain number of extra- that teaching is their gift, who are born to give themselves to educa tion and who will carry on in the finest traditions, regardless of sac rifice and personal hardship. But unless salaries are drastically re vised, the profession is bound to fall increasingly into the hands of mediocre men or men of inde pendent means, who may or may not be qualified for their jobs. Most parents don’t want their children taught by teachers afraid of their bosses or by men who teach because there is nothing else they can find to do. According to present studies the intellectual capacity of men who now select education as a career is inferior to that of engineering, law, and medical students. Just think of the eventual result. The future world leaders will have been train ed, taught, and guided by second- rate teachers; consequently their opinions and decisions are very likely to reflect this second-rate teaching. ★ Little Security Security of job isn’t as good as it appears to be for illness may cause a teacher to become unfit for teaching. Lack of savings to pro vide for possible sickness looms up as a constant worry for many teachers. Pensions and annuities, when they exist, are far from ade quate; as a result many teachers cannot afford to retire. They con tinue to teach long after their places should have been taken by younger men. The conception that a university teacher works only 15 hours a week and for hardly more than 30 weeks a year certainly is false now. Lec turing, conferring, marking .pa pers, and class preparation take from,45 to 50 hours a week—some times more. The G.I. Bill has caused the size of the classes to become 50% greater than before the war. Many a college teacher today has no time—and too many troubles—to be intellectually alive. The instructor at a university or college has certain appearances to live up to; he cannot wear the overalls, denim work shirst, and heavy shoes that his salary indi cates. Marriage, unless his girl has money, is practically out of the question, as are children for those who are married. Teachers are fortunate,, in this housing short age, if they do not pay almost a third of their salaries for quarters ‘Light and Lenses’ Camera Club Topfc Arthur G. Edmonds of the Phy sics department will present the second and final discussion on “Light and Lenses” Monday eve ning, March 31. The Camera Club will meet in Room 35, Physics Building, according to Claude Stone, vice-president. All interest ed persons are invited to attend. ed in the middle of March was a system of clearing ice-clogged channels invented by two Swedish inventors, Bengt O. E. Parsson and Erik Forslind. The invention con sists of long lines of perforated pipes through which air is pumped. As the air rises to the surface, it carries water from the lower lev els along with it. This sub-surface water, by some natural phenom enon, is of a higher temperature than that on the surface and pre vents the surface water from freezing. The system is even ef-' ficient enough to melt a thin lay er of ice. Maybe if the Russians used this invention at their ports of Leningrad and Vladivostok, they would find it unnecessary to ex pend their territory to include an all-weather port. ★ Albert S. Barnfield of Atlanta, Georgia, limited his thawing pro cess to a smaller scale. He applied for a patent on an automatic de frosting unit for refrigerators. When excess ice forms around the coils of the refrigerator, a valve stops the flow of refrigerant liquid through the coils, and in its place substitutes a flow of hot gas from the compressor. When the ice has melted, the valve re verses itself and again permits the refrigerant to flow. Wilber E. Lake of Fostoria, Michigan has built a better mouse trap. Therefore, the world should beat a path to his door. His con traption consists of a tube big enough for a rat to enter that contains a material that smells very enticing to rats. Across the entrance of the tube there is an incomplete electric circuit. When the rat enters, the circuit is com pleted and the rat electrocuted. With the dirty work all done, the rat then slides down to the bottom of the tube, and the trap is ready for the next unwary rat. The dead rats are then disposed of by merely turning the tube upside down in a suitable place, where upon they will fall out. ★ The nuisance of coming to the end of a page on a typewriter has been remedied by E. T. Wickland of Roundup, Montana. His inven tion was a platen in which a groove had been cut. When there is paper over the platen, it keeps a metal finger from falling into the groove; when the paper runs out, the fin ger falls into the groove and causes a bell to ring, giving the typist ample warning that he is nearing the end of the page. The bell just rang! Cattlemen, Stockhandlers Hit By Odd New Disease ‘Q Fever’ by W. K. Colville A nondescript disease has been hitting stockhandlers and slaughterhouse workers in Texas, and the name of this unfamiliar disease is Q. It's called Q fever, and the Q stands for question mark. Q hit 55 stockhandlers, slaugh-4 terhouse workers, and trainmen in What’s Cooking Thursday, March 27 7 p.m.—Tyler A.&M. Club, Room 108, Academic Building. 7:00 p.m.—Johnson County Club meets in Room 303, Academic Bldg. 7:15 p.m.—(Rural Sociology Club, Room 203, Agriculture Building. Dr. Charles S. Gardiner, Director of Texas Merit System Council, will be speaker. 7:30 p.m.—Denton County Club meets in 325 Academic Bldg. Eas ter Party to be discussed. 7:00 p.m.—Houston County A.& M. Club will meet in the Academic Building. ★ Friday, March 28 3:00 p.m.—Social Club meets in Y.M.C.A., ‘Easter Parade of Fash ions”. that allow them to live on a main tenance, not a cultural, level. Dr. James P. Baxter, president of Williams College, declared a year ago that the universities must insure “better salary scales, rea sonable work loads, and scrupulous respect for the principles of aca demic freedom” if capable men were to be attracted to teaching. As things stand now the univer sity instructor is not only forgot ten, he is vanishing. You, as a college student, know more than do most people about teaching conditions. So when you leave college and are a voting and tax-paying citizen, remember these things and vote accordingly. Do what you can to assure sound financial support, for no doubt you will soon have children; you want them to get the best education possible, don’t you? file 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. Member Pbsocioted Colle6iate 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. Corps Editor 1 Veteran Editor Tuesday Associate Editor Thursday Associate Editor Saturday Associate Editor . ou, Sports Editor Larry Goodwyn, Andy Matula, Jack Goodloe, Dick Baker, Earl Grant Sports Writers Wendell McClure Advertising Manager Martin E. Crossly Circulation Manager Ferd B. English, Franklin Cleland, William Miller, Doyle Duncan, Ben Schrader, Wm. K. Colville, Walter Lowe, Jr., Lester , . B. Gray, Jr., Carl C. Krueger, Jr., Mack T. Nolen .Reporters Allen sell Vick Lindley Charles E. Murray J. K. B. Nelson David M. Seligman Paul Martin Amarillo, Texas, killing two them. The 55 did not know what had hit them, neither did their doctors. That is not queer, be cause it was the first naturally oc curring outbreak of the disease in the United States. Previous out breaks in this country had been in laboratories among scientists, and in troops who got the disease while overseas. The second naturally oc curring outbreak struck about 30 packinghouse workers in Chicago last summer. Thq Texas outbreak was identi fied through a circumstance that could be called queer. An Amarillo man, riding on a train, started talking about this strange disease in his town. An osteopath heard him and said, “That sounds like the Q fever they had among labor atory workers in the east.” The train was noisy and the Texas man understood the osteopath to say “abattoir workers.” So when he got back to Amarillo he started telling people they had this same disease among abbatoir workers down East. A physician overheard this tale, went home and looked into his medical books, and found Q fever described. He found that the symptoms were like those in the patients that he had seen, so he got in touch with the health officer who got in touch with the U. S. Public Health Service which sent some men out to study the situation. A group of doctors from the Texas State Health Depart ment reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that the disease was definitely Q fever and that the patients prob ably got it from cattle. Q fever was first discovered in Queensland, Australia, among stock handlers. Scientists seeking to identify the strange disease at tempted to mark the tube con taining the germs with a question mark, “?”, but they found that hard to write on a glass tube, so they used a Q. Opens 1:00 p.m. Ph. 4-1181 THURS.—LAST DAY Barbecue Saturday For Johnson County From 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon until everyone leaves, the Johnson County Club will sponsor a barbe cue in Hensel Park. Tax will be $1 stag or $1.50 with wife or date. The club will meet this evening at 7 p.m. in Room 303, Academic Building to make final prepara tions. Members planning to at tend the barbecue should contact Steve Heyward, Room 1-H Puryear or write Box 2272, as soon as pos sible. “MADONNA OF THE SEVEN MOONS” FRIDAY - SATURDAY with a BANG! And he s faking no nonsense from proud Lor etta Young who comes to him ot first because she has to bock one day because she wonts to I Beulah Bondi Cecil Kellaway Directed by Irving Pichel Screen Play by Frank Partos and Raymond Chandler • A Paramount Picture The Atmosphere and Hospitality of the OLD SOUTH is always to be found — at — HOTARD’S CAFETERIA 311 N. Main—Bryan ‘Where the art of fine cookery has not been forgotten’ THE DEVELOPING and PRINTING OF YOUR OWN SNAPSHOTS Is an art and pleasure when you’re well equipped. Let us supply you with film— paper—developer—flash bulbs—light me ters. A. & M. PHOTO SHOP ‘Frontier Fiesta 9 At U. of H. Finds Everyone Go-West Cowboy boots, western shirts, and jingling spurs is the proper wearing apparel at the Univer sity of Houston now. After a six-year war-caused lapse, the Annual Frontier Fiesta is being re-inaugurated. A typical west ern town is being built by the students of the university center ing upon the tradition and ro mance of the Early Republic of Texas. “Frontier City” will in clude such features as Judge Roy Beans’ Court, taxi dance, and night clubs. This year the Fiesta is being held in conjunction with a re ception for thirty high schools from Harris and seven surround ing counties. In addition to this reception three nights of fun and hilarity have been planned for the out-of-town high schools. OPENS I p. m. DAILY THURSDAY ONLY “THE POWERS GIRL” _ With — GEORGE MURPHY ANNE SHIRLEY FRIDAY - SATURDAY DOUBLE FEATURE WILLIAM GARGAN PAT O’MOORE — In — “RENDEZVOUS 24” DR. N. B. McNUTT DENTIST Office in Parker Building Over Canady’s Pharmacy Phone 2-1457 Bryan, Texas Records and Players, Paints, Varnishes, Wall Paper. CHAPMAN’S Next to P. O. Bryan