Page Two — THE BATTALION, College Station (Aggieland), Texas, Thursday, May 8, 1947
Sports Take Spotlight...
It is a pleasant thing, after months of controversy, to
turn to thoughts of sport, of agricultural and engineering
wonders, of mothers and Mothers’ Day. In this issue, the
entire front page has been turned over to the sports depart
ment to tell about Aggie athletes, who will demonstrate on
Saturday what is in store for the rest of the year. Saturday’s
issue will be devoted to Agriculture-Engineering Day and
Mothers’ Day features. ^
Once upon a time, this institution was known far and
wide as the “Athletic and Military College of Texas.” We
have never wanted to “overemphasize” sports here, to the
detriment of learning.
But athletics has certainly played a large part in the
history of A. & M. Our huge intramural program spreads
athletic benefits among all students. A few years ago our
football teams were tops in the nation—and they may be
again. This year our swimming, track, and golf teams have
been ones we could be proud of. The baseball team, as this
editorial is written, is No. 2 in the Southwest Conference.
Last year’s basketball and football teams just about broke
even in the Conference, both ending in the middle of the
“final results” column. But they were both scrappy teams,
that frequently scared league-leaders.
We'are proud of our sports representatives, and we wish
them well. In their honor, we have formed the Aggie T on
Page 1. (Can you find it?)
Both Good and Bad...
The Veterans Association this week asked the Exchange
Store committee to allocate 1947 excess profits to the library,
for purchase of books and for eventual air-conditioning. The
Student Union Building operating fund, to which the shared-
profits were given this year, is a worthy fund, but the pro
ject was not popular with most veterans. Veteran repre
sentatives on the Exchange Store committee, knowing this,
asked the VSA meeting for opinions,mnd the opinion express
ed was that next year’s fund should go to the library.
This was a. good and proper move. The library certainly
needs such assistance. We hope that the full Exchange Store
committee—including faculty members—will accept this sug
gestion. Later it will probably be wise to again use the “pro
fit-sharing plan” to provide the Union Building with bowling
alleys, pool tables, cash registers, etc., (that being the func
tion of the operating fund).
Not so good was the fact that the Veterans Association,
after asking six questions in so sensational a manner as to
rock the state of Texas, has failed to state whether or not
it considers those questions satisfactorily answered!.
Not only the A. & M. student body, but all people of
Texas, have a right to ask, “Well, what do you say now?”
It is high time that the VSA officers, or the club in meeting
assembled, let their present views be known.
Evaluating the Press...
An amazing proportion of the critical writing about
newspapers has been of the wild-eyed expose variety. Some
of it is constructive. Much of it is bunk.
Now what of the charge that newspapers are big busi
ness, are often monopolistic? It is true that there has been
a marked tendency in the past quarter century toward news
paper mergers, and many cities have only one newspaper, or
two newspapers owned by the same publsher. It seems ob
vious that this trend reflects primarily the economic de
velopment of this mass production age. Newspapers have
greatly expanded their services to the public, both in content
and in distribution. Newspapers are bigger and thicker, and
they are delivered rapidly over greatly expanded circulation
areas. Of course, this has greatly increased the plant, equip
ment, organization and capital required.
Certainly one result is far better newspapers. One
strong newspaper can do a far better job than three or four
weak ones. Also, a strong newspaper is far more secure in
its independence than one which is in constant financial
jeopardy. I doubt if many well-informed persons seriously
believe any more that newspapers are influenced by adver
tisers.
It is certain that the newspaper of tomorrow will be
a far better newspaper. Most of us agree readily with our
critics that we have been overconcerned with reporting those
things which involve merely novelty, shock, violence or con
flict. The oldtime newspaper man who insists that a news
sense is something intuitive, something which escapes defi
nition, is going out of date. There has been a sharp cur
tailment of the printing of crime news over the country.
But the main thing is, the newspaper of tomorrow will
concentrate on the significant happenings all over the world.
This world has grown small. The newspaper man will be
increasingly better trained, better educated and more spe
cialized. Even today, a great newspaper has a staff organ
ized almost like a college faculty.
Mere routine reporting of facts will not be enough.
That can only bring on that “crisis of meaninglessness” of
which Sevellon Brown warned the Press Institute. We will
have far more conscientious, objective putting of the facts
into perspective, more background and explanation. The
process must necessarily be selective. The reader can ab
sorb only so much. —Claude dagger
JUST CALL HIM JOE DOAKS!
While in San Antonio one night, Marino Anderson, Quita, Ecuador
history major at TCU, stayed in a hotel. The clerk, informed Marino,
after he registered, that the hotel was extremely crowded and that
the hotel couldn’t possibly accommodate all the persons listed.
“Anyway,” continued the irked clerk, “you aren’t planning to put
all these people in one room, are you?”
“But I’m alone,” contested Marino, and he proceeded to clarify the
befuddled situation. Marino simply explained that the signature
Carlos Rogue Raul Jenaro Marino Anderson Ribadeneira Von Kiessel
Marquez de Trastamara—was his full name.
The Battalion
The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechanical College
Tuesd ^turdR 6 ^ tri-weekly and circulated
Member
Phsocided Cpllefeiole Press
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 Bindley
Corps
Veteran
—Tuesday Associate R
-Thursday Associate R
..Saturday Associate R
Sports E(
Charles E. Murray
J. K. B. Nelson
David M. Seligman
wTT Andy Matula ' J»ck Goodloe, Dick Baker, Earf GrantUspwHb 8 ^
D W Advertising Man
u. w • bprinsrer - .. if***
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 Repoi
If World Splits . . .
Then What
About Russia?
By A. D. Bruce, Jr.
A top-heavy advantage lies on
the side of the United States and
Britain in the race with Russia for
world power. A measure of that
advantage is vital, as a result of
failure of the latest effort to agree
on terms of peace and of inability
of the big powers to find a basis
for operating the world as a unit.
In any race for postwar position,
Russia starts with a heavy handi
cap. U. S. and Britain start with
an edge of at least 6 to 1 in the
resources on which they can draw
from their sphere, compared with
the resources on which Russia can
draw in her sphere.
A challenge by Russia that could
have only war as its outcome is
unlikely as long as this one-sided
situation exists. Russia, however,
appears to think that she can make
more progress in developing re
sources open to her than U. S.-
Britain can make in the remainder
of the world. Russia seems to be
betting that she can make her sys
tem work, while U. Jj.-Britain will
be unable to make the economic
system of the outside world work
for long. At Moscow, in the latest
conference of foreign ministers,
Russia refused to make concessions
that would open the way to co-op
eration with nations outside her
sphere.
★
Over all, in developed resources,
Russia starts in a weak position.
Industrial production in the Rus
sian sphere—including Finland, the
Baltic countries, Poland, Czecho
slovakia, Hungary, Rumania, Bul
garia, Yugoslavia, Albania, and the
Soviet zones in Germany, Austria,
and Korea—is only 15% of the
world’s total. That leaves 85% for
the remainder of the world, in
which U. S. and Britain are domi
nant. The U. S. alone has about
50% of the world’s industrial pro
duction. Most of the other 35%
is in Britain, France, Italy, Cana
da, Australia, Brazil, Japan, and
the western zones of Germany.
Steel production in the world is
equally lopsided, with only 15% for
the Russian sphere. Coal produc
tion is in line with steel and in
dustry in general, with 16% in
Russia’s orbit and 85% in that of
U. S.-Britain. Electric-power ca
pacity shows Russia with an even
smaller share than for coal and
steel. Power output in both the
Russian and U.S.-Britain spheres
increased greatly during the war,
but Russia’s share remains about
the same, at 11%, compared with
89% for U.S.-Britain. Crude-petro
leum output reveals one of Russia’s
greatest weaknesses. Her present
share is only 10%. Transportation
likewise is a weak link in Russia’s
industrial setup. Of the world’s
railroad mileage, she and the other
countries affiliated with her have
15%. But they have only 2% of
the world’s all-weather highways,
2% of the world’s motor vehicles,
and less than 3% of the world’s
merchant shipping.
Food-production capacity, how
ever, finds Russia in a relatively
good position, at least potentially.
Although her sphere includes 17%
of the world’s population, it con
tains 33% of the world’s crop land,
or about 2 acres per person. This
compares with 4/5 of an acre per
person in the U. S.-British portion
of the world.
★
Conclusions to be drawn from
all these facts relate directly to
the outlook for peace. Russia’s
weakness obviously is so great
that, for a long time to come, she
will be in no position to start an
offensive war against U. S.-Brit-
ain. Decisive factors in the last
war were steel, oil and transpor
tation, and, as seen above, Russia
is lacking in each.
According to U. S. appraisers,
Russia’s aims are two! She is
determined to keep her dominant
position in the area she controls
and to make its economy work by
the planned method she is accus
tomed to using. She intends to
create the capital she needs by
compelling her people to tighten
their belts. As far as possible, she
will integrate the resources, indus
tries and trade of the countries
along her border with her own. In
the second place, according to this
U. S. appraisal, Russia expects to
make headway in the rest of the
world by waiting until the capital
ist and semisocialist countries
break down in chaos and civil war,
Letters
AN IDEA!
Dear Sir:
About five minutes ago another
expensive street light shade was
broken outside our dorm. This is
not only expensive to the school,
but it also makes the appearance
of the campus very ugly.
•Why on earth doesn’t someone
who has charge of replacing those
shades get wise and paint the side
facing the dorms so the light will
not shine in the rooms?
This will save many dollars and
also keep the fellows in a good
mood. It’s very uncomfortable to
sleep under a glaring light so let
this letter get to someone who can
do something about it.
Yours truly,
J. D. F. Boggs, Jr.
Dorm 9
★
“SHOOT TO KILL”
To whom it may concern:
Residents of Veterans’ Village
have been aware of a “window-
peeker” and “prowler” who has
had occupants in a state of alarm
for the past three months. We do
not wish to accuse any person or
group of persons of being the of
fender. However, we are inserting
this notice in the Batt in the hope
that the responsible party may
see it and will realize the anxiety
that he is causing the families
here.
We should also like to add a
warning that two pranksters came
very close to being shot last Sat
urday night. A similar incident
may not result in the culprit being
so fortunate.
If you have business out here,
you are welcome to come, and feel
free to do so. We ask your co-op-
peration; if you are asked to stop:
STOP! This warning may be given
only once.
Signed,
JAMES M. ROBERTSON, ’45
and 24 others
and then by moving in through
Communist parties. She is con
vinced that the U, S. cannot restore
the non-Communist world to work
ing order, and that sooner or later
she will have an opportunity to
take it over by default.
U. S.-British policy, which now
will be placed in effect in spite of
non-cooperation by Russia, will be
to go ahead with the economic
development of Western Germany.
Output of coal and a variety of
industrial goods will be pushed,
with a view of raising Germany’s
exports and making her self-sup
porting. As far as possible, trade
relations between Western Ger
many and Eastern Europe will be
maintained, and any efforts by Rus
sia to swing Eastern European
countries ■ completely into her own
trade orbit will be resisted. Even
if a complete split of Europe be
tween East and West becomes a
fact, U. S. and Britain will go a-
head with whatever measures are
necessary to fit Western Germany
into the non-Communist part of
the world.
In any event, U. S. and Britain
are determined to put Western
Europe back to work, get normal
trade restored, and show that the
Western world can continue to out
strip Russia in the production and
exchange of goods.
Your stationery reflects you as
definitely as your handwriting. So
why not choose your writing pa
per with careful discrimination?
Our stationery styled by Montag’s
is always smartly correct . . and
our wide selection makes it an easy
' .matter to find a box that exactly
matches your personality.
THE
EXCHANGE
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V n > ml TO 17 KEY TEXAS CITIES!
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iiHGi*S — St AUUAU — EXPtESS
History of 7th Air Force
Is ‘One Damned Island’
By Wilnora Barton
Readers’ Advisbr
ONE DAMNED ISLAND AFTER
ANOTHER by Howard Clive
This is the saga of the Seventh
Air Force which came into being
after December 7, 1941, from the
old Hawaiian Air Department and
from the choas and ruin of Hick-
am, Wheeler, and Bellows Air
fields. This account constitutes the
official history of the operations
of the Seventh Air Force in World
War II.
★
LYDIA BAILEY by Kenneth Rob
erts.
With characteristic vigor and in
timacy of style Roberts creates his
most superb woman character. The
time is 1800, and the plot weaves in
world shaking events from Boston’s
Alien and Sedition trials to Bona-
partie’s attempt to re-conquer Hai
ti, and from there to France and
Tripoli. The love interest results
when a susceptible young marine
lawyer becomes enamoured with
the portrait of a girl who is in
Haiti. He finds her there and man
ages to take her away from the
island during a bloody negro up
rising. The story carries them
through spirited engagements with
the French; capture by Barbary
pirates, and slavery in Tripoli.
★
FRONTIER ON THE POTOMAC
by Jonathan Daniels.
Jonathan Daniels, as the son of
a cabinet member in the Wilson
Administration and as Press Sec
retary to Franklin D. Roosevelt,
has had ample opportunity to learn
Washington and Washington per
sonalities from the inside out. In
his effort to depict the national
captol and the workings of the
powers that be, he has turned out
one of the juciest and most enter
taining books ever written on the
subject.
Here are accounts of conferences
and parties, talk of politics and
international affairs, all of them
informal in the manner of their
telling, all of them adding up to
a graphic and revealing picture of
American government in operation.
★
THROUGH RUSSIA’S BACK
DOOR by Richard E. Lauter-
back
A considered evaluation of the
reasons for the seemingly unbridg-
able gap between the Soviets and
ourselves. The far reaches of Sib
eria are even more of a mystery
to Americans than European Rus
sia, and Mr. Lauterbach, Corres
pondent for Life, is the first “out
sider” to have an “uncensored”
look at postwar conditions of the
Hidden Empire east of the Urals.
The author traveled from Vladis-
vostok across the entire length of
the Soviet Union, and this is his
report on this vigorous land.
SALESMAN WANTED!
A good opportunity for college men. Open
ing for neat and aggressive men to sell Vita-
Craft Aluminum Utensils in their own dis
trict through leads in spare time, as well as
full time. Never sold in stores. Sales ex
perience unnecessary. We’ll teach you.
Good income for the right man.
Contact the A. & M. Placement Office
If Interested.
THE VITA-CRAFT COMPANY
OF TEXAS
336 West Davis, Dallas 8, Texas
HONOR MOTHER ON
MOTHER’S DAY
BY ATTENDING YOUR CHURCH
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
College Station
SPECIAL SERVICE—11 O’CLOCK
A Mother’s Day Gift to the oldest and youngest
mother present.
JUNIORS!!
ORDER YOUR BOOT BREECHES
NOW FOR SEPTEMBER
Daily we are taking orders for Ice Cream
Boot Breeches and Slacks.
There is still a shortage on this type
material and White Skins.
DON’T DELAY—DON’T BE DIS-APPOINTED
COME BY TODAY
ZUBIK & SON
Uniform Specialists
1896— 51 Years of Tailoring —1947
NEW
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and shave. And what a shave! The razor
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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 CORP., MYSTIC, CONN.
BRYAN, TEXAS
THURSDAY, FRIDAY
and SATURDAY
TYRONE POWER
“THeTRAZOR’S
EDGE”
COMING: Preview Saturday
Night, Sunday, Monday,
and Tuesday
DICK HAYMES
— In —
“CARNIVAL IN
COSTA RICA”
Opens 1:00 p.m. Ph. 4-1181
— AIR CONDITIONED —
THURSDAY LAST DAY!
FRIDAY - SATURDAY
JOHN WAYNE
— In —
“FLAME OF
BARBARY COAST”