Battalion EDITORIALS Page 2 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1949 "Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman" Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Founder of Aggie Traditions The Scouts Have a Birthday . . . The week of February 6 to 12 has been proclaimed Boy Scout Week by Mayor Er nest Langford. On this, the 39th anniversary of the BSA, we might stop and observe the bene fits of the organization we have come to accept as a standard part of the American scene. In wholesome recreation and enter tainment, scout organizations have always been leaders. The various phases of training offered by the scouts have added to the educa- Help for Our Stammerers Speech correction has progressed into a science since the days when the Greek orator Demosthenes was said to have cur ed his speech defect by talking with his mouth full of pebbles. Many colleges are doing much in the field of speech correction while A&M re mains in a stage not above that of the Grecian Pebble Age. As a technical and military college A&M turns out men train ed to be leaders in many fields of endeav or. Each of these fields demands vocal expression; yet on this campus there are between 300 and 500 students who are in need, of some form of speech correction. As a male college, A&M should take ah additional interest for as in the case of stammering, there exists a ratio of three boys who stammer for every girl. A speech correction clinic could be de veloped here with little effort. One mem ber of our college faculty is now complet ing his PhD. in the field of speech cor rection. With a few minor adjustments Of class schedules, English 401 and 403 tion and breadth of knowledge of 15,500,- 000 Americans. Always, scouting attempts to build morals, character, and a love of independ ence. A great number of our own student body and faculty have been, or are pre sently, members or advisors of scout groups. They offer a sound argument for the benefits to be derived from scouting. So on your 39th birthday, Boy Scouts of America, we salute you- Ours is a better country because of you. • • • could offer sections specially designed for students seeking aid in correcting their speech defects. The latest in equipment and psychological tests could be made available for these sections with little ex pense. We have the need and we have the trained personnel but not the chance to prove the benefits of a speech clinic. Is any price too high if greater power of ex pression can be given to A&M graduates. Later, with experience gained from these special speech classes, speech cor rection could be enlarged and extended placing A&M as a leader in still another field of applied science. A speech clinic is badly needed in this section of the United States since no clinic exists between the one at LSU on the east coast and the one at UCLA on the west coast. Could we not do our bit for the esti mated 5 per cent of our population suf fering from various forms of speech de fects? Division Through Unification . . . Unification of the armed forces has merely brought division from two branch es to three. The fact of this division has been made more evident by the present struggle by each branch to gain a lion’s share of the fourteen billion dollars budget allotment for this year- General Omar Bradley, in a Boston speech last Friday night, presented the case for the Army Ground Forces. He did not think that a knockout blow could be attained in another war by air power alone. He felt the Navy’s role was only that of a transportation branch to carry and deposit ground forces in positions strategic for ground attack on the enemy. The Air Force is seeking huge appro priations to build a striking force of long range bombers capable of atom bombing a nation into submission. Navy men are convinced that the con struction of an even larger navy spells the difference between our winning or losing the next war. To listen to our military men one would think war but a hair’s breath away. Bradley, though admitting the immediate danger of war has lessened, nevertheless seemed to assume war in the future no more uncertain than next fall’s football season. Upon this premise, that war is inevit able in the not too distant future, military men and others who will be far removed from the battle fronts are building their illogical but convincing arguments. They are convincing enough to hasten us to arm to the teeth, but is war necessarily in evitable ? If so, why not plunge into a war now that we would come nearer winning than one a generation hence ? War is the business of military men and other American groups now beating war drums. They remember the lush per iods of power and profit that the last war brought. And like a lion who has once tasted fresh meat, they are obsessed to have more. If these desires of another war were the ones who actually did the fighting, their fervor would not be so intense. Rather they would be like us who would be sweating the artillery and small arms fire. They would be hopefully pray ing for continued peace, and saying, “Peace is not so wild a dream.” The Battalion The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas and the City of College Station, Texas, is published five times a week and circulated every Monday through Friday afternoon, except during holidays and examination periods. During the summer The Bat talion is published tri-weekly on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Subscription rate $4.30 per school year. Advertising rates furnished on request. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous origin publish ed herein. Rights of republication of all other matter herein are also reserved. Entered as second-class matter at Post • Office at College Station, Texas, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1870. Member of The Associated Press Represented nationally by National Ad vertising Service Inc., at New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. News contributions may be made by telephone (4-5444) or at the editorial office, Room 201, Goodwin Hall. Classified ads may be placed by telephone (4-5324) or at the Student Activities Office, Room 209, Goodwin Hall. KENNETH BOND, TOM CARTER Co-Editors Louis Morgan Associate Editor Bill Billingsley - Wire Editor Harvey Cherry, Art Howard, Otto Kunze, John Singletary ....Managing Editors Chuck Cabaniss, Charles Kirkham, Mack Nolen Editorial Ais.itantj Emil Bunjes, A. C. Gollob, R. C. Kclbye, Henry Lacour, Carley Puckitt, Clayton Selph, Marvin Brown Staff Reporters Joe Trevino, Hardy Ross Photo Engravers Clark Munroe Feature Editor Dave Coslett, Frank Cushing, George Charlton, Buddy Luce, Chuck Maisel, H. C. Michalak, Marvin Sice, Carrell Trail Feature Writers Bob “Sack” Spoede, Bill Potts Sports Editors Lson Somer, Frank Simmer., Andy Matula Sports Writers Mrs. Nancy Lytle Women’s Page Editor Alfred Johnston ....... Religious Editor Andy Davis Movie Editor Kenneth Marak, Sam Lanford, R. Morales, Frank Welch, C. V/. Jennings Staff Cartoonists A HOT ONE Letters To The Editor • Editor, The Battalion, Last nite about eight-thirty as we drove up College Station main thoroughfare, we were confronted with a solid line of cars from Lipscombs to the Campus Theater. We didn’t mind the cars parked in the middle of the street in parti cular, but when we found the en trance to the Walton Hall parking lot blocked we got a little peeved. Not only is it against the laws( ? ?) of the City of College Station to park in the middle of the street, but we also learned there is an eight dollar fine attached should the city marshall desire to line the city treasury with a little golden fleece. I know none of us, Aggies that is, could spare the eight bucks, but maybe the people of College Sta tion and Bryan can. There were more cars without student tags than there were with them parked in the center of the street. This is not ohly an inconvenience having to drive a block out of your way to get where you’re going, but it is also a SePiotis traffic hazard.! Not only to automobiles, hut pe destrians crossing the street can not see a car coming from either direction when crossing the street between the cars parked in the middle. We are sure the problem of where the cars should park is not the Student Senate committees’, now investigating the traffic prob lem on the campus, but the block ing of the parking lot entrance is. We thought through the Batt we could get 1 the problem before the committee and the city fathers of College Station. This is not the first time this has happened or we wouldn’t have squawked about it. H. G- Smith, ’46 Charlie Munden, ’46 W. O. Stubbs, ’49 A. E. Rettig, ’49 L. L. Pittman, ’49 Editor, The Battalion, Last . Monday, January 31, on re turning to Beaumont, I gave two Aggies a ride out of Houston to the Baytown highway, at about five in the evening. I believe that both of them were Seniors. When I arrived in Beaumont, and unpacked my car, I discovered a pair of gloves left by one of the men on the floor of my cai\ These are very fine gloves, and I believe Official Notices DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS A few posts for -physics laboratory stu dent assistantships for the present semester are still open. Men who have completed sophomore physics courses with superior records are wanted to assist with instruc tion, grading and the handling of appara tus in the laboratories. The scale of compensation is .60 per hour for new assistants and .70 per hour for experienced assistants. Men are es pecially needed Thursday and Friday morn ings. The opportunity for experience, as well as earnings, should be considered. Applicants are invited to apply at tHe office of the department at their earliest convenience. J. G. POTTER Head, Dept, of Physics their loss was a had one for their owner. Unfortunately, I do not remem ber their names, although both men introduced themselves to me. If, in any way, you can help me contact the man who lost the glo ves, I’m sure he’d appreciate it. Just have him write me with a brief description of the gloves and identifying marks, and I’ll mail them to him immediately, I drove a maroon ’46 Chevrolet sedan, and picked two men up near the comer of Quitman and North Main in Houston, near 5:30 in the evening of Monday, January 31. Your cooperation in this matter is appreciated. Sincerely, Conrad Bering, Jr., ’43 {Think of (This “I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was. thirsty, and ye gave me to drink.” Matt- 25:35 A story -is told of a certain Chinese trader who brought a very valuable pearl to his king. He of fered to sell the pearl for 600,000 ounces of silver. The trader claim ed that the person who would keep the pearl in his mouth would never suffer thirst. The king refused to buy the gem. He told the trader that he could take the same value in silver and buy enough rice to save the lives of many of his people. He was more interested in the welfare of others than his own desires. That is the way in which Christ would have us to live. Let’s try to do some small thing for someone else every day. MATINEE ONLY TODAY NO MOVIE TONIGHT “Romeo & Juliet” On the Stage TUES. & WED. NO ADVANCE WILLIAM POWELL 1feSeMiit§r„ tAtf IndiiOmt r/ru ELLA RAINES ASHEN WHELAN . RAY C0LUNS7 SAD IBJAODUCIAG PETER LIND HATES satcsHPuyar CHARLES MacARTHUK , U** rts* h Mt* Ia-1*• *<*■»*«. r& >* eiatcno ar ^ ' GEORGE & KAUFMAN Sticking My Neck Out . . . Assembly Hall Is Obstacle Course For Any Final Exam By C. C. MUNROE Situated just 479 steps from Proxy’s Fountain is one of this college’s architectural hangovers, the Assembly Hall. Unfortunately it still stands, but does it have to be used for final exams? Students who survived the mental and phy sic a 1 obstacle course of finals in that particul ar builders’ mis take don’t think so. Surely there must have been another place on the campus to hold the exams that were held in the Assembly Hall, for, even with some of the ancient structures we have around here, there must have been one or two decent ' empty rooms where those finals could have been given. What is wrong with exams in the Assembly Hall? Many things. First, it is one of the most un attractive places, both inside and out, that we have on the campus. It has very poor lighting and nine times out of ten it is dirty. The seats are hard enough when there is good entertainment on the stage and they get harder with each lecture and exam given in the place. Then, to top it all off, those stu dents who took exams in the Assembly Hall last semester had to endure temperatures that were as low, and some claimed they were even lower, than those out side. It just doesn’t make sense. One of the exams was an engi neering final. Picture taking a final like that with a slide rule on one knee, a little lap board on the other, and your knees bumping the seat in front of you. Then try and work out some problems using that slide rule, figuring on scratch pa,- per, and then juggling through many pages of exam paper to re cord your answer. Add all that to the usual strain of taking an engineering final or any other kind of final and you have a beautiful picture. Classrooms are crowded and space is at a premium, but surely a little effort directed toward lo cating a more suitable place for giving final exams would pay off in better grades. Let’s not make the same mistake twice. It probably won’t be cold this spring when exam time rolls around, but it probably will be hot and survivors tell of temperatures that can’t be equalled when the sun shines on the shaky walls of the Assembly Hall. ★ If you stick around long enough you can pick up some good ideas at a bull session, for sooner or later somebody in the crowd will hit on a subject that, when it is fully explored, can bring out some pretty good points. Well, one of these good ideas was brought out the other evening up in the dorm. “Why,” one of the men asked, “is that course in pub lic speaking always listed as a senior subject ? It seems to me that it would make a lot better course for freshman, for a lot of guys do more public speaking in college than they’ll ever do when they get out.” That seems to make sense. Why wait until a man is just about to graduate before teach ing him the fine points, or even the rough points, of public speak ing? There are countless opportunities for an undergraduate to do public speaking, even if it’s only in class or pei’haps at a club dinner or someplace like that. But, the idea is, if he is taught the rudiments of good public speaking early in his college life then he can apply them where they will do him the most good. Look at it this way. Even with today’s large classes there is some opportunity for class discussion. This discussion is only as good as the ideas the speakers possess, but even good ideas are useless unless they can be expresed well. A fresh man course in public speaking will give each man the background nec essary to enable him to express his ideas. On the other hand, a man who hasn’t had training in public speaking may be hesitant in speaking out when he feels he has something to add to class discus sion. A&M’s public speaking course is called “Speaking for Professional Men.” Is there any reason why it must be limited to men who have almost completed their professional work? Maybe we would be better professional men if we learned to speak well at the same time we learned to be professional. A&M Radio Club To Elect Officers The A&M Radio Club will elect officers Monday night at 7:15 in Room 102, Electrical Engineering Building, according to Stanley Nel son, reporter for the organization. He said plans for the coming year will be discussed. TODAY & TUES. FIRST RUN —Features Start— 1:10 - 3:05 - 4:35 - 6:05 3:00 - 10:00 ' Bryan 2‘ TODAY & TUESDAY “LIFE WITH FATHER” STARTS WEDNESDAY w hrs the CoMBpy of the yisar f Warner. Bros cJvneTSride ’BRETAIGNE WINDUST HENRY BLANKE. Radio Repair... . . / is our specialty The Radio Shop One Block west of Post Office on W. 26th St. “A member of Philco Service” BRYAN PHONE 2-2819 COMPLETE REPAIR ... on all makes and models of radios Also BATTERIES FOR YOUR PORTABLE Plus Showing of the COTTON BOWL FOOTBALL CLASSIC OF 1941 A&M vs. FORDHAM See Kimbrough, Pugh, Rob- nett & Thomason. PETE SMITH SHORT ON THE STAGE IN PERSON —APPEARING AT— 3:30 - 7:30 - 9:30 In His A maxing Demonstration of PSYCHOLOGY WED. - THURS. - FRI. FIRST RUN COTTON BOWL GAME 1941 CARTOON