Published
Four Times Weekly
Throughout the Summer
Number 46: Volume 50
The Battalion
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF A GREATER A&M COLLEGE
COLLEGE STATION (Aggieland), TEXAS, TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1950
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Lumberman’s 1949 Contest
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North Korean Drive Continues;
British Reinforcements Arrive
Tokyo, Aug. 29 (A 3 ) — British
troops stepped ashore in Korea to-
? day, adding their guns to the
mounting United Nations strength
opposing fighting Red 'borders
hammering at the 120-mile long
battlefront.
In most sectors Allied troops
held firm in the face of a growing
drive by 40,000 North Korean Com
munists. But there was danger
of a Red breakthrough at the east
coast anchor of the warfront.
Heaviest Red pressure was on
the central and eastern sectors.
South Koreans regained ground
around Kigye, nine miles north
west of the eastern line sea anchor,
and held firm at the port of Po-
hang on the sea rf Japan east
coast.
North of Taegu, hub city of the
central front, the Reds shoved them
back four miles, rolling within 18
miles of Taegu.
Troops Advancing
Frontline dispatches said Allied
troops had recaptured Kigye, nine
miles northwest of the east coast
port of Pohang. General MacAr-
thur’s headquarters said this could
not be confirmed. However, a
spokesman said Allied troops were
west and east of Kigye and ad
vancing.
American troops plunged into
the battlezone on the east coast.
While the situation appeared im
proved, the MacArthur spokesman
warned of the dangers of a break-
through still existing in the east.
Far to the south the wail of bag
pipes sounded as 1,500 British in
fantrymen went ashore from the
carrier Uniform and the cruiser
Ceylon from Hong Kong.
They were the first of a large
group of ground forces officially
promised by other members of the
United Nations. They disembarked
in jungle greens, with part of their
own battle equipment and, as a
Scottish officer said “ready to go.”
The British force was composed
of units of the famed Argyll and
Sutherland and Middlesex regi
ments. They came especially train
ed for the type of war raging in
Korea—mountain fighting.
Lines Under Pressure
Truman Muzzles
Gen. MacArthur
I Washington, Aug. 29—UP)—The
White House said yesterday Presi
dent Truman personally ordered
General Douglas MacArthur to
withdraw a statement on the deli-
1 cate Formosa issue because it con
fused the American position.
In it, MacArthur declared For
mosa is vital to America’s Far
East defenses and must remain in
non-Communist hands.
To keep the record straight, the
President set forth the official
American policy—the U.S. has no
designs on Formosa; we are guard
ing it to keep the war from spread
ing, and its future as a former
Tokyo, Tuesday, Aug. 29—UP)—
General MacArthur remained si
lent today amid the controversy
over his latest statement con
cerning Formosa.
An aide expressed belief the
general, like White House offi
cials considered the incident closed.
It was unlikely he would issue
any statement on the subject at
this time. His key officers like
wise were silent.
; r”
* Japanese territory is a subject for
international settlement.
The administration has taken
T pains to prevent the appearance
of any “imperialistic” designs on
Asiatic territofry which Commun
ist propaganda might seize upon.
At the same time, it has bucked a
powerful segment of opinion in
congress that stronger measures
should be taken in Formosa.
In Congressional Record
MacArthur complied with the
presidential order, but his views
quickly were placed on public rec
ord in congress by Republican
members.
Presidential Press Secretary
Charles G. Ross said Mr. Truman
ordered the statement withdrawn
“to avoid confusion as to the Uni
ted States nosition.”
Another White House authority
emphasized there could be “only
one voice” in setting forth this
country’s policies; meaning the
President.
The Truman order served to spot
light a breach between high mili
tary and civilian levels in the ad
ministration on U. S. policy in the
^ far Pacific—a schism virtually un
paralleled since President Lincoln’s
Civil War troubles with his gen-
, erals and cabinet members.
v On Capitol Hill, Republican pro
test rolled up and congressional
demands multiplied for all-out de
fense of Formosa, the last strong
hold of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-
Shek’s Chinese Nationalist regime.
Statement Lacks Criticism
Ciiticism of the MacArthur pol
icy statement was notably lacking.
Senator Wherry of Nebraska,
Senate GOP floor leader, de
nounced the President’s action as
“outrageous” and declared in a
statement:
“General MacArthur knows more
about what needs to be done in the
Far East to correct the mistakes
(See MACARTHUR, Page 4)
Cofer Sets Up
Office, Seeks
A&M Archives
D. B. Cofer, newly ap
pointed archivist, has opened
an office in the Memorial
Student Center and is organ
izing and expanding the col
lege archives.
Cofer, Ayhb is in charge of col
lecting, cataloging and preserving
college historical records, has is
sued a call to former students and
others to send in material suitable
for preservation in the archives
of A&M.
He is seeking scrapbooks about
the college, photographs, record
books, minute books of various or
ganizations, letters connected with
the college, or picture post cards of
campus scenes.
In rounding out the collection of
cadet uniforms of the various per
iods of the institution’s 74-year-
history, he is seeking a uniform of
the type worn in 1893.
One of the first major projects
of the new office is collection of
pictures, uniforms and information
to be exhibited during the college’s
75th anniversary year, starting in
September.
The office of archivist was set
up jointly by the Former Students
Association and the college. A gift
from former students of $10,000 is
being used to finance the work,
while the college is furnishing
housing and personnel for its di
rection.
Cofer, who divides his time be
tween his job as archivist and the
English Department of the college,
has been on the English faculty
since 1910.
They arrived at a moment when
the United Nations line—held until
now by United States and South
Korean infantrymen — was under
heavy pressure on its northeast
wing. And a giant Communist of
fensive plainly was building for an
other and possibly the greatest ef
fort to smash through the whole
position.
General MacArthur’s spokesman
described the quick changing sit
uation on the east coast as con
fused.
South Korean troops attacking
hard for the se»ond day drove for
ward near Kigye, one of the keys
of the Allied communication system
in the east.
AP correspondent Don Huth at
U. S. Eighth Army Headquarters
in Korea reported that front dis
patches said Kigye had been re
captured. But MacArthur’s head
quarters said the South Koreans
appeared to have reached a point
west and northwest of Kigye.
South Koreans Advancing
They straightened their lines and
wiped out a Communist pocket oc
cupying high ground. The Reds
hammered the position Monday
night but failed to attack. Tuesday
the South Koreans smashed; ahead
to the new positions.
But on their right the Reds sent
a patrol to the outskirts of Pohang,
No. 2 South Korean port. The
South Koreans wiped out the pa
trol. Pressure there appeared to
be lessening.
American naval and ground ar
tillery concentrated around Pohang
pounded the North Korean troops.
A naval spokesman said marine
fighter pilots added the weight of
their bombs and rockets to the
battle.
The Red forces described by
American intelligence as “security
regiments” were reinforcing the
North Korean units attacking Po
hang. They were estimated at
6,000 men. An intelligence officer
said their assignment normally is
to guard rearguard areas.
Fighting raged along the whole
northern face of the defense wall.
The spokesman said the ground
there, particularly south of
Uihung, 22 miles north of Taegu,
offers the easiest avenue for a
breakthrough. Wider valleys than
the Kumhwa “bowling alley,”
where the Reds were defeated last
week, lead south toward Taegu.
The Reds hit one South Korean
division with a powerful attack
Monday and drove forward 2J4
(See KOREA, Page 4)
Checking the Memorial Student Center’s three
ton air conditioning system wihch has recently
been put into operation to make the building “20
degrees cooler inside” are W. C. Sleeper, Inspec
tor, from the System Architect’s office, Carl
Brock, assistant building superintendent of main
tenance, and Otto Tezel and David Teal of the
Elbert Air Condition Company that supplied the
units.
Atmospheric Condensation-
Falling Water- ‘It Rained’
Rains in College Station have been few and far between,
but the precipitation yesterday seems to have caused some
dissention.
The sky was blue and the rains did come—but not
everywhere, or at the same time.
Just after the cloudburst started, Reese Spence director
of the college’s physical plants, made a phone call from his
office in the Administration Building. Spike White, with eyes
glistening in anticipation of the increased growth of the
grass on the golf course, was amazed to hear Spence’s voice
asking whether or not he was planning on watering the
course that night.
Upon explaining the gifts of Mother Nature, and the
unrestricted wnter supply, White was more amazed to hear
Spence exclaim “but it’s not raining here.”
A similar situation occurred when a Battalion reporter
called the office from North Gate and asked for permission
to type up his assignment at home instead of returning to the
office where he thought it was raining.
He too will have to imagine the look of anguish on the
editor’s face as he looked across empty copy baskets to the
drying drill field.
- Late Wire Briefs -
Officials Await Foreign Reaction
Washington, Aug. 29—LB) — Administration officials
anxiously awaited reaction from abroad today to the open
conflict of Formosa between President Truman and General
Douglas MacArthur.
They feared possible loss of confidence in the sincerity
of American support of the United Nations, and even more
so among the peoples of Asia where Communist propaganda
is expected to exploit the incident to the full.
Government Sues for Lost Ship
San Francisco, Aug. 29—(jB)—The government charges
the Luckenbach Steamship with responsibility for the sink
ing of the Navy hospital ship Benevolence. It asked $14,-
000,000 damages.
A suit filed in federal district court also asked seizure of
the freighter Mary Luckenbach which collided with the Ben
evolence Friday in dense fog off San Francisco’s Golden Gate.
Benevolence casualties were 18 dead and 13 missing, with
492 saved. The freighter, its bow damaged, had no casual
ties.
35 Billion for Government Operation
Washington, Aug. 29—LB)—A $35,554,600,425 (B) mon
ey bill to run the government this year was ready today for
transmission to President Truman, who objects to its pro
vision for a loan to Spain.
Despite the President’s open opposition to the $62,500,-
000 (M) loan to Franco’s government, Congressional leaders
don’t look for a veto, since the bill finances almost all opera
tions of the government for the year which started July 1.
Security Bill Before House Today
Washington, Aug. 29—(^) — With strong bipartisan
backing, a bill to crack down on Communists and subversives
in this country came up for House debate today. Proposals
were it might pass by nightfall.
Like several companion bills which the Senate is sched
uled to take up shortly, the legislation goes beyond recom
mendations President Truman made for dealing with any
internal threat to the nation’s security.
Canada to End Rail Strike
Ottawa, Aug. 29—(jB)—Canada’s Parliament assembled
today to act on government legislation intended to start the
nation’s trains rolling again. There were indications the
country’s first general railway strike might be over by the
weekend.
One week ago today 124,000 non-operating rail workers
struck for higher wages and shorter hours. Since then a
like number of workers have been laid off in industries de
pendent on rail transport. Some isolated areas in the Domin
ion already have been nipped by shortages of fresh food.
Republicans Hoist ‘Gag’ Order
2711 Returning Aggies
Pre-register For ’SO-’Sl
By L. O. TIEDT
Saturday, August 26, 2711 students filed through Sbisa
Hall to make up the largest pre-registration group since the
practice began two years ago. Last years totals were only
slightly lower, according to the Registrar’s office.
Hike in Fares
Approved for
Bus Company
The Bryan-College Traction
Company has been voted an
increase in bus fares by the
College Station city council
and the Bryan city commis
sion.
Fares will now be 15 cents for
adults and eight cents for children
under 12. They were formerly 10
and five cents, respectively.
The action was taken Friday
night at a joint meeting of the two
city’s officials. Representing Col
lege Station at the session were
Mayor Ernest Langford and City
Manager Raymond Rogers.
Under the new agreement, three
bus tokens will be sold for 40 cents.
All school children, regardless of
age, will be able to ride special
school buses for the eight-cent
fare.
The company is expected to sell
cards valid for a definite number
of rides, which can be punched as
used, to facilitate the handling of
fares.
Originally requesting 10 cents
for children, the company settled
for the eight-cent fare.
The traction company presented
to the officials a joint statement
of financial conditions of both the
bus company and the taxi com
pany, both under the same owner
ship. The joint College Station-
Bryan commission have requested
a simpler statement, more clearly
showing the operations of the
buses.
Teague May Head
House Committee
Washington, Aug. 29—(A 3 )—Rep.
Teague (D-Tex) is the likely choice
to be chairman of the Special
House Committee which will ex
amine the veterans’ educational
program.
The Texan introduced the reso
lution approved yesterday by the
House, providing for a nine-member
committee to be named by speaker
Rayburn (D-Tex). The Senate does
not have to act.
Chairmanship of a special com
mittee usually goes to the author of
legislation creating the group.
A Purple Heart combat veteran
of World War Two, Teague in the
past has both defended and crit
icized some phases of the G'l
educational program.
Attention has been focused on
the proposed study in view of the
likelihood that thousands of Ko
rean war veterans may later be
come eligible for the courses,
which have cost $10,009,000,000
since the end of World War II.
VFW’s Pledge
Full Support
For MacArthur
Chicago, Aug. 29—(AP) —
The Veterans of Foreign
Wars pledged their “complete
confidence in the integrity
and ability” of Gen. MacAr
thur yesterday after learning that
his message on Formosa had been
ordered withdrawn.
The VFW’s 51st national en
campment voted unanimously to
cable its “confidence and support”
to the general.
The convention acted after
Clyde A. Lewis, commanderrin-
chief, reported “without any com
ment whatsoever” that MacArthur
had been directed to withdraw his
message to the encampment.
The convention received Lewis’
report in silence. The commander
said he had cabled MacArthur
that his wishes would be respected
but that because the message had
been released to the press Friday,
he was certain the story would
be published in some places.
Lewis added in his cable that
he “deeply regrets any embar
rassment this may cause, but he
asserted the VFW is with you to
a man.”
The commander told the con
vention “it is now a closed inci
dent on which there will be no
comment.”
But the White House action was
expected to have repercussions on
the VFW convention floor in the
form of resolutions now being
worked out in committees. These
are tentatively scheduled for de
bate Wednesday.
In a speech prepared for the
afternoon session, Sen. Karl E.
Mundt (R-SD) told the convention
the administration should “en
courage rather than censor honest
reports to the people such as Gen
eral Douglas MacArthur has given
this encampment and which so
narrowly escaped being withheld
from the people.”
Houston Youth Is
Yo-Yo Champ
Toronto, Aug. 29—(A 3 )—Binny
Martin, a stocky 15-year-old from
Houston, Tex., showed Canadian
boys and girls today that there is
a real art to handling a piece
of wood on the end of a string.
He twirled his yo-yo in spec
tacular fashion to capture the in
ternational yo-yo championship at
the Canadian National Exhibition
and car-prizes totalling $990.
Those registering were old re
turning students — sophomores,
juniors, and seniors. Students in
that group who were unable to
take advantage of early registra
tion will register for the Fall se
mester Saturday, Sept. 16. Fresh
men and transfer students will
register Friday, Sept. 15.
Classes are scheduled to begin
at 8 p. m. on Sept. 18.
Housing facilities for new and
old returning students will be ar
ranged similar to the pattern fol
lowed last year, except for the
reduction in the number of vete
ran’s dorms. Dorms 14, 15, 16, 17,
Walton Hall and Milner Hall, for
merly used to house veterans, will
be used by Freshmen and ad
vanced military transfer students.
Veterans and sophomores not
choosing to live with the corps
will be housed in Mitchell, Leg
gett, Law, and Puryear Halls. Ath
letes will again live in Hart Hall.
Members of the Corps of Cadets
will be housed in Dorms 1 through
12 inclusive. Graduate and foreign
students will be housed in Bizzell
Hall recently reconverted into a
dormitory.
Because of the Freshman Class
being housed on the campus instead
of the Bryan Airfield, it will be
necessary to put three men in some
of the larger rooms, housing auth
orities speculate. This practice will
also have to be carried out in the
corps area, military authorities
claim.
The opening date for dorms for
the Fall semester has not yet been
released.
Identification Cards will be is
sued to all new students and trans
fer students. All who received ID
cards last year will have to re
turn them to the assistant dean of
men where they will be validated
and returned to the student. Those
who have lost cards previously is
sued may have duplicates made,
the registrar said.
Extension Workers
Confer in YMCA
The regular bi-monthly staff
conference of the Extension Ser
vice convened yesterday at the
YMCA with a discussion of the
recent changes in the extension
service staff. G. G. Gibson, di
rector of the extension service
presided.
The conference, is composed of
district agents representing the 14
districts of Texas and subject mat
ter specialists from college offices.
Approximately 80 extension service
members are attending.
Louis J. Franke, editor of The
Extensioner will discuss his EGA
mission to Germany. Franke was
in Germany for about 75 days
working with the EGA High Com
mission on methods of getting re
search results out to the general
public in Germany.
Needed — Men to Give, Not to Receive . . .
Army Organization Needs
Revamping, Officials Opine
Washington, Aug. 29—LB)—Republicans hoisted as a
Congressional campaign issue today what they called a pres
idential “gag” order against Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s views
on Formosa.
Accepting this as inevitable, Senator Lucas of Illinois,
the democratic leader, told reporters that while he thinks
MacArthur is doing “a wonderful job” as the Pacific mili
tary commander “it is my understanding that the President
is the Commander-in-Chief and makes the policies.”
VFW’s Parade in Chicago
Chicago, Aug. 29—(TP)—The Veterans of Foreign Wars
took time out today from their serious debate on Commun
ism, the Korean war and Gen. MacArthur to stage a giant
military parade.
Some 30,000 marchers were to assemble on the near
North Side and march in Michigan Avenue past the review
ing stand at the Congress Street Plaza. The parade is one
of the big features of the VFW’s 51st National Encampment.
Hurricane Inches Toward New Orleans
New Orleans, Aug. 29—LB)—A small, poorly defined
tropical hurricane moved slowly toward the Louisiana-Mis-
sissippi coast today from a point in the Gulf of Mexico 490
miles south-southeast of New Orleans.
The Weather Bureau said the storm would inch toward
New Orleans until about 10:30 (EST) but it could not fore
cast what path it would follow after that. If the hurricane
continues its present course, the bureau said, it could not
reach the city before early Thursday morning even if it
picked up speed.
By O. H. P. KING
Tokyo, Aug. 29 —(A 3 )— Some
high-ranking U. S. officers say
they believe there is a need for a
radical change in the organization
of the American Army in the re
cruitment and training of men.
The officers, commenting in
Korea during the course of battle,
when shortcomings were painfully
evident, were not speaking for
publication, so they cannot be
named.
However, they expressed deep
convictions arising from repeated
experiences during weeks of back
tracking.
One high officer said his force
was made up of men who entered
the Army for non-combatant pur
poses. He said:
“They were enticed into the
service by advertisements empha
sizing the chance to travel, to
learn a trade, to be fed and se
cure and be pensioned while still
young.
“They were rudely jolted when
they felt the rocks of Korea in
stead of the (floor matting) of
Japan.”
A colonel nodded agreemen. He
said:
“The entire recruiting system
needs revision. Instead of appeal
ing to the weak we should appeal
to the strong—to the men who
want to give something to their
country instead of receive, to serve
it or die for it if need be wherever
duty calls. There are men for such
a fighting army. We have some
here.”
The officer did not mean to imply
the rank and file American soldier
is not brave—on the contrary, he
said, “the bravery of men ill-suit
ed for warfare calls for even great
er recognition.”
One officer pointed to the
mobility of the North Korean
units and said, “we should take
a lesson from them. Our equip
ment was designed to give us
wheels for rapid movement, but
this type of country was over
looked.
“Here we have for the most
part a single rocky road between
the front lines and the rear. In
most places it is too narrow for
two weapon-carriers to pass with
out one pulling off the road. In
rainy weather the soft shoulder
is apt to give way and the wreck
holds up traffic at least one way
for an hour or more.
“Multiply this by the number of
vehicles required to move our top
heavy forces and you realize why
we were forced to start withdraw
als while our frontline still was
holding. Unless we were to risk
leaving everything behind for the
enemy, we had to begin pulling out
in time.
“When such .a movement started,
word got to the men at the front
and they began thinking about
pulling out too. It’s hard to fight
aggressively when you feel you
are going to withdraw any minute.
The blame rests on our unweildi-
ness.”
Another officer, a brigadier gen
eral, noted that opposed to this
American lack of mobility, the
gypsy-like enemy established road
blocks and scampered up and down
ridges, firing into American for
ces and causing trouble far in ex
cess of the cost to the Reds.
He also remarked that every
Red, no matter what his duties,
was combat trained, ready to pick
up the weapon of a fallen com
rade and go into action at any
opportunity.
Compared with this, one U. S.
division headquarters was defended
against a night attack by cooks,
orderlies and clerks, some of whom
had not touched a weapon in years,
the general said.
“Specialists are required, of
course,” he conceded, “but our men
should be combat soldiers first
and specialists second.”
Recently there have been indi
cations of improvement in the
American opei-ations. One regi
ment, in particular—composed of
experienced, determined men under
strong leadership—had plugged
holes in at least three separate
sectors in as many weeks.
As for morale, officers feel that
a victory or two will work won
ders.