Q
Circulated to
More than 90% Of
College Station’s Residents
The Battalion
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF A GREATER A&M COLLEGE
Nation’s Top
Safety Section
Lumberman’s 1949 Contest
Number 1: Volume 51
COLLEGE STATION (Aggieland), TEXAS, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1950
Page 3
World Situation
At a Glance
Russia Charges Plane Attack
Moscow, Sept. 7—(AP)—Russia charged last night that
a Soviet bomber shot down in Korea Bay Monday was the
victim of an unprovoked attack by 11 American fighter
planes. It said three Russian fliers lost their lives.
A Soviet note to the American government broadcast
by Moscovi) radio said the Russian plane was on a training
flight and carried “neither bombing nor torpedo armament.’’
It did not say the plane was unarmed, but said it did not
fire on the American planes or even approach American
warships.
Warning of the possibly ’’serious consequences” of such
incidents, the note demanded:
• A strict investigation.
• Punishment of the persons responsible.
• Compensation for the loss of the lives of the three
fliers and the destruction of their plane.
Bill Asks Communist Camps
Washington, Sept. 7—(AP)—The Senate today debated
whether Communists should be required to register or be
thrown into concentration camps in time of war or other
national emergency.
Backed by five Democratic colleagues, Senator Kilgore
(D-W Va) introduced a bill embodying the internment camp
treatment as a safeguard against spies, sabotage and sub
versives.
Reds Cast 44th Veto
Lake Success, Sept. 7—(AP)—Russia cast her 44th veto
yesterday to kill’ a United States proposal calling on all
countries to refrain from helping the Korean Communists.
The security council majority then rejected a Soviet
demand for withdrawal of all U. N. forces from Korea.
The twd proposals had been before the council for five
weeks, but had been caught up in the bitter procedural block
ade imposed by Russia’s Jacob A. Malik during his month
as Council president.
AF Undecided on Anderson
Washington, Sept. 7—(AP)—The Air Force indicated
today it will decide the future status of Maj. Gen. Orvil
Anderson, suspended commandant of the Air War College,
before considering whether he should keep a date to speak at
Fort Worth, Texas, late this month.
Anderson will be free to speak if he is restored to duty
as commandant of the Air War College, but cannot speak
if removed from his post.
Pentagon Accused of \Siesla"
Washington, Sept. 7—(AP)—A senate preparedness
subcommittee accused the Pentagon today of “Siesta Psy
chology” in handling war material for the Korean fighting.
It proposed a shakeup of the munitions board and called
for “more imaginative and far-sighted men” to direct the
stockpiling of critical defense items.
The group said proper handling of the nation’s rubber
resources by the board might head off a need for nation
wide speed limits and truck-loading controls like those in
voked in World War II.
Battalion Editors
m
IP
Sid Abernathy
Campus News Editor
Joel Austin
City News Editor
These newly named editors for
1950-51 will take up their duties
with the first regular issue of
The Battalion, September 18.
T ruman Lette r Repents
Marine Corps Slander
Washington, Sept. 7—(AP)—President
Truman told the U. S. Marines today he
sincerely regrets the “unfortunate choice of
language” he used in calling them a naval
police force with a propaganda machine “al
most} equal to Stalin’s.”
The President acted at the height of a
24-hour capital-to-Korea storm of bitter pro
test against his remarks about the Marines
in a letter to Rep. McDonough (R-Calif).
Frank Manitzas
Sports Editor
Established in 1925
School of Arts and Sciences
Now Includes 40^ of Faculty
Interpreting the News
Truman too Smart
To ‘Mean 9 Attack
By J. M. ROBERTS, JR.
AP Foreign Affairs Analyst
While the name of the Agricul
tural and Mechanical College of
Texas indicates that it is an insti
tution, offering technical instruc
tion, some 40 per cent of its fac
ulty is employed in the School of
Arts and Sciences.
Dr. J. P. Abbott, dean of arts
and sciences, points out, that, while
A&M is more widely known for its
schools of agriculture and engin
eering, major courses are offered
Cheek Wins®
Lincoln Award
Lewis F. Cheek, a mech
anical engineering • student
from Hearne, has been named
one of the winners in the
nationwide Lincoln Founda
tion’s undergraduate award and
scholarship program.
Cheek, who will return to A&M
as a senior this fall, was awarded
$25 for a paper which he entered
in the competition last spring.
Winners were announced Sept. 1.
A graduate of Abilene High
School, Cheek has had several
short articles published in welding
journals and similar magazines. He
has worked at the A&M machine
shop to pay his expenses in col
lege and last year was on the
staff of the Engineer.
in such liberal arts subjects as
English, history, modern languages
and journalism.
“Although agriculture and en
gineering have properly been em
phasized from the beginning,” says
Dean Abbott, “even the first of
ferings of the college included a
course in language and literature.
And in 1885 a course was offered
leading to a degree in the sciences.
Service School
“As other arts and science cour
ses were added in response to de
mand, the principal function of the
arts and science departments re
mained to supply the special needs
and necessary general education of
agricultural and engineering stu
dents.”
, For many years the courses and
departments were administered by
the dean of the college, Dean Ab
bott points out, but about 1925,
the program had grown to such
an extent that it was necessary to
create the School of Arts and Sci
ences. -
Chaides E. Friley, now president
of Iowa State College, was the
first dean. He was charged with
enlarging the service of these de
partments through the administra
tion of curricula leading to de
grees in science and the liberal
arts.
Under Dr. T. D. Brooks, who
succeeded Friley in 1932, the school
made substantial progress, as its
offerings were increased to meet
new needs.
Second Animal
Rotary Square
Dance Tonight
Mickey McBride and his
“Melodions” have been en
gaged to furnish music for
ihe Bryan-College Station
Rotary Club’s second annual
duare dance the evening of Sept.
'/ at the Grove from 8 p. m. until
midnight, according to G. W.
Ichlessellman.
Manning Smith will be master
}f ceremonies and 18 local and out-
j-f-town callers will demonstrate
their special techniques in leading
the dancers through their paces.
An exhibition team of “stair-
steppers” from Mrs. G. W. Schles-
selman’s square dance class is sche
duled to demonstrate several pop
ular figures.
The “stair-steppers” are Louise
and Carol Thompson, Ann and
Gail Schlesselman, Jerry Oden,
Johnny Lyon, and Graig and Ken
ny Thompson. Manning Smith said
that several feature acts of out-
of-town talent are being arranged
also.
The better-known square dancers
from the surrounding counties have
been invited and the dance is open
to the public.
Tickets are $2 per couple, tax
included, and $1 for spectators,
tax included. Refreshments will be
served.
Colonel E, W. Napier
New PAS&T Is Former
12th AF Vice-Commander
By B. F. ROLAND PAS&T at A&M on August 9 to
replace Lt. Col. J. H. Kelly who
Air Force cadets returning to was assigned to the Military Air
the campus this Fall will find a Transport Service. Lt. Col. Kelly
new “skipper” at the controls of left last month for duty in Saudi
the Department of Air Science and Arabia.
Tactics. Though not a graduate of
Col. E. W. Napier, formerly vice- A&M, Col. Napier is, surprisingly
commander of the 12 Air Force at well informed on the history of
Brooks AF Base, was appointed A&M’s cadet corps and its long
■ ;
Swoger Assigned
To Fort Monroe
Lt. Col. Frank R. Swoger of
Verona, Penn., former assistant
professor of military science and
tactics at A&M has been assigned
to the Ordnance Section. Chief of
Army Field Forces, Fort Monroe,
Va.
At the Chief of Army Field
Forces office Col. Swoger will work
on budget authorization for ord
nance equipment and special sup
ply requirements -for the Army in
the field, including the combat
forces.
Colonel E. W. Napier
standing traditions. When ques
tioned about his knowledge of
the school, he said that “I have
had to know all about A&M, my
daughter dates a freshman.”
Short, grey-haired, and wearing
the wings of a command pilot, Col.
Napier has been in military avia
tion since shortly after his grad
uation from West Point in 1929.
After graduating he entered St.
Mary’s University in San Antonio
and began pilot training at Brooks
and Kelly AF Bases while still in
college. He received a BA degree
from St. Mary’s in 1933.
After completing his training,
Col Napier went to Wheeler Field
in Hawaii as a light bomber pilot.
From 1934 to 1949 he served as an
instructor at Randolph Field in
San Antonio.
During the early years of the
war he served in the Operations
division of the Air Force in
Washington, D. C. after training
at the Air Force Tactical School
in Alabama.
From his office in the Pentagon,
Col. Napier went to service with
the 2nd Air Force, where he ac
tivated and trained the 489th Bomb
Group. He returned to the United
States with his unit in 1945 to be
re-assigned to the Pacific theatre,
but the war ended before the unit
was shipped out.
Returning to Randolph Field in
1945, Col. Napier spent the next
two years in the Air Training
Command. Before receiving his as
signment as 12th Air Force vice
commander, he attended the Air
War College at Maxwell Field in
1947-48.
When asked how he likes A&M
after his first few weeks here,
he answered by saying “I wish
they would let me stay here until
I’m an old goat and retired.”
Col. Napier and his family now
reside in Marty Karow’s former
home at 300 Hereford in College
Park. The Napier’s have a son
19 and daughter, 17.
Dr. M. T. Harrington, now pres
ident of the College, succeeded Dr.
Brooks in 1947. Under his direction,
two new departments were added—
journalism and oceanography.
Dr. Abbott, who joined the fac
ulty in 1926 as an instructor in
English, became dean of the School
of Arts and Sciences after Dr.
Harrington was named president
in 1949.
Before that time he had served
as administrative head of the A&M
annex at Bryan Air Field.
Large Faculty
While the departments which
come under thee School of Arts
and Sciences have grown until they
include nearly 40 per cent of the
faculty of the college, the stu
dents majoring in those depart
ments constitute about one-fifth
of the student body.
Ihe high proportion of the arts
and science faculty, Dean Abbott
points out, is because of the fact
that it is necessary for students
in every school of the college to
take certain background and ser
vice courses in the School of Arts
and Sciences.
There presently are 14 depart
ments in the school, including bio
logy, business' administration,
chemistry, economics, education and
psychology, English, geography,
history, journalism, mathematics,
modern languages, oceanography,
physical education and physics.
Business is Largest
The Business Administration De
partment, which offers eight sep
arate major fields, had 940 majors
in 1949-50, more than any other
department of the college.
The newly established Oceano
graphy Department offers work
at senior and graduate levels only,
and only a minor is available in
geography.
Students may major in any of
the other departments, with many
of them offering graduate courses
and several offering graduate de
grees.
The Biology Department trains
premedical and predental students
and specialists in three basic divi
sions of life science—botany, bac
teriology and zoology.
A three-year pre-law curriculum
offered by the school is accepted
for admittance at all Texas law
schools. The curricula closely
parallels that of a history major
with an economics minor.
Various churches have been auth
orized to offer courses in religious
education open to students of jun
ior and senior standing. Fifteen
such courses are offered under this
plan, with a maximum of six
hours in religious education cre
ditable toward a degree.
President Truman has moved to appease the wrath
which descended upon him because of his references to the
U. S. Marines as a “the Navy’s police force” having a “pro
paganda machine that is almost equal to Stalin's”
The President made his statements in reply to a letter
from a Republican congressman who was seeking Marine
representation on the Joint Chief’s of Staff. No one has
arisen to defend either the words or the President’s action
in uttering them, beyond pointing out that he may have
slipped into ill-considered shortness of temper because of the
pressure under which he has been working lately.
“Poor Vehicle” Says Truman
It was possible to read as much phrases like “Tell it to the Ma-
meanness as you wish into the rines,” are natural responses to a
statements, or to consider them small organization of fighting men
poor vehicles for the point the who trace their history back to the
President was trying to make— American revolution,
that the Marines are not to be It is a Corps which can truth-
magnified out of what he consid- fully retort that its heavy artil-
ers their proportion. The President lery and tank battles in Belleau
chooses the “poor vehicle” line. Wood and the Argonne were no
Mr. Truman is too smart a poli- police actions, and that the Nak-
tician to launch a deliberate at- tong line in Korea is not truly a
tack on something he knows is a matter of conducting “such land
‘“bet” of the entire American peo- operations as may be essential to
pie. The public itself has reacted the prosecution of a Naval cam-
to the Marine record by becoming paign.” That is the primary as-
a part of the Corps’ propaganda signed purpose of the Corps under
machine. Motion pictures, books, the law.
Propaganda Not Like Stalin’s
The President could hardly have natural result of its type of organ-
intended to mean that the Marine ization.
propaganda machine compared with
Stalin’s in baseness, untruth, and But Truman said the words, and
immoral intent. He must have been men who may die tomorrow, in
thinking about intensity, solidity, the tradition of a Corps in which
extent, and the bitter fight for pre- they take tremendous pride, have
servation of Marine identity during taken what is to some of them
the development of the armed for- more than a bodily hurt. Mr. Tru
ces unification program. man obviously regrets that, but
The universal regard for the does not retreat from his stand on
Marines in the United States is a the Corps position.
Mr, Truman called Gen. Clifton B. Cates,
Marine Corps Commandant, to the White
House late in the day and personally handed
him a letter which began:
“I sincerely regret the unfortunate
choice of language which I used in my let
ter of Aug. 29 to Congressman McDonough.”
Describing himself as “concerned” over
the furor his remarks had aroused, the
President also asked that his I’m-sorry letter
fbe read at the annual convention
I of the Marine Corps League, which
opened here today amid *rank-and-
| file denunciation of the President’s
remarks.
President Clay Nixon did read
the letter to the indignant member
ship, and the tempest subsided in
cheers and scattered boos.
The uproar began with publica
tion of Mr. Truman’s letter to Mc
Donough in the Congressional
Record. The congressman had writ
ten the President urging equal
representation for the Marines on
the joint chiefs of staff, along
with the Army, Navy, and Air
Force. Mr. Truman said no, then
added.
Navy’s Police Force
College, City Officials
Discuss Anniversary
PO Moves Into
New Quarters
The Sub-Station Post Of
fice at the Memorial Student
Center is now open and is
carrying on its normal func
tions
Besides the 1,585 post office
boxes transferred from the old
South Station at Campus Corner,
an additional 1,458 new boxes and
related equipment is due in now
and will be installed as soon as it
arives, according to Ernest Gregg
superintendent of the Sub-Station.
These new boxes will bring the
total to 3,043 boxes and are ex
pected to be sufficient for all stu
dents desiring them. Freshmen liv
ing in dorms 14, 15, 16, 17, and
Walton Hall and students living in
Milner should rent their post of
fice boxes from the main post
office at North Gate, Gregg said.
Approximately 850 boxes in the old
bunch brought over from the South
Station are unrented, as are all
the new boxes.
A meeting of college officials,
leading citizens of Bryan and Col
lege Station, and the mayors of the
two cities is scheduled for Sat
urday at the Bryan Chamber of
Commerce for the purpose of study
ing plans for the 75th anniversary
celebration, according to C. W.
Crawford, head of the Mechanical
Engineering Department.
Similar meetings have been
called during the past two weeks
after it was realized that the
communities of Bryan and College
Station were not taking advan
tage of the opportunity to parti
cipate in the anniversary celebra
tion, Crawford said.
Celebration Oct. 4
On Oct. 4, the college will cele
brate the first opening of the col
lege in 1876 with a program which
closely follows the opening exer
cises some 74 years ago. The gov
ernor of the state will speak, there
will be a parade of the cadet corps,
the various departments in v the
college will be open, and a recep
tion by the president will be held.
It is desired that people in this
vicinity and throughout the state
should be informed of this event,
Crawford said at a meeting Tues
day where a committee was elected
to fulfill this aim.
Members of the committee are
Ernest Langford, mayor of Col-
Apartments, Room
Needed — Boyer
Persons in this area having
apartments and rooms they wish to
rent, are asked to contact the
housing offices at A&M College.
“We expect to have need for a
large number of apartments and
rooms,” Harry Boyer, head of the
office, said today. “We not only
have need for apartments but
rooms over the week-end for both
men and women and rooms for
single men,” Boyer - says.
He has asked all persons having
such facilities to call the housin;
office, telephone 4-5014.
“The Marine Corps is the Navy’s
police force and as long as I am
president that is what it will re
main. They have a propaganda
machine that is almost equal to
Stalin’s.”
Today, praising the Marines’
“magnificient history” over 175
years, the President declared that
he intended to say these things in
his letter to McDonough:
© The Marines, as part of the
Navy department, already are re
presented on the joint chiefs of
staff by the chief of naval opera
tions.
® Many pleas for direct repre
sentation “are the result of pro
paganda inspired by individuals
who may not be aware of the best
interest of our defense establish
ment as a whole.” But, Mr. Truman
added, “I am certain that the
Marine Corps itself does not in
dulge in such propaganda.”
Explains Comment
“When I spoke of the Marines
as the ‘Navy’s police force’,” the
President said, “I had in mind its
immediate readiness for service
with the fleet in the seizure or
defense of established naval bases
and for the conduct of such land
operations as may be essential to
the prosecution of a e naval cam
paign.”
Mr. Truman said he would con
tinue to “support and maintain”
the Marine Corps as a separate
unit vital to America’s security.
He ended his letter by predicting
that the Marines would add “new
laurels” to their career by their
exploits in Korea today.
Gen. Cates, smiling broadly as
he left the White House with Mr.
Truman’s letter, told reporters the
Marines were “very gratified to
receive this letter.”
Nixon, who earlier had demanded
a presidential apology on behalf
of the Marine Corps League, called
the matter a “closed incident.’
Temperatures Drop
On Capitol Hill, where the pro
tests against Mr. Truman’s re
marks began, there was a similar
lowering of temperatures.
Senator Mundt (R-SD) said:
“Good! If the President would fol
low that by a retraction of his
equally unfortunate statement that
communism in this country is a
red herring, we would indeed have
cause for gratification.’
Senator McCarthy (R-Wis), an
ex-Marine, said he hoped Mr. Tru
man’s new letter “serves to undo
some of the damage his viciously
intemperate language must have
done to the morale of Marines
fighting and dying in Korea.”
Stronger language still was
heard on the floor of the Marine
League convention before the
President’s new letter was read.
“Going To Get It”
Sheriff William C. Harris of
Savannah, Ga., called Mr. Truman'
“an,incompetent nincompoop” and
declared:
“I gave up three of the best
years of my life to be able to get
up and give the President of this
great country hell and, it,
he is going to get it now.’
Another delegate, Art Edelstein
of Detroit, shouted from the floor:
“I would like to see the Mar
ine Corps League send haberdash
er Harry Truman by registered
mail a volume of the Marine Corps
history—and I’ll pay the charges.”
All day long there were indi
cations at the White House that
the President planned some action
to quiet the roar of protest. One
of the presidential aides said the
action Avhich finally came was
taken after a great deal of soul-
searching.
Nixon said before the Presi
dent’s letter came that he was will
ing to drop the matter in the in
terest of national unity.
“This is the time to get the coun-
J w addi-i try in shape for a shooting war,”
tional barbers will be added to the j the Marine Corps League head told
staff. newsmen.
lege Station; George Adams, may
or pro tern of Bryan; Hershell
Burgess, president of the College
Station Chamber of Commerce; B.
F. Swindler, president of the Bryan
Chamber of Commerce; and Davis
Grant, president of the Bryan,
Brazos County Junior Chamber of
Commerce.
At the meeting Saturday, plans
will be discussed for bringing an
outstanding speaker here for a
program to be given on the night
of Oct. 4. preceding the Anniver
sary Ball.
At previous meetings such men
as J. Edgar Hoover and Lucius
Clay have been considered. No de
cision has yet been reached, how
ever, according to Crawford.
Plans have also been made to
provide a noon lunch at Kyle
Field for those attending the cele
bration. This will be in the form
of a picnic lunch, he said.
‘ Barbershop to
Open Temporarily
The YMCA Barber Shop will re
open Friday and will remain open
until the barber shop in the Mem
orial Student Center is ready for
operations, according to C. F. Gent,
assistant director and business
manager of the MSC. Business
hours will be from 8 a. m. until
6 p. m., Monday through Saturday.
W. H. Freiberger is the manager
of the YMCA Barber Shop and
will manage the MSC Barber Shop
also. Freiberger came to the cam
pus in 1940 and w'as connected with
the Varsity Barber Shop at Cam
pus Corner until it closed.
Other barbers in the YMCA
Shop are J. R. Schoppe, Eddie Nov-
osad, and E. D. Cunningham.
The Memorial Student Center
Barber Shop will probably be open
by Nov. 1. Opening of the shop
has been delayed because new furn
iture and fixtures have not yet
arrived. Upon its opening