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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 1950)
For Silver Taps, We Suggest ‘Lights Out The most cherished of Aggie traditions was marred last Tuesday night. As Silver Taps was played, lights burned in Hart Hall and in the Academic Building. Hart Hall residents might show consider ably more respect for their departed fellow student by turning out all their lights the next time Silver Taps is necessary. In the “new area,” each individual has assumed the responsibility of seeing that not only his own, but lights in halls and lounges are out during the ceremony. Our athletes might well follow the same procedure. We Need More Physical Training Facilities Lights in the Academic Building present a somewhat different problem, but certainly one not hard to solve. Unless some present duty prevents, we suggest darkening of the Academic Building be made a responsibility of the Sergeant of the Guard on Silver Taps nights. He could easily turn out hall lights and inform occupants of lighted rooms of the approaching ceremony and ask them to extinguish their lights. We are convinced that Silver Taps would be greatly enhanced by observance of “lights out,” at least in the immediate area of the Academic Building. It’s an ill wind that blows nobody good, and conversely it’s an exceptionally great wind that doesn’t chap someone. All of us are glad to have the freshmen with us again on the campus. But with them they have brought the problem of overcrowding in some departments. According to H. B. Seg- rest, the Physical Education Department is experiencing a situation of overcrowdedness that is incomparable with any previous year. Approximately 2,900 students are enrolled in the required two year course. The department has sought to alleviate the problem by scheduling classes for all hours of the day. Still, there are only lim ited accommodations to meet this condition. Only 950 lockers and twenty showers are provided 'for student use. Many students are required to dress for class in their dormi tory rooms. Swimming classes have had to be restricted for the use of non-swimmers. Last year, students were allowed to use the facilities of the gymnasium in their spare time. Because of crowded conditions this policy has been discontinued. For several years now, the P. E. Depart ment has attempted to expand their facilities. The advent of the freshman on the campus has pointed up the need for a larger physical plant for the department. Definite action should be taken immediately on construction of a new gymnasium to alleviate the crowded conditions. We managed to spend a tidy sum for a new golf course to entertain our students. Why not spend a few dollars to give our students adequate equipment and building space for a thorough physical training pro gram? Employer’s Duty to the Serviceman Let’s forget the apple pie, Saturday night movies, and the girl in the swing on the front porch and seriously consider the rea sons for fighting Communism. Communism is essentially a menace to our economic way of life. More than anything else, we are actually fighting Communist aggression to protect our right to live and work under a^ capitalistic system. Since the Korean war began, employers have become increasingly reluctant to hire members of the armed forces reserves and national guardsmen. The government through the Selective Service Act and the soldiers and sailors act has tried to protect the economic security of the serviceman by getting his job back when he returns from service. Many companies now have provisions for continuing salaries to their employees who are called for military service. There fore, the employer finds that hiring a reserv ist is a bad business risk in that, regardless of the short length of time the reservist works before being called, the employer must accept the responsibility of saving him a job. If the serviceman is absent for several years the requirements of the job may have chang ed drastically. The employer faces another cost and another problem, re-training the man for the job. All business problems cannot be decided on immediate effects though. Judged by immediate effects, a man would be fo.qlish to give up a good job and take the merger pay of an army man. But to guarantee the, continued existence of private jobs, men ' must'sometimes risk everything in a defens ive war. Since we are fighting chiefly for eco nomic reasons, as long as international af fairs remain as critical as they now are, “business as usual” is out. Our industry will be called on to produce war materials as it never has before. Companies, just as individuals, owe a debt to democracy that must be paid regardless of personal econo mies. Just as business has had to accept stiffer taxes to keep our country militarily safe, it must accept the risk of hiring potential servicemen. The economic risk suffered by the employer is a small thing indeed com pared to the sacrifice the serviceman must make. • « priate verses. Time spent on revisions could be spent more advantageously. CS Business Review . . . Communist Frowns On New Bill Conceivable By James Marlow Washington, Oct. 5—UP)—Here is a step-by-step ex planation of why—under the new anti-Communist law—it may take the government years to make Communists register, if it ever can do so. In the first place, this law is aimed at two groups: Com munist “action” organizations and Communist “front” or ganizations. And the law itself explains what it means by both: « A Communist action organization is one which is directed and controlled by Moscow, as part of a world-wide Communist conspiracy, and secretly plans to overthrow this government by force. • A Communist front is run by a Communist action, organization, although perhaps concealing its true purpose, and may even have members Avho not only are not Com munists but may be innocent of its nature. But who’s going to decide whether some organization is a Communist action group or a Communist front? The subversive activities control board, a five-man board to be appointed by the President. This board won’t go out looking for Communists. It will decide whether an organization is Communist “action” or “front” or neither only when the attorney general — Complains to the board that some outfit is an action grpun (or front) and asks the board to order it to register asi such. If he can prove his point, in the board’s opinion, it will order the outfit to register! % Law Is Vague, Lax He’ll have to offer proof, which undoubtedly will mean documents and witnesses. If the party leaders didn’t appear before the board to defend themselves, the board could declare the party an action outfit and order them to register. (Once the board ordered the par ty to register and it ignored the order, the leaders and the members could be tried, jailed and fined.) But assume the leaders appear before the board to defend them selves and the party. This trial— or, rather, examination—m i g h t take months. (The trial of the 11 Communist leaders in Neiv York took nine months. But there the government had to prove only conspiracy to teach overthrow of the govern ment. (But under this new law the government may have to prove not only such a conspiracy but prove too that the party is controlled by Moscow). Washington — UP) — Con gress faces a whirlwind one- month “lame duck” season which may add billions to the nation’s tax bill and pin two more stars on the American flag. Returning Nov. 27, the dying 81st Congress is confronted by a man-sized list of issues—statehood bills for Alaska and Hawaii, con sideration of a huge war profits levy, a possible demand for rewrit ing Communist control legislation, and a number of lesser problems left over from the session which recessed Monday. The date of resumption is after the congressional elections, but the casualties" suffered in the voting will net leave office until the 82nd Congress takes over early in Jan uary. Thus some of those writing laws in December will be so-called “lame ducks.” Taxes Big Topic Taxes will be the big headache-— a proposed multi-million dollar boost in the wartime excess profits of business and industry likely reaching back over part or all of the war period. The lawmakers already have or dered a massive increase in the in come taxes of 50 million citizens as well as corporations. Wage and salary earners will feel the withholding tax effects of that boost starting Oct. 1. The raise for them is 20 per cent. Backers of a bill to ban inter state shipment of slot machines, except to states which pass a law to admit them, said they will call it up again in November in the tape of another threatened filibus ter by Senator Malone (R-Ncv). Malone talked for more than 11 hours, last week and succeeded in sidetracking the measure. Filibusters Possible Malone concedes the bill will pass if it comes to a vote. It already has House approval. Law enforc ing officers have asked for the bill. Malone condemns it as an invasion of states’ rights. Nevada collects large revenues from licensed gam bling. There was some talk, too, that foes of statehood for Alaska and Hawaii might filibuster to beat those measures in the Senate. Both have passed the House. In its editorial column several weeks ago, The Battalion presented the subject of our nation’s economic status. Our editorial did not in all phases agree with the viewpoints ’ expressed in the following editorial which appeared in the Hillsboro Evening Mirror. To present both sides of the subject, their editorial is reprinted below. “More than a decade ago a forty or fifty billion-dollar Federal debt was considered by many to be ruinous. The fact that the country has “progressed” far beyond this point and the wheels still keep turning raises the question of how far the debt can climb without resulting in economic collapse. “Many people are no longer concerned simply because the debt has soared to astronomical levels with no apparent ill effect. However they would do well to consider the warn ing of Frederick Greenwood, vice president of the Bank of California. “Unfortunately,” says Mr. Greenwood, “there is no mathematical formula to determine at just what point in an inflationary spiral we pass the ‘point no return.’ Deficit financing almost inevitably means inflation because the government has to finance the deficits either by printing money or selling treasury obligations to the banks, both of which increases the amount of currency in circulation. If, at the same time, we do not have a corresponding increase in the supply of goods and services, we will have inflation, which means cheaper dollars. Public Opinion Unpredictable “The reason that we have no mathematical formula for determining how far along this road we can travel without disastrous consequences is that we are dealing with the ‘changing and unpredictable climate of public opinion.’ In a democracy where the individual is supposed to have freedom of action, this is especially difficult to analyze. As long as the mass of the people have faith in the soundness of their' money and the credit of the government, all is well. But if and when the mass of the people lose faith in their money and the credit of the government, disaster is not far away.” “The Federal government for many years has lived on deficit financing while giving the people the illusion of expanding security, through “liberal” welfare programs costing billions of dollars. At present the dollar is worth half the value of a few years ago. Whether the point of no return has been reached can only be answered by the actions of individual citizens. They can still turn back.” Uninvited Croc Who Sir? Me g ir? Is Snubbed by Club Nq g- Nol } Si/ , o rxrvI/P) kJ, v* <Yn r\r»VQ ll'lxr y s Singapore : —(TP)—Singapore Fly ing Club members at the interna tional Kallang airport here had a surprise visitor. They found a crocodile dozing in their front open drain. As the Club was for “mem bers only,” they rudely woke him up. He gave them a cold stare and crept away in a closed drain. Next morning the croc was again found taking a nap on the club’s front lawn. This time he did not escape. He was five feet long. Miyang, Korea, Oct. 5—CP) — The pilot of a B-2(i landed his two-engine light bomber on a fly ing strip here yesterday. The field seemed small. He found it was re served for grasshopper-type liai son planes. A correspondent asked him hia name. “My name? Brother, I’d never tell my name after pulling a deal like this,” the pilot exclaimed. So much for the background. Now here’s : how it probably will work. The law says all Communist ac tion or front organizations must register within 30 days after this act became law over President Tru man’s veto, which was Saturday, Sept. 23. But—there’s no penalty if they don’t. And Saturday night Communist party leaders said they won’t reg ister. (If they did, they’d be ad mitting they were a Moscow tool) run by the Kremlin, plotting this government’s overthrow. Mr. Tru man said asking Communists to register and give information about themselves is as practical as ask ing thieves to register with the sheriff.) When the 30 days are up and they haven’t registered, the attor ney general can, for instance, ask the board to declare the American Communist party an action organ ization and to order it to register. Memo to weary sign painting sopho mores: Foresight will prevent future repainting or ‘dressing’ on football signs along with re- A little descretion, not indescretion, goes wording of what have been most unappro- a long way. Protected With Appeals The Battalion Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Founder of Aggie Traditions ’'Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman” The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, is published five times a week during the regular school year. During the summer terms, The Battalion is published four times a week, and during examination and vacation periods, twice a week. Days of publication are Monday through Friday for the regular school year, Tuesday through Friday during the summer terms, and Tuesday and Thursday during vacation and examination periods. Subscription rates $6.00 per year or $.50 pev month. Advertising rates furnished on request. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republication of all news dispatches cred ited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous origin published herein. Rights of republication of all other matter herein are also reserved. 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. 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. DAVE COSLETT, CLAYTON L. SELPH Co-Editors John Whitmore, L. O. Tiedt Managing Editors Sid Abernathy, Jerry Zuber ..... v Campus News Editor Today’s Issue Dean Reed Assistant Managing Editor Sid Abernathy Campus News Editor Frank Manitzas Sports News Editor Joel Austin City News Editor Ray Williams, Roger Coslett Special Assignments T. M. Fontaine, Carter Phillips Editorialists Ralph Gorman, Kay Holbrook, Harold Gann, Joe Blanchette, Pat LeBlanc, Dale Dowell, Jimniy Curtis, Chuck Neighbors, Fred Walker Sports Writers Emmett Trant, Jerry Clement, Bob Hei\dry Cartoonists Bob Hughson, George Charltoh, Toni Rountree, Leon McClellan, Raymond Rushing, Wayne Davis, Robert Vnnable, Herb O'Connell, Norman Biahuta, John Hudebrand, Jerry Fontaine, Jack Fontaine News and Feature Writers But say the board hears all the evidence, decides the Communist party is an action organization, and orders it to register. Does it have to do so immediately? No. It can appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals, asking the court to rule that the board’s order is illegal and its decision wrong. If the appeals court upholds the board, the Communists still can appeal to the Supreme Court. And all this legal ^sparring might take three years or more. But if the Supreme Court up holds the board and the appeals court, then the party finally is con sidered an action organization and must register. But— If the Communists still refuse to register, the government at last can arrest them and put them on trial for refusing to register. That’s not the end. If convinced, they can then ap peal to the U. S. Court of Appeals. If turned down there, they still can appeal to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court turns them down, then they must go to jail. Footpowedr, Line? — No Difference Berlin—CP)—Students at Schoen- ebeck, in the Russian zone, eagerly went to work in the vacated build ing of a small chemical factory during their vacation to refit it as their new vocational school house. As building materials wei’e short, they were happy to find several bags of lime in the basement and plastered the walls and ceiling's with it. Then, they drove a couple of nails into the wall, but the next morning found 1 them on the floor. The “lime” was foot powder— a former product of the factory. Brrt by this time maybe four years will have elapsed since Sat urday, Sept. 23, 1950, when this anti-Communist law went into ef fect. And—something else might happen: Suppose the Supreme Court up held the board’s order for the Com munist party to register. As ex plained, if they then didn’t regis ter, the Communists could be ar rested and tried. But— Suppose just before the Supreme Court gave its rules, the party suddenly dissolved and bobbed up under a new name. Would the government have to start the whole business all over again with the new party? Or would some U. S. court rule that the new party was really the old party? No once can give the answer to that one yet. But in 1940 when the Communist party in Canada was outlawed it reappeared undex another name and is still doing busines. LFL ABNER Cheaper By the Dozen By A1 Capp VO' IS AS GAME SfT REMFMBJEIR.^-THIS !S AS THEY COME .7 VO' DESARVSS DAISY MAE/T , TH' HIGH-SPEED, LOW-QUALITY, SEVENTY- EIGHT-CENT WEEDIN'—WHAR AM-DON'T .WASTE NO TIME WIF POLITE TALK- AH S JEST CALLS A SPADE A SPADE, BANGS TH' BOOK SHUT AN' LEAVES —