*
Battalion Editorials
Page 2
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1950
Some New Year Resolutions
Price Control
Branch of ESA
Is Small, Weak
[EW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS are usually
made on New Years Day. Since these
resolutions are made in one day, they usually
are kept for about the same length of time.
This New Year we would like to propose
some resolutions to be kept. Some resolu
tions that need to be kept by every American
citizen, old and young, rich and poor, alike.
'" As a nation we have dedicated ourselves
to the support of the principles of freedom
all over the world. We have said that any
form of government which is in opposition
to the freedom of the individual is also in
opposition to the American people.
Too long the American people have lived
upon the heritage handed down by their fore
fathers and have spent too little time study
ing the many advantages that we today take
for granted.
In keeping with this idea of taking bless
ings for granted we seem to have been unable
to sell the democratic way of life to foreign
nations. We have been unable to make it
more appealing than totalitarianism. This
is so largely because we have never even tak
en the time of the effort to do any selling or
it may be that we do not regard people of
other nations worthy of selling on the idea
of Democratic government.
We seem willing to pour millions of dol
lars into foreign countries for material aid,
but we are not willing to do anything to fos
ter democratic concepts in these same coun
tries. We have been able to feed and clothe
them but we have been unable to do anything
for them in the field of ideas and understand-
mg.
It is past time that every American
resolved to:
1. Learn everything he can about the
workings of democracy and the demo
cratic form of government.
2. Assume civic responsibility for
the operation of his local government,
and keep competent officials in office by
exercising the right of the ballot.
3. Assume responsibility for telling
the story of America to people in for
eign lands and to those people in our own
country who are recent arrivals.
The Privilege of Education
T HE PRIVILEGE of a university educa
tion is a great one; the more widely it is
extended the better for any country. It
should not be looked upon as something to
end with youth, but as a key to open many
doors of thought and knowledge. The uni
versity education is a guide to the reading
of a lifetime. We should impress upon those
who have its advantages the importance of
reading the great books of the world and the
literature of one’s own country. One who
has profited from university education has a
wide choice. He need never be idle or bored
and have to take refuge in the clack and clat
ter of the modern age, which requires some
thing new, not only every day, but every two
or three hours of the day. . . .
I would like to say that I have changed
my mind about the classics. I had very
strong views about them when at Harrow;
I have changed my mind about them since.
Knowledge of the ancient world and of Greek
and Roman literature was a great unifying
force in Europe which is now I fear rapidly
becoming extinct and I should like to say
that university education ought not to be too
practical. The duty of the university is to
teach wisdom, not a trade; character, not
technicalities. We want a lot of engineers
in the modern world, but we do not want a
world of engineers. We want some scien
tists, but we must keep them in their proper
place. Our generation has seen great chan
ges. We have parted company with the
horse; we have an internal combustion en
gine instead, and I wonder whether we have
gained by the change. . . .
The light of Christian ethics remains the
most precious guide. Their revival and ap
plication is a practical need, whether spir
itual or secular in nature, whether to those
who find comfort and solace in revealed re
ligion or those who have to face the mystery
of human destiny alone. And on this foun
dation alone will come the grace of life and
reconcilliation of the right of the individual
with the needs of society from which the
happiness, the safety and the glory of man
kind may spring—From “Europe Unite,”
Speeches in 1947 and 1948 By Winston S.
Churchill.
Even as late as the summer of
1!)42, half a year after Pearl Har
bor, OPA was swamped with work
which it wasn’t equipped to han
dle.
But the problem of controlling
prices and wages alone in such an
economy as this—a free enterprise
economy — meant endless see-saw
ing throughout the war. And it
probably will mean the same again.
An example, take steel: It’s
a basic product that gbes not only
into tanks and guns, but into autos,
street cars, trains, and farm equip
ment.
Unending Circle
When the price of steel rises,
the farmer has to spend more for
his equipment. To break even, he
has to charge higher prices. If
the price of food goes up, the cost
of living is pushed up.
The worker in the steel mill feels
the pinch in his food bill ahd
wants higher wages. But if the
steel worker gets higher wages, be
cause higher steel prices have made
living costs higher, then what of
other workers.
Living costs have been higher for
them, too, and if they want higher
wages, and can get them, and if
their employers find they’ll lose
money by paying those higher
wages, they’ll want to raise their
prices.
The great hope in the govern
ment program, of course, is that
somehow—at least when the gov
ernment is able to slap general
controls on prices and wages —
the whole economy will move even
ly without bumps or hitches.
That would be a miracle.
From A Woman’s Point Of View
F ood, F amily Brighle n Holiday
By VIVIAN CASTLEBERRY
Stuffed as I am with Christmas
dinner as I sit here trying to make
the mind function sufficiently to
jot off a readable piece, it is high
ly conceivable that nothing intel
ligible will get “writ.” The very
thought of food, at the moment, is
slightly nauseating, but some two
hours ago I sat myself down to a
dressing for chicken that I’d like
to pass on to the good cooks among
bur readers.
It’s called Potato Dressing, and
it came into our family via my
sister-in-law who married a “Damn
Yankee.” Maybe it’s already a
part of your collection of food spe
cialties. If so, good. If not, try
it. 1 know, I know. It couldn’t
be as good as the old favorite your
mother used to make. I said so,
too, but it is a treat, so here ’tis.
Half large loaf white bread
(soak in quart chicken broth)
1 tablespoon sage
‘.Salt and pepper to taste
I lb. pork sausage
Gizzard and liver of fowl.
Cook potatoes in jackets, cool,
peel and run through food chop
per along with celery and onions.
Mix with soaked bread and add
chopped raw sausage, gizzard
and liver. Add seasonings. Bake
in a medium oven until done,
but not dry.
That resolution was to learn to
drive. We accomplished it in, the.
two weeks just past when the lord
and master was hospitalized with
an appendectomy. He went into
the hospital with no misgivings,
about my driving ‘cause he knew
I couldn’t, While he was lying up
there and couldn’t help himself, I
begged and bribed our friends into
letting me chauffeur them around
a bit.
ly wrecked one flower bed as I
came to a sudden stop a hair’s-
breadth from the front door.
Thanks Expressed
Polato Dressing
lb. potatoes
Half stalk (medium size) cel
ery
3 large onions
Next comes New Year’, and
while at the moment it seems ages
off to yours truly, by the time you
read this, it will be just over the
hill, and you’ll be making your
preparations for the New Year’s
Eve party. Years ago we resolved
not to make any more New Year’s
resolutions, but every year We
come up with one or so, and as ’50
draws its curtains, we can’t ftelp
but be a little proud that we’ve
made come true (almost) a reso
lution we’ve made over and over
every year for the past many.
No\v again able to manipulate the
family bus, husoand has taken a
slightly antagonistic attitude to
ward my new-gained ability. He
claims there are 22 and six-sev
enths inches of new scratches on
the jitney! I even had the nerve
to drive out to see a couple of our
friends in Bryan (he’s state high
way drivers’ license examiner) and
they didn’t have such a fit when
they saw me coming—just grabbed
the baby out of the yard, quickly
pulled there own car behind the
house and then both hid their
faces.
But I fooled ’em—just slight-
Wonder how many of you re
member those who serve you with
a special Christmas greeting? At
holiday time, more than any other,
I am especially grateful to those
to whom Christmas day is as any
other day—the tnilkman . . . the
paper boys ... the firemen . . .
the doctors ... the publishers . . .
the electricians, and all those who
give their continued service that
our lives may remain safe.
Sometimes the fact that Amer
icans are not aware of the bless
ings that this country has to offer
hits one with such impact that it is
frightening. The paft of the coun
try in which we have spent part of
our holidays 'is a farming com
munity wham people are chiefly
concerned with the fundamentals
of living: how will I feed, clothe
and house my family?
The Battalion
Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Founder of Aggie Traditions
"Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman’’
Few of them are aware of the
great blessings that exist in the
country of which they are a pail.
One actually asked me what was
so bad about Communism. Stunned
into silence, I stood without an
swering until he was convinced that
I could not begin to answer his
question.
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 per month. Advertising rates furnished on request.
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.
Mine was the fallacy that is a
part of the lives of many of us:
I thought everybody 1 knew was
a loyal American with no color
ing of the Red about him. But
I had never stopped to consider
just what is good about my
country, or to answer just what
I opposed about Communism.
I thought it was sufficient that
I did oppose it.
DAVE COSLETT, CLAYTON L. SELPH Co-Editors
John Whitmore, L. O. Tiedt Managing Editors
Frank N. Manitzas , Sports Editor
Bob Hughson, Jerry Zuber Campus Editors
Joel Austin City Editor
Today’s Issue
L. 0. Tiedt
Sid Abernathy
Fred B. Walker, Jr.
R. F. Bing
Managing Editor
Campus News Editor
Sports News Editor
City News Editor
This is a year coming in which
all of us might take stock to find
what we believe in about cur own
country and what we are opposed
to in others. Then, let us mend our
mistakes at the ballot box, not at
gun point.
This may be editorializing, but.
I have been stunned into asking
myself a few questions. Perhaps,
you might well do the same.
Happy New Year!
Be cautions today ami you’ll
be conscious tomorrow.
A $200,000 Cinema for $50,000-Why Not?
Low Cost Movies Are Possible
By JAMES MARLOW
Washington, Dec. 28—— It’s
like building ,an automobile. If
you start with the horn first, you’ll
attract attention and maybe make
some people back up.
But to make the whole thing run,
you have to put dll the parts to
gether. It’s that way with the
government’s program to stabilize
the economy by keeping down
prices and wages.
The economic stabilization ad
ministration (ESA) has two main
branches, one to sit on wages, one
on prices. But it’s the price con
trol branch which is still too small
to do a real job.
The ESA did blow a horn: It told
the automakers and the autowork
ers to keep down their prices and
wages and it asked all business
men and workers to do the same,
voluntarily.
System Voluntary
The horn and the voluntary sys
tem are about all the price control
office can show yet. It can’t order
the whole country under price con
trols because it doesn’t have
enough people working for it to
carry out such orders.
It takes months to assemble such
a staff, just as it took OPA months
after Pearl Harbor. The present
price control office may have 200
or so people now. At its peak OPA
had 60,000 paid employes around
the country, plus 200,000 volunteer
workers.
By PAUL PETT
(For Hal Boyle)
New York, Dec. 28—/—Think of
all that goes into a Hollywood
movie.
Think-of the acres of studio lots,
of the huge sets and the actors,
writers, directors and army of
technicians. Of the producers and
assistant producers and assistant
assistants. Of the story confer
ences and swimming pools and the
assistant swimming pools.
Now think of Stanley Kubrick.
He makes movies, too. Profession
al movies.
He’s bnly 22. He doesn’t own a
swimming pool or a studio or a
home or an office, He lives in a
one-room Greenwich Village apart
ment, which is his office. His only
permanent staff is his wife. He
doesn’t even own a camera or a
single spot light or an ulcer.
less money.
So he saved his money and learn
ed the movie business by watching
movies. Some pictwes lie. saw as
many as 10 times, .studying them
carefully.
“I bad always been interested in
movies,” he says. “I wanted to
get into' it. It sepmed like the most
direct way was to make one my
self.”
“But he made the fight itself too
short. He finished the other guy
in the second round. So, much
later, we had to reshoot some of
the fight scenes and it took some
persuasion to get. the other boxer
and. the referee and handlers back
for a retake.”
Picture Profitable
Writes Script
Movie for $50,000
Kubric‘k is working on a full-
length movie which he insists can
be done for only $50,000. He does
n’t own that either. Very few non-
western full-length pictures have
been made for less than $200,000.
Less than a year ago, Kubrick
was a staff photographer on ■ a
picture magazine. His obsession
was movies. He thought they
could be made more artistically for
While still employed at the mag
azine, he spent his nights prepar
ing a shooting script. A friend in
the Bronx composed background
music.
With $3,000 which he had saved
and $2,000 which he borrowed from
a bank, he went to work.
His cast was made up of real
people, not actors. He did every
thing else himself from directing
to arranging the lights, stands and
reflectors.
Within six shooting days, he had
himself a 12-minute short titled
“The Day of the Fight.” Dram
atically, it tells the story of the
rising tension that plagues a box
er as a bout approaches. The
fighter in this case was Walter
Cartier, a club performer whose
performance almost ruined the pic
ture.
“Walter was fine in the scenes
before the fight,” Kubrick recalls.
The. picture cost $5,000 and Ku-'
brick sold it to RKO “at an im
pressive profit.” RKO liked his
work so well they had him direct
a documentary -short about a fly
ing priest in New Mexico. That
was last October,
About the same time, Kubrick
and a poet-friend, Howard O.
Sackler, wrote a full-length script
about four soldiers caught behind
enemy lines. It is an allegory full
of action and symbolism concern
ing man’s search for his own iden
tity.
“I’m certain we can do it for
$50,000,” Kubrick says. “The an
swer is careful planning. We have
worked out on paper every scene,
every shot. There will be no writ
ers, producers, directors or art di
rectors to contend with. There
won’t be any time lost in argument
or discussion. There will be only
one boss—me.
shoot the whole thing outdoors.
We’ll have only four principal act
ors and 10 extras. . We.’ll use pro
fessional cameraman and grips and
electricians and sound engineers, (
but we’ll only need them for 15 or
20 shooting days. We’ll rent all
the equipment.”
Kubrick plans to start shooting
either this winter in. California,
or next spring in the East.
“All we need,” he says, “is some
forest and hills.”
And the money?
A bank is putting up half, Ku
brick says, and a business man is
putting up the rest.
“It’s a nice way,” he adds, "to
make a movie, to make some mon
ey, to have some fun and creative *
satisfaction.”
Are you listening, Sam Gold-
wyn
Sl’EOIAI, NOTICE
Deviating from the usual custom, Hie
New Years Open House at the home of Ihe
President of A&M Collgc will this year bn
held on Sunday afternoon January 7, 1951
from 3-5 p.m.
President and Mrs. Harrington extend
a cordial Invitation to members of the
college family and all friends of the col
lege in Bryan and College Station to at
tend.
Outdoor Scenery
“There will be no sets. We’ll
Smile and the world smiles C
with you. Get hurt and you groan
alone.
LI’L ABNER
The Grass Is Always Greener
By A1 Capp
*Ll'L ABNER ARRIVES IM TME
NEXT TOWN-NORTH NOSE-TOO
late:, again/:''
GULP/'- TH' WATCHMAN SAID
■ th'show's over
THEY'S GONE-??
u:.,-o. r o rT <f~
IftSoB'dVSAW THEM DO THAT-
WONDERFUL "SABER DANCE'
TONIGHT'' I FELL IN LOVE
WITH THE s'GW-' "PRINCE"-THE
ONE WHO IS SUPPOSED TO
HAVE HIS HEAD CUT OFF IN
TH'GRAND
I WAITED HERE, FOR HIS
AUTOGRAPH. THEY ALL CAME
OUT and left IN-TH'BUS-
ALL BUT
FINALE ZTj-hjii.
1 f