Battalion Editorials
Behind The Plush Curtain
Page 2
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1951
Lincoln: Synonym for Ideals .
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
That name pays tribute to the American
ideal. Few, indeed, are the Americans who
do not know and worship this backwoods
lawyer who became President.
Words in his praise abound. Their un
questioned acceptance is almost always as
sured. Americans are ever ready to hear the
smallest tale, the most off-hand statement
concerning “Honest Abe.”
His greatness is an American axiom. That
greatness stands, itself, as a tribute to the
country which Jie so ably led.
Lincoln has become synonomous with
every desirable human trait. Humble, kind,
courageous, righteous, amicable, humorous
—his name means all these things.
The fact that the man and what he
stood for has held and continues to hold
such a position of honor in the minds of
America gives a deep insight into the people
and the country.
Few countries have produced so exalted
a man who was so human, so common, and
so absolutely real. His position of honor
gives substance to the American sense of
fair-play and democracy. His homely image
reflects the combination of youthful cocki
ness and precocious wisdom that has made
and continues to make America the strong
hold of freedom and the birthplace of in
genuity and technical progress.
His sound judgment echoes the strong
Muncie (Ind.) Press: “Iran Ruler
Announces Troops Are Altered.”
Outline under a racehorse picture in
the Des Moines (la.) Register: “Ci
tation has a slightly lame forelock.”
sense of right and wrong in those who hal
low his name.
And the tribulations of today and to
morrow will be overcome so long as they
are met with that faith in men like him and
the principles for which he stood. His honor
ed memory is the soundest insurance that
“government of the people, for the people
and by the people shall not perish from this
earth.”
Kim Plays The
Game Quite Well
Graduation Time
For Farmers
FOR 14 YEARS Uncle Sam has been pay-
* ing U. S. farmers to do what they
should be doing anyway—terracing, fer
tilizing, building ponds, planting winter
cover crops, etc.
All this was supposed to be educating
farmers to adopt good farming practices,
thus benefiting themselves and the coun
try.
Well, 14 years is a long time—more
than twice long enough with a bright per
son to go through college and get a de
gree.
We think the farmers are pretty bright
fellows who certainly don’t need 14 years
to learn about good practices in their own
business. Certainly their bank accounts
are in good shape.
How about giving the farmers a de
gree for this course and turning them out
into the cold world ? Surely they would do
all right.
It would save $285 million a year—
enough to buy 600 medium tanks.—The
Houston Press.
Ministers Set Dorm Meetings-
(Continued from Page 1)
Howard has been in his present
position for the past eight years.
Coming from Waxahachie, he has
received his A.B. degree at Baylor
University; his M.A. Degree at the
University of Texas; worked on
his Ph.D. in Education at Texas
U.; and received L.L.D. Degree at
East Texas Baptist College.
Rev. Grady Hardin
The main speaker of A&M’s 1948
E.E. Week, Rev. Grady Hardin,
will live in Puryear Hall this week
and be available to the students of
both Law and Puryear at all times.
Educated at Duke University,
Hardin has held pastorates Jn
North Carolina since 1936, at Dur
ham, Mount Airmy, Winston Sa
lem, and Black Mountain College.
He has been in Houston since May,
1947, serving as associate pastor
of the First Methodist Church be
fore accepting his present position
as pastor of the Chapelwood Meth
odist Church.
Rev. Stanley J. Kusman
The students of Dorms 9 and 11
will counsel With Father Stanley
Kusman this week.
Father Kusman teaches philoso
phy at Saint Mary’s University of
San Antonio. Taking his student
work in Europe, he also has served
six years in the service as chap
lain, four of these years overseas.
He has taught school in St. Louis,
Chicago and Canada and has been
conducting retreats since 1934.
Ned Linegar
The students of Milner, Mitchell
and Leggett will meet this week
with Ned Linegar, regional secre
tary of the YMCA, who will live
in Leggett Hall.
Linegar graduated from Miami
University at Oxford, Ohio, where
his major course of study was so
ciology. He was then appointed
assistant secretary of the YMCA
at Cincinnati University where he
was a member of the Speakers Bu
reau and did special work with
freshmen and sophomores. In 1938,
Linegar went to George Williams
College where he earned his M.A,
Degree in Group Work Administra
tion.
Rabbi Leo J. Stillpass
Rabbi Leo J. Stillpass of Temple
B’Nai Israel of Galveston, will live
in Dorm 1 and will counsel with the
students in Dorms 1 and 3 this
week.
Rabbi Stillpass’ education con
sists of an A.B. Degree at Cincin
nati University, a Bachelor of He
brew Letters from Hebrew Union
College in Cincinnati. He received
his M.H.L. and Rabbi in 1943. He
has served as a Navy Chaplain
and as Rabbi at Temple Beth El,
Knoxville, Tenn., where he organ
ized and become the first counselor
of Tennessee University’s Hillel
Foundation.
Willis M. Tate
The vice-president of SMU and
former member of SMU’s 1931
Championship Football team, Tate
will live and work with the stu
dents in Hart Hall.
A former coach and school prin
cipal, he was awarded the title of
the Outstanding Young Man of the
Year by the San Antonio Junior
Chamber of Commerce in 1942. He
was executive assistant to the pas
tor of the First Methodist Church
of Houston before he became as
sistant dean of students at SMU
in 1945. Rising rapidly he was
appointed dean of students in 1948
and just recently became vice-
president.
Paul G. Wassenich
Walton Hall will be the base of
operations for Paul G. Wassenich
during this week. Wassenich is
director of the Texas Bible Chair
at Austin.
With an A.B. Degree and two
M.A. Degrees to his credit, he has
held pastorates in Hicksville, Ohio
and Detroit, Michigan. Since 1946,
Wassenich has been the director
and professor of religion at Texas
Bible Chair at Texas U. He has
spoken during Religious Emphasis
Week at SMIJ, San Marcos Teach
ers College and Texas A&M.
By GEORGE CHARLTON
“Kim” with Paul Lukas, Dean
Stockwell, Errol Flynn, Thomas
Gomez, Robert Douglas, Laurette
Luez, Cecil Kellaway, Campus
theater, today and Tuesday.
AH INDIA! Land of mysterious
ly virile shahs and sultans, en
chanted old religious fanatics, pov
erty, and pink elephants. Rudy-
ard’s Ind-i-ya, a “natural” for Hol
lywood past and present. Again
the afoi’ementioned has been
brought to the screen and, this
time, in brilliant color.
Behind the classic story of Kim
and his adventures, the book about
which has long ranked with the
best of them on high school read
ing lists, looms the omnipotent
shadow of “the great game,” a
name attached to the constant vigi-
lence of certain British secret in
telligence men ip. their effort to
ward keeping trouble out of dear
India. And if one be so unfortu
nate as to enter the theater “dur
ing” the great game, he most likely
will find the game “great” and en
grossing all right, but a slight bit
confusing. This is one show that
should be seen from the first.
•
But let me tell you about Kim.
He’s a strange mixture indeed. A
product of the gutter, a progeny of
a long departed and lamented Irish
sei’geant and his wife, a pupil of
a Tibetan monk, and a prophet for
the British Army, Kim is anything
but mama’s little helper. He’s cun
ning and resourceful as Reynard
the fox.
He’s shrewd and diplomatic, he’s
reckless and .ruthless. And yet
at times, he’s completely unselfish.
Kim is about as flip and debonair
a boy of twelve or so as we have
heard about in many a day.
And as Redbeard, played by Er
rol Flynn, tells the young scamp
one afternoon as they are jogging
along the desert, someday he “will
be a credit to the great game.”
But Kim thinks himself ready to
play cat-and-mouse whenever the
opportunity arises. Thanks to
Kipling, it does, and the resulting
circumstances are good adventure.
•
Dean Stockwell as Kim ingrat
iates himself more than ever with
his admirers. In this, his best
role to date, ne makes the absolute
most of it, in many cases, putting
subtle meanings into cliches never
meant for those purposes.
Flynn, on the other hand,, some
times trying to keep a straight
face, acts as if he’d dropped the
script of “Kim” and accidentally
again picked up the moldering
script of “The Loves of Don Juan.”
Paul Lukas, as the Tibetan “holy
man,” is completely admirable. In
fact, he steals scene after scene
even from Stockwell. But, oh Hol
lywood; How could you ever so
overpublicize Miss Laurette Luez?
She had only three or four lines,
and at that, they were delivered
with all the zest and buoyancy of
Jane Russell in “The Outlaw.”
Throughout the picture, which
was for the most part filmed on
location, the atmosphere of a splen
did painting prevails — emerald
green lawns, vividly red and blue
British dress uniforms, skies the
color of deep sapphire—and in the
end, the reviewer comes to the un
astounding conclusion that nobody
can produce beautifully technicol-
ored movies like Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer.
The book is undoubtedly a good
adventure story, and brought to the
screen with such panoramic style
and with such a selection as Stock-
well to play the title part, “Kim”
is still a good adventure story. The
graduating class from Mirabeau B.
Lamar Junior High School won’t
forget it for a long time.
We probably will.
Letters
‘Open Mind’ Versus
Open Pocketbook
Editor, The Battalion:
After much consideration, I have
decided that there can be but one
explanation for the biased state
ments Thomas M. Fontaine makes
in his article “For the U. S. Re
public” which appeared in The Bat
talion on Feb. 6, 1951.
Assuming Mr. Fontaine to be of
at least average intelligence, then
one must conclude that he must be
poorly informed. Mr. Fontaine’s
article had some excellent points,
to be sure, but his arguments have
clearly been influenced by the pro
paganda which the “special inter
ests” are forcing upon the Amer
ican public today.
In order to see Mr. Fontaine’s
article in the correct light, the
reader should remember that the
type of government advocated here
had its chance from 1920' to 1932,
and failed miserably.
On the other hand, the “insidious
threat of a Welfare State’ admin
istered by the “something-for-noth-
ing Democratic Party” has given
us the highest standard of living
in our history.
Remember, Mr. Fontaine, “an
open mind is better than an open
mouth.”
Yours for unbiased policies,
Joe A. Riddle’53
WISDOM FROM THE AGES
Mohammedanism Teaches
Equality; Stresses Knowledge
This article is not intended to
be a full explanation of the Islam
religion, but a presentation of
some of the basic and more impor
tant Islam beliefs.
Islam took its birth in the scorch
ing heat of Arabia in 611 A.D. To
the amazement of all, it spread
rapidly until today it claims 300
million followers all over the
world.
The writer, a graduate student in
horticulture, came to this country
from Cairo, Egypt to attend col
lege. He prepared these views
on the religion of his home country
as an additional effort toward hu
man understanding for Religious
Emphasis week.
His views will be presented here
in a three part series to be con
cluded Wednesday.—The Editor.
By ABDEL M. LASHEEN
ARABIA, where Mohammed be
gan his call, was an arid coun
try with barren deserts, mountains
and dry valleys, conditions which
did not attract foreign invaders
and conquerors. The country thus
remained isolated, with its people
enjoying the freedom of movement
and of action, conducting their af-
RE Week
Secretary -
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,
aad Tuesday and Thursday during vacation and examination periods. Subscription rates $6.00 per year
or $.50 per month. Advertising rates furnished on request.
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.
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.
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.
(Continued from Page 1)
out of four years of college; and
What makes a person a success;
in that order.
Other subjects ranked in the fol
lowing order: What qualities
should we seek in our men and
women friends; Does college
strengthen or weaken religious
faith; How can man achieve peace
ful world; What should be consid
ered in the choice of a vocation,
What principles should be consid
ered in deciding right from wrong,
and What is “true faith” and how
shall we measure it.
The 2,115 students who ans
wered the interest locator may be
classified two ways: academical
ly—881 Freshmen, 558 Sopho
mores, 381 Juniors, 290 Seniors
and five graduate students; and
according to the major course
school — 962 Engineering, 581
Agriculture, 527 Arts & Sciences,
86 Vet, Med. and two Graduate
students.
Gay consulted over twenty-five
authorities — YMCA and Church
workers, and college professors in
compiling the questions he used for
this study and not one of them
changed it in anyway but approved
it unanimously as he had written it.
Forums on the leading four top
ics will be held each afternoon of
this year’s R. E. Week from 4 to
5:30 in each dormitory lounge.
Leaders have been brought to the
campus by the YMCA and the col
lege administration to conduct
these forums and also hold nightly
discussion groups at 9 p. m. in the
lounges.
CLAYTON L. SELPH, DAVE COSLETT
John Whitmore, Dean Reed
Andy Anderson, Bob Hughson
Ralph Gorman
Fred Walker
Joel Austin
Co-Editors
Managing Editors
.... Campus Editors
Sports Editor
(Continued from Page 1)
many other old “regulars” during
the war days.
Council Membergi
This year, members of the Inter-
Church Council are Philo DuVal Jr.
and Charles Gallimore, Episcopal;
Archie James and Floyd Griffin,
Baptist; John Golla and Emil Rich-
ers, Catholic; L. Douglas Wythe
and Seneca Cowan, Church of
Christ; Allan Eubank and Robert
E. McCarley, Christian Church;
Norman Braslau and Melvin J.
Kanter, Jewish; John Olson and
Jack Heacock, Methodist; Norman
J. Bent and Don Hinton, Presbyter
ian; Quinton Johnson and James
Lehmann, Lutheran; Frank P.
Sherrill and I. C. Trauth, repre
sentatives of the YMCA Cabinet;
Curtis Edwards, corps chaplain;
and King Egger, president of the
YMCA Cabinet.
Numerous projects of the council
are embodied in six committees—
for worship, program, publicity,
social and hospitality aspects, for
ums and conferences, and coordina
tion.
Combined efforts of this group
during the last few months have
at last reached realization. And
the campus’ is again ready for a
successful Religious Emphasis
Week. Perhaps this will be the
most significant one of them all.
fairs in the manner they liked and
dominated as they were by discrim
inatory tribe distinction, fanaticism
and idol worship.
On the northern fringes of this
arid desert there existed in those
days two great empires—the East
ern Roman and the Persian; the
Red Sea on the West and desert on
the East, and Yemen in the South
were, however, of no significance
at that time.
As far as the administration and
the political set-up were concerned,
Persia was under autocratic rule.
As for the Eastern Roman Empire,
it had an emperor as the head of
the State, and its own legislation,
the most important of which were
those framed by Justinian in the
sixth century, Christian era.
But in spite of these legislations
and laws which were framed by
Justinian and other Emperors be
fore him, the Eastern Roman Em
pire was at that time rapidly dis-
i n t e g r ating. Maladministration,
corruption and nepotism prevailed
and led to weakness and eventually
to its total collapse.
Dominated by Tradition
Arabia, on the other hand, was
being dominated by tribal tradi
tions and idolatry, paganism, and
ignorance prevailed. Suppression,
aggression, and pillage wei’e wide
spread and the people were in a
low moral state.
It was during this era that the
Holy Prophet rose to call for the
unity of God, which is the essence
of Islam and which simply meant It was a tremendous accomplish-
that God is one—“Say, God is one, ment for such a backward, fanati-
the only God, to whom no child is cal intolerant people to be broughl
born, nor is He Himself born to to believe that all people are equa
anyone, nor has He any relation- and that there can be no persona
ship with any one.” distinction, except on the basis of
But Mohammed emphasized that individual achievement and service
he was only an ordinary human to society.
being, God’s apostle, that except Mohammed secured for woman
when God permits, he could neither her rights, insured her position as
harm nor benefit, nor could he me- a dignified human being, and treat-
diate for others and that he was e d her as equal to man.
simply a human being inspired by He placed men in a higher and
God; “Say, I am human like any no bler position, appreciating their
one of you and am being inspired intellectual pursuit, their will and
their freedom.
He respected their freedom and
did not coerce individuals to em-
There are no barriers between brace this or that faith.
God and the human, Mohammed “There is no coercion in reli-
taught. There can therefore, be g j on; righteousness is now distin-
no mediation or medium and the gu j s hed from transgression.” He
way to Him is open to all human did not allow war to be a means
beings and anyone can approach (; 0 coerce people to embrace the
Him through his good deeds, but n ew faith but said it was a lawful
not through his family descendants, defensive measure,
tribal connections, or through,
saints and divines. Encouraged Learning t
Confession, repentance or contri- He encouraged learning and
tion should be made only to God, learned men at* a time when most
for in Islam there is no priest- people were ignorant and when il<
hood, hermitage or any other sys- literacy prevailed. The Quran
tern which encourages the retire- sa y S;
ment and abstention from life and
that your God is verily one.”
No Barriers
“Can there be any comparison
between people of knowledge and
people without knowledge, verily
only thoughtful people can re
collect,” and “God puts those
who believe and w r ho acquire
knowledge in higher position.
“The blind is not as the man
Elliott
(Continued from Page 1)
Dr. Elliott’s ministerial career
consists of instructing homiletics
and church history of the Presby
terian Seminary in 1929-30, and
pastorates in Presbyterian chur
ches of Knoxville, Tenn., and At
lanta, Georgia. He came to the
Highland Park Church in 1944.
Under the sponsorship of the
Federal council of churches, Dr.
Elliott has given radio messages,
conducted preaching missions and
spoke at pastor’s schools on vari
ous occasions.
Spoke at SMU
Included in his speaking exper
iences are the colleges and univer
sities of Washington and Lee,
Duke, Agness Scott, Maryville,
Georgia, Southern Methodist, Van
derbilt and Austin.
Before moving to Dallas, he was
director on the Agness Acott Col
lege Board and chairman of the
Board of Directors of Columbia
Theological Seminary. Since mov
ing to Dallas, he has been a mem
ber of the Board of Austin Col
lege.
life’s enjoyment.
With this conception, Mohammed
succeeded in destroying the idols
of the pagan. He put an end to
idol worship, and in the cause of
these high ideals which inspired
human intellects he risked his own
life and had to face cruel treat
ment not only from his own kind, with sight, nor docs darkness re
but even from his closest relatives, semble light.”
He prohibited wine, gambling The Sunah (the Tradition) has it
and the practice of burying female that “Seek knowledge even if you
infants. Arabs feared that poverty have to travel as fas as China”
may bring disgrace to women when and “Seek knowledge, for to learn
they grew up. Pagans in those is to fear God; to study is to
days considered it a disgrace to worship; to research is to struggle
have too many female members in in the cause of God and to teach
their families.
He made people responsible be
fore each other, each having his
own duties and obligations.
He made them understand that
the nearest to God are those who
do their utmost to help and do
good to people; so that they may
devote their energy to service
of the society, and so that every
member of the society may be
prepared to sacrifice his own in
terest in favor of the general in
terest of the community.
“All People Are Equal”
Mohammed proclaimed and em
phasized that all people are equal.
All are equal in the sight of God.
those who lack knowledge is to of
fer alms.”
The high ideals taught by Mo
hammed stimulated the minds of
his followers and gave women and
slaves an opportunity to take their
proper places in life.
His teachings brought into prom
inence the belief that men should
not be at odds with each other be
cause-they were of different race,
religion, or color.
Islam has thus established a uni
versal democracy, quite different
from that parochial democracy
which existed in certain Greek
cities.
(The second in this series will
deal with some of the practical '
There is no distinction but that
which is acquired through piety .applications of Islam and with
and good deeds. “An Arab is not explaining in detail the more
superior to a non-Arab, except important basic principles of Is-
through piety. ’ lam.)
Q U A L I T Y P L U S E C O NO M Y
LEON B, WEISS
• Military
Furnishers
Boyett St.
• Civilian
Clothiers
Next to Campus Theatre
TYPEWRITERS
For Rent
Latest Models — Perform Like New
Bryan Business Machine to.
209 N. Main St.
Ph. 2-1328
Bryan, Texas
WhaVs Cooking
Today’s Issue
Dean Reed
Curtis Edwards
Fred Walker
, 1 Managing Editor
.Associate Editor for Religious Emphasis Edition
Sports News Editor
T. M. Fontaine, Carter Phillips Editorialists
Allen Pengelly Assistant City Editor
Leon McClellan, Norman Blahuta, Jack Fontaine,
Ed Holder, Bryan Spencer, John Tapley, Bob
Venable, Bill Streich, George Charlton, Bob
Selleck, Dale Walston, Bee Landrum, Frank
Davis, Phil Snyder, Art Giese, Christy Orth,
James Fuller, Leo Wallace, W. H. Dickens.
Fig Newton, Joe Price, Pat Hermann, Ed
Holder, Wesley Mason News and Feature Staff
Dick Kelly Club Publicity Co-ordinatof
CALDWELL COUNTY CLUB
Associate Sports Editor Monday, Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m. Me-
•' City Editor mortal Student Center, Room 3-A.
COMMENTATOR STAFF, Mon
day, Feb. 12, 7:15 p.m. Commenta
tor office, Goodwin Hall.
GUADALUPE - COMAL COUN
TY CLUB, Monday, 5:20 p.m.,
steps of Administration Building.
To have picture made for Aggie-
land.
MARKETING & FINANCE
CLUB, Monday, 7:30 p.m., Room
3D MSC. Election of officers will
be held.
PRE-LAW SOCIETY, Monday,
Vivian Castleberry Women’s Editor
Jimmy Ashlock, Joe Blanchette, Ray Holbrook,
Chuck Neighbors, Joe Hollis, Pat LeBlanc,
Dowell Peterson Sports News Staff
Curtis Edwards Church News Editor
Bid Abernathy Make-up Editor rr.-ic ^ n/rcr’ tm r rr-
Roger Coslett Pipe Smoking Contest Manager p.m,, Mow. Flection Ot Olll
Tom Fontaine, johnny Lancaster, Joe Gray cers. Dean Abner McCall of Bay-
a Cha ^ es M^uiiough Photo Engravers ] or Law School will speak on
Autrey Frederick Advertising Manager <<p,. A u]
Russell Hagens, Bob Hayijle..... .Advertising Representatives x 1 ODiGlllS Oi IlltGrcst to IrlOBpGC*
tive Law Student.”
LFL ABNER •
Nobody’s Sweetheart
By Al Capp