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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1951)
y Battalion Editorials Page 2 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1951 OOPSf *V» - ><;.; Lefs ‘SetrA&M College... A &M’s ENROLLMENT has dropped to ^ 5,916 this semester. We believe, to put it mildly, that a loss in enrollment is bad. Actually A&M’s loss is no greater propor tionately than those losses suffered in other schools in Texas. But why should our en rollment fall ? In times such as these—when great stress is being placed on the military —why should the “world’s largest military college” start an enrollment nosedive which might relegate it to “second” or “third” lar gest. There is but one explanation which is sat isfactory to us. Graduating high school stu dents apparently have not been well enough informed of Texas A&M, its benefits from both the educational and military angles. We have a great college. Surely it has its faults, its drawbacks, some of which might tend to send a high school senior else where. But what college doesn’t? Therefore, we may well conclude that it is information that the June high school graduates will need. And who is best suited to convey this information? Former Stu dents? To a degree, yes. High school in structors ? They’re hardly able, as a whole. Friends of A&M? Again, only in a small way. Then, who, you may ask, should “plug” A&M? We, the student body—because, it’s for our welfare that this be done. For the graduating senior at A&M, it’s partly a mat ter of his school maintaining its reputation. He may have received his degree while the school was at its zenith, but if its educa tional reputation faltered due to a small enrollment, his diploma’s value would depre ciate. For the undergraduates of the college, it’s also a major problem, whether or not you realize it. Enrollments have a great ef fect upon the decision of the state legislature when “budget time” rolls around. So we have an equation: Smaller en rollment equals smaller budget which equals smaller faculties, and then a smaller educa tion. Perhaps our equation won’t stand all acid tests, but the results could very possibly be true. “Operation High School” is one step in this direction. It’s an excellent step, al though a relatively small one. Only a cer tain number of high school seniors can be brought to the campus. And just seeing the campus and its activities won’t “sell” A&M to the average student. Something a little closer, something more personal will be needed. Visits by some of our student leaders, our musical organiza tions, our drill teams would help. But only a few of these can be made for financial rea sons. The problem then, falls to us. If each student at A&M could convince just one high school senior that A&M will be the best home he can find for the next four years, then we’ve got the problem licked. That action would guarantee an enroll ment which could fill A&M’s dormitories— a condition which might not exist if present trends continue—and could take full advan tage of our vast physical plant, parts of which are now becoming vestigal. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Should Freshmen ‘Cancel All Plans’ to Support Team? Editor, The Battalion: On Saturday night, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p. m. in DeWare Field House the A&M freshman basketball team played the t. u. freshman basketball team. We assume that this is news to all but a few members of the Fish Class, because of the lack of at tendance on their part. At the end of the first half thee were ap- Health Department Slates Job Exams Open competition examinations for sub-professional positions with the Texas State Dept, of Health have been announced by R. E. Shrader, supervisor of the Merit System Council. Examinations will be given, con sisting of a written test mainly, for positions of X-Ray Technicians, Junior X-Ray Technician, Dental Assistant, Tuberculosis Field Worker, Visual Education Assist ant, and Venereal Disease Treat ment Technician. proximately 60 freshmen in the gym—one-third of which were the ball players! This is no exaggeration, as we actually counted the freshmen in the stand on our fingers and toes. The mere thought of the “sips” playing a game at A&M should be enough to make every freshman want to go and yell his heart out for the boys fighting against the orange and white. It was nobody’s duty to make the freshmen go; they should have had enough Aggie Spirit to cancel any plans and go to support their classmates. Maybe this absence of interest shown by the Freshman Class is one reason why some people think that the true spirit of Aggieland is dying. Indeed, we feel certain that some of the exes at the game had exactly that feeling. Since it would be almost impos sible for us to visit every fish and express our grievances personally, we are taking this means of in forming them of our disappoint ment in their class. All freshmen who read this, tell your fish buddies to read it also. The reason for this last statement is that many freshmen must not read the Batt since the basketball game was announced in last Fri day’s issue by a three-column head line. In spite of this poor exhibition of spirit, our faith in the Class of ’54 is not completely gone. Freshmen, there is still ample time for you to correct this wrong! J. W. “Doggy” Dalston '52 L. E. “Lew” Jobe ’52 Gen. Collins Speaking ‘We Could Pulverize Russia’ Our Butter Is Cheaper in Italy ¥IEY—YOU backers of planned economy. **Last Friday, we ran into this little gem illustrating the advantages to be gained from governmental economic security: In this country, housewives are buying butter at the price of 95c per pound and up. The government is buying butter in wholesale lots at 65c per pound. They are paying 65c per pound to support the high retail price. That means economic security and pros perity for the farmer. The government is selling that butter to Italy for about 15c per pound. Since we believe Fair Deal policies are always sensible, we have tried to find the es sential rightness which is bound to reside in this transaction. Mathematically then, we might say the government is making a profit on the deal. A negative profit of fifty cents per pound. Mr. Economist, what can you buy with negative profits ? The buyer and taxpayer probably see it this way: He is paying 95c per pound for butter that would probably cost 50c without subsidy. He pays the government 65c to buy butter. Italy pays 15c for one pound of US butter; US taxpayers pays $1.60 for same butter. Moral: If you live in Italy, planned econ omy in the United States is wonderful for your personal economy. Squabbling Won l ProduceAmmunitioh IF THE TRUTH were known, about 80 per * cent of the people probably prefer a war time economy to an empty pocketbook. This brings to mind the classic saying, “It’s a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight.” The late George Bernard Shaw believed that wars occurred when the interest on cap ital dropped below four per cent. We do not predict that war will ever be abolished, but we can conservatively say that the chance is small, until it becomes profitless to every one concerned. Even now there is much internal dissen sion regarding the mobilization program, and this dissension seems to hinge on money, in the final analysis. Senator Aiken (R-Vt.) has accused the administration of turning over the program to big business at the expense of labor and agriculture. In addition, Senator Maybank (D-SC) has demanded “top echelon” representation for the farmers in the Economic Stabaliza- tion Agency. A good chance exists that labor repre sentatives will walk out from all war mobil ization agencies. This could involve strikes for higher wages, and more pressure on prices. If President Truman and the Labor Policy Committee can reach an agreement at their meeting, this may be avoided. In any case, the question of right and wrong has apparently changed to “who gets what per cent?” In the meantime the for gotten man continues to crawl through the Korean mud with or without the cooperation of capital, labor, diplomacy, and other high- sounding quantities. Apparently, however, this inequity is “just one of those things.” WASHINGTON, Feb. 20—(A>)— w Gen. J. Lawton Collins told Congress yesterday that in the event of war American bombers could “pulverize Russia” in time, but U. S. troops would be needed to prevent swift Soviet conquest of Europe. The Army chief of staff gave that summation in testifying on the troops-for-Europe issue. Admiral Forest P. Sherman, chief of naval operations, said the United States faces two choices: • To send troops, ships and planes to Europe now; or “with draw, abandon our allies, and later fight alone ... in a world where the odds against us will be too heavy.” In solemn tones, Sherman test ified: “I believe the first course, of fers the greatest prospect of sur vival, and also the greatest pros pect of overcoming the forces which now menace us without a World war.” Only 16 Divisions Gen. Collins told the Senators Western Europe now has “some thing on the order” of 16 divisions while Russia has 175 to 200 smaller divisions under arms. Collins said he believes that with American troops in support, this country’s North Atlantic treaty allies can build up a strong enough force to retain a hold in Europe., He said there is no reason why France, for example couldn’t pro duce 90 to 100 divisions as it did in the last two wars'. “Just where the line would hold is in the lap of Gods,” Collins said. “I wouldn’t try to predict.” Would Need Troops The Army chief conceded that if a “fracas” started in Europe, more American troops would have to be committed—beyond the six U. S. combat divisions now ticket ed for service under the supreme allied command of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Senator Lodge (R-Mass) intro duced a resolution in the Senate to require advance congressional ap proval for sending a “limited num ber” of American troops to Europe. Lodge proposed that the Ameri can contribution should be “a minor fraction of the total armed forces created under the North Atlantic treaty.” He did not specify any ratio. The Lodge resolution clashed with an earlier resolution sponsor ed by Senator Wherry (R-Ncb), Senate GOP floor leader, opposing the dispatch of any more American ground forces to Europe until Con gress has decided policy on the is sue. Not a Rambling Old Man Don’t Underestimate Stalin! By J. M. ROBERTS, JR. AP Foreign Affairs Analyst CECTION BY section, the latest ^ pronouncement by Joe Stalin on world affairs is a very strange doc ument, but it would be wrong and dangerous to appraise it as mere ly the fulmination of a rambling old man caught in an untenable position. If the statement is confusing, that may be deliberate. The official American estimate that he is leading from weakness, trying to lend the strength of his voice to Soviet propaganda to off set some defeats it has suffered, may not be too well grounded. He Has Worries Titoism is growing, and Stalin may be worried about it. Arousal of western determination to fight in Korea, preventing the soft pickings he expected there, is a major disappointment. The west may be able to rearm without fulfulling Stalin’s hopes that is will wreck its economy by doing so. We’re on Defense But Stalin has the non-Commun- ist world admittedly on the defen sive, because of his great gains during the past five years, and through his ability to decide wheth er the whole world shall have peace or war. But let’s take the statement apart. With regard to the British charge of militarism, Stalin plays the role of an injured man, whose good intentions are misinterpreted by the whole world. If he were Adolf Hitler one would expect an outbreak of war somewhere tomor row, so frenetic are his denials. Strategy, Perhaps But in Asia, where the west is so definitely distrusted, those words will create further doubt as to Stalin’s imperialist intent. The same is true among the world’s non-Soviet leftists. It is enough to goad the West into telling all it knows about Soviet military pi’e- parations. And Stalin would just love to find out just how much we do know. The second on Korea may have been written before the failure of the latest Chinese offensive and the renewed display of allied strength. It may have been intend ed as an invitation to make peace under pressure—for the allies to surrender. If so, it missed its timing. It gave allied troops a chance to meet head-on the Stalin claim that they will not fight because their cause is not just. Probably Mean Nothing Stalin’s charges against the Uni ted Nations are neither more nor less than the long-standing Rus sian propaganda line, and prob ably mean nothing. He may have made a mistake in reminding the Russian people of the long list of nations lined up against th?,,Sov iet in the U. N. and in the Atlantic Pact. Some people in Russia, even without the benefit of access to objective world news, are perfect ly capable of wondering how every body can be wrong except Stalin. Appeal tc/ People As to the inevitability of war, Stalin repeats what he has often said. He appeals over the heads of governments to peoples. Probably the most significant thing about the whole statement is that it is a tough, uncompromis ing reiteration of Soviet policy. Its very silence on Germany may be a sign that Stalin is very wroth over suggestions that he is so afraid of German rearmament that he might make concessions •there. The full blast on that subject is yet to come. Chairman Connally (D-Texas) of the Senate Foreign Relations Com mittee said he will offer still an other resolution—as a substitute for the Wherry measure. Seeks Compromise Connally, seeking a compromise to achieve maximum Senate unity, said he would propose that no more American divisions be sent to Eu rope until after President Tru man has consulted the joint chiefs of staff, the secretary of defense, and possibly, the military commit tees. of Congress. Wherry tried repeatedly to draw from Collins an admission that air power alone could prove the de cisive factor in a war with Rus sia. Collins said it just wasn’t true. He said air, land and sea power would all be needed, and he de clared: • “I think the atomic bomb is the greatest deterrent to war, but I don’t think it alone would be the final deterrent.” • Wherry: “If we have com mand of the air, couldn’t we pul verize Russia?” • Collins: “Given time, it could be done. But you can’t do it in a matter of a week. In the event of war our strategic (long-range) Air Force will hit Russia with tre mendous. juigJit, .but, that wouldn’t prevent Russia from over-running Europe if we had no land forces there.” Collins said in his judgment, Russia and her satellites already have enough troops and material massed along the frontiers of Western Europe to overrun the continent without bringing up re serves from the cast. He said even if this country’s strategic air power were trebcled, it would not be sufficient to pre vent the Communists from sweep ing across Europe. Strong defense land forces would be needed to meet the enemy’s head-on attack, he said. Collins said, however, that de fense requires less manpower than attack, and for that reason it would be “a mistake” to attempt to match Russia’s land strength. Laundry’s Still Overcharging Him Editor, The Battalion: I’ve seen it all now. By this, I mean that I have been a victim of dreaming— stupid dreaming, it seems, Let me explain. Last week, after being charged for excess laundry by our own upstanding laundry, I was inform ed that the rate was two cents each for excess small pieces. In spite of the fact that I was staggered by this announcement, I stumbled blindly from the estab lishment with the idea in mind that 1 would watch myself and see to it that I wouldn’t be guilty of this crime again. This week, due to circumstances beyond by control, I had three ex cess small pieces (these being handkerchiefs). Upon calling for said laundry, I was told that I owed 15 cents. Frankly, I was astounded. Not willing to trust mental arithmetic, I waited until I got back to my room so I could use my slidcrule. Upon slipping it out, 1 discovered^ that I had been charged five cents each for the excess pieces. Still not wanting to trust my own judgment, I asked my room- t mate if five cents was more than two cents. He said it was. It was then that I realized I was guilty of dreaming. Believe it or not, I had actually believed that there was a set charge of two cents. Now it seems that the laun dry will charge whatever the traf- , fic will bear. Tell me —just HOW do they get away with such practice? W. D. Oradal , If you’re looking for. •« The Battalion Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Founder of Aggie Traditions "Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman” House Passes Plan To Redistrict State 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. CLAYTON L. SELPH, DAVE COSLETT Co-Editors John Whitmore, Dean Reed Managing Editors Andy Anderson, Bob Hughson Campus Editors Ralph Gorman Sports Editor Fred Walker Associate Sports Editor Joel Austin City Editor Today’s Issue John Whitmore Managing Editor Andy Anderson Campus News Editor Ralph Gorman Sports News Editor Joel Austin .....— — r City News Editor T. M. Fontaine, Carter Phillips..; Editorialists Allen Pengeliy 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 M&aoa .News and' Feature Staff Dick Kelly ...Club Publicity Co-ordmator Vivian Castleberry. Women’s Editor Jinamy Ashlock, Joe Blanchette, Ray Holbrook, Chuck Neighbors, Joe Hollis, Pat LeBlanc, Dowell Peterson Sports News Staff Curtis Edwards Church News Editor Roger Coslett Pipe Smoking Contest Manager Tom Fantaine, Johnny Lancaster, Joe Gray, Charles McCullough. Photo Engravers Sid Abernathy Make-up Editor Auttjy Fredenelt. .. . Advertising Manager Kus&ell Hagens, Bob Hayme Advertising Representatives Austin, Feb. 20—<A > )—The first redistricting plan for the House in 30 years won House approval yesterday. The vote was 119-23. Representatives dissatisfied with the realignment of their districts fought hard and loud. They cried it’s unfair, it stinks and it’s based on personalities — not population figures. The House took tugged, pulled and wrangled over 17 amendments through its lunch period until the bill was passed at 2:45 p.m. Rep. D. B. Hardeman of Denison tried to get further consideration postponed. He raised a point of order saying the bill was not valid because it had been passed out of committee at a secret session late Tuesday. All Members Told “I told every member of the com mittee about the meeting,” said Rep. Bill Fly, committee chairman. “No one was refused admission.” Speaker Reuben Senterfitt over ruled the point of order. Later, Rep. Gene Puckett of El Paso said he didn’t like the way the meeting was handled. He is a committee member. “We asked Mr. Bo Byers of the Associated Press to leave,” Puck- (See HOUSE, Page 4) PIPE SMOKING CONTEST Entry Blank NAME. MAILING ADDRESS I plan to ( ) Enter the Pipe Smoking Contest ( ) Enter a collection of pipes ( ) Enter the prof’s division To enter the 1951 Battalion Pipe Smoking Contest fill in this blank and bring or mail it to .. . PIPE SMOKING CONTEST The Battalion Goodwin Hall Entries must be in or postmarked not later than midnight Feb. 26. 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