Battalion Editorials Page 2 THURSDAY, JULY 12,1951 Fear of the Truth . . . Ij'EAR of the truth-^in those four words lies the sole excuse for the recent Czech oslovakian imprisonment of William Oatis, Associated Press correspondent. Oatis, convicted on charges of espionage against the Czech government, was sen tenced July 4, to ten years in prison. The sentence will be “commuted” to five years with good behavior. In a recent broadcast, the Voice of America referred to the conviction as “an awful crime” perpetrated by “Czech stooges of the Kremlin.” The charges against Oatis were based on his activities as head of the AP Prague bureau. What in democratic countries is known as good, objective reporting falls in the inent figures have pointed out the reason why such a government would interpret these activities thusly. It boils down to the basic fear of the truth. The reason for a government like Czech oslovakia to fear the truth is plain enough. How can the tripe dished out from behind the Iron Curtain stand a chance when set up against accurate news? And, what’s more important, the out ward flow of accurate news always leaves at least a chance that truth might seep back into these suppressed countries. That would be disastrous to the devotees of the Kremlin. The only mind that Communism can con trol is one hamstrung by ignorance. Should the mass of people in the USSR Is 11-36 Bomber Obsolete? Committee Seeks Answer WASHINGTON, July 12—•05’)— ’’ Because of recent develop ments in atomic weapons, the ques tion is being raised in the House Armed Services Committee as to whether the Air Force’s global B-36 bomber is obsolete. It was reliably learned yesterday that the Air Force told the com mittee that it has only 87 of the Giant inter-continental bombers ready to go into action. Several committee members were described as “utterly amazed” since it had been believed the Air Force had several hundred. Bombers “Modernized” An Air Force representative is reported further to have told the committee that another 65 of the huge bombers are in the process of being modernized with “jet- assists.” The Air Force said it had or dered or received delivery of a total of 170 B-36s. Deliveries were halted for a while to change over from all-piston type engines to a combinatiion of four jet and six piston engines. In addition, the Air Force has ordered two new B-36s with swept- back wings. The committee in closed session is considering the Defense De partment’s $6,561,262,000 military construction program for installa tions at home and abroad. Of this the Air Force is seeking $3,580,000,000 and Secretary of the Air Force Finletter indicated that the plan calls for huge expansion of the strategic air command’s ground installations. Number is Secret Chairman Vinson (D-Ga) said in formation as to the number of B-36s in the Strategic Air Com mand is “highly secret.” Several weeks ago when Vinson said that Defense Department rep resentatives would be called be fore the committee shortly to relate progress in rearmament, Rep. Gav in (R-Penn) demanded that the in quiry include the B-36 program. Today on the House floor Gavin charged that production at the B-36 plants in Texas has not been good. He commented during House dis cussion on a proposal in the de fense production bill that would give the President authority to lo cate or relocate defense plants. He said the B-36 plant had been “put down in the heart of the cat tle and cow country” where it was difficult to get at needed raw materials and where necessary per sonnel trained for the work was not readily available. ^ 1950 Defense Act Extended for Year Extension of the Defense Produc tion Act of 1950 for another: year in its present form has been urged by the National American Whole sale Grocers Association, the Hous ton District Office of Price Stabil ization has been informed. The telegraphed request for the extension has been sent to Con gress. category of spying under Czech law. The radio program and nationally prom- • The man who tries to work all day and all night, too, is ?wt always the fellow who gets the most work done. e Scientific Advances Bring Uncertainty /^NE OF the often-debated questions of to- ” day concerns the ultimate product that scientific advance can offer the world. Most especially in these days of uncertainty-when threats of atomic bombings and all-out war on a hitherto unequaled scale offer gloomy possibilities for the future, it helps every now : and then to sound a note of hope. Such a note can be found in the words written recently by Bertrand Russell. His words contain, moreover, a basic insight into the only real solution to world conditions of unrest. Science, says Russell, is capable of of fering mankind a greater well-being than has ever been known if three conditions are met: war must be abolished, ultimate power must be evenly distributed and the growth of the population must be limited. It is in the method of accomplishing these ends that we find Russell’s words particularly apt. He says. “The root of the matter is a very simple and old-fashioned thing, a thing so simple I am almost ashamed to mention it, for fear of the derisive smile with which the wise critic will greet my words. “The thing I mean—please forgive me for mentioning it—is love, Christian love, or compassion. If you feel this you have a mo tive for existence, a guide for action, a rea son for courage, an imperative necessity for intellectual honesty.” or any of its satellites find out what free dom is. enjoyed elsewhere in the world, no force could keep them suppressed. Well might the powers of Communism fear the truth—it will probably be the wea pon with which they are to be eventually destroyed. • Even the Russians, we suppose, must be right some of the time, but they certainly go to great le7igths to keep it concealed. • Okies Convert A Texan T’HE “OKIES” are feeling smug today. They have accomplished the impossible— they have converted a Texan. The convert—we wouldn’t do him the in justice of referring to him by name—had gone to those hinterlands to our north with all good intentions. Though residing in Ok lahoma he flew the Lone-Star flag over his house and issued crying-towels to Okla homans preceding the OU-TU grid-iron battle.. His wife, though, worried about losing friends and prevailed on hubby to curb his natural pride. His submission became com plete when Oklahoma Governor Johnston Murray issued final Oklahoma citizenship papers the other day. It breaks our faith in our fellow man. We’re afraid to look for fear that we might even find “Pinky” Downs humming the strains to “Texas Fight.” • % The income of many people is high er than ever before. This invites careful persons to save something for the day ivhen incomes drop. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Editor, The Battalion: With reference to the letter from Rex E. Hall in your “Letters to the Editor” column: evidently, ■Mr. Hall is a single, immatui’e boy or man ( ?) who cannot possibly conceive of the relationship of a man and wife, True, the part a woman plays at home in the drama of war is greatly discussed, perhaps magni fied, but no amount of writing or talking can express the deep empti ness one feels when your spouse is away. Some may welcome the free moments but those whp have chosen in seriousness and deep love, a partner for life, will only feel loneliness and disillusionment. Mr. Hall may think an article depict ing “a woman without a man” a sentimental sob story but if he were mature enough to know real love and not egoism, he would realize Mrs. Castleberry’s story is much too ti-ue. The sadness of the story in creases even more when you wait the long months filling your time as best you can, temporarily liv ing with hopes for a better fu ture, praying, yes . . . but after all of the empty hours, the dreaded word comes that those hours will only increase and the sustained vision of “his” return must be abruptly discarded. May you, Mr. Hall, never have a wife that must live with only memories of a marriage. My hus band was killed in Korea. You may add my story to your collection of sad, sad stories. Name Withheld by Request P. S. The Battalion offers some fine articles for “Men”; why not read those and leave the “Wo men’s Column” for us girls? M. E. Professors Working at Boeing Eight Mechanical Engineering Professors have been employed this summer by The Boeing Aircraft Corporation, Seattle, Wash., ac cording to C. W. Crawford, head of the Mechanical Engineering De partment. L. P. Thompson, L. G. Berryman, R. L. Acres, J. H. Caddess, War ren Rice, J. C. Wilhoit, R. H. Fletcher, and J. V. Perry will work in the corporation’s engineering de partment. The men will receive an expense- paid round trip by first class air liner, salaries, and a bonus for work done while on leave from the college. All of the instructors, except Fletcher and Perry, are acoompan- PALACE Brgan 2'8€19 NOW SHOWING Queen N OW SHOWING DwmDAYHaWujJMS QUEEN SUNDAY thru WED. 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 Ffiday for the regular school year, Tuesday through Friday during the summer terms, and Tuesday and Thursday during vacation and examination periods. 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JOEL AUSTIN Editor Andy Anderson Associate Editor and Sports Editor Vivian Castleberry Women’s Editor William Dickens Feature Editor Dave Coslett Editorial Assistant James Fuller Chtirch News Editor J. R. Alderdice Staff Photographer R. D. Witter. Charles McCullough Photo Engravers Autry Fredricks, Ed Moses Advertising Representatives John W. Thomas. B. F. Roland, Dave Coslett. jJames Fuller. Dickens. Frank Davis. Homo Kta -" H J0£ £ £/iW/V <$ GOWER W’- 1 7..I play "SHOW Rn/IT* William Staff News Writers Ray Rushing. Tom Rountree, Ray Holbrook Sports News Writers Owen Dee, Calvin Janak Circulation ied by their families on this work ing vacation, according to Craw ford. Y.Vff ^ '8/ftTHDAYS HI 1V£J?0/A/G-S ' /U//5SS g|| G/£T CARDS TA/AU/C YOU %i) , S/RT/YS