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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 1953)
Ba l lalion Edi to via Is Page 2 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1953 DREAMING OF A RED CHRISTMAS ? <0 Dear Mother “During life I have witnessed peace and war in the United States. I love peace. I love mankind. I love them enough to fight for them. That is what I am doing right now— that is why 1 am not going home.’’ So wrote Pfc. Richard Tenneson to his mother in explanation of his decision to stay with the Communists in Korea. An Ameri can lad, only 17 when he joined the Army, tells his grieving mother that he has not been forced, duped, or brainwashed into re fusing repatriation, and that if she could talk with him she would find him just as he left her “except that now I have a goal and a reason for life.’’ The letter explains nothing. The goal is left undefined; the reasons are vague and confused. The 20-year-old youth who has “witnessed peace and war in the United States” clearly has little concept of what he is renouncing. Certainly he is less to blame than men and women, equipped in some cases with wide experience and brilliant learning, who have renounced the democratic heritage of their youth in order to become the tools of a ruthless totalitarian conspiracy. But the letter is a vivid reminder that the struggle with communism is primarily men tal, not military. It illustrates the fact that while Red dictatorship may maintain itself in power by a strategy of terror, it prepares the ground for its reign of force by appealing to ideals, to the craving for peace and secur ity and fellowship—while the United States is portrayed as a police state dominated by the “Gestapo FBI” where it is impossible (says the young letter writer) to “live as I wish.” It is a tribute to American democracy that only a comparative handful of United States citizens has “chosen communism.” But in large areas bf the world there is little to keep ignorant millions from turning to those false promises unless the more ad vanced democracies can demonstrate beyond doubt that, in Pfc. Tenneson’s words, they “love peace” and “love mankind.” — (Christian Science Monitor) rvivmg Home for CHICAGO—-OP)—Rodney Brodie the 27-month-old surviving Siam ese twin who has spent all his life in hospitals, went home for a sur prise Christmas visit Sunday. His parents made their regular twice-monthly 450-mile auto trip to visit Rodney in a Chicago hospital Sunday and asked attending phy sicians if they could take him to their downstate home until after New Year’s. The doctors who have cared for Rodney since he entered the Univer sity of Illinois Research Hospital held a hurried conference. They decided Rodney was well enough to make the trip. The father was jubilant. “We have looked forward to this for a long, long time,” he said. Mrs. Brodie was equally happy. “We have no special plans at all,” she said. “We hope to spend r *i « r I Wi ll i s I JoiicSav 8 a nice, quiet holiday with the en tire family present for the first time. Our Christmas will be sim ilar to that observed in most homes. It will give all of us a chance to become better acquainted with Rodney.” Waiting to greet their brother at the family’s home at Ferris, Ill., near Caruthers in Hancock Coun ty, were Rodney’s four brothers and sisters. Rodney, physicians said, has made good progress since he was separated from his head-joined brother Roger, Dec. 17, 1952. Rog er died 34 days after the lengthy and delicate surgery. No date has been set for Rod ney’s return to the hospital, where he has been treated since October, 1951. The hospital said it would be at the convenience of the par ents, who will have to take into consideration road conditions for a return trip. Barbara Ann Gordy Weds Ag Student Wednesday Last Day for POW Talks Hope for US Explanations Dims /Is Deadline IS!ears Miss Barbara Ann Gordy, daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. Quhana Gordy of Bryan, became the bride of Carl Douglas Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Davis of Premont, in a cere mony at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Baptist Student Center. Dr. W. H. Andrews pastor of the First Btptist Church in Bryan officiated. The groom is a senior physics major at A&M. The bride is a senior at Stephen F. Austin high school in Bryan. The bride was married in a white lace & net waltz length dress. She carried a white orchid with a bridal Bible. The bride chose as her matron- of-honor Miss Wanda Green of Amarillo . Miss Green wone a blue waltz leng-th dress. Gilbert Brigham of Denison was best man. Miss Earlene Carlton sang “The Lord’s Prayer” and “I Love You Truly”. After a weel- and Mrs. Smith heme in College honeymoon, Mi are making thei Station. By FORREST EDWARDS PANMUNJOM—nSP)—A snarl of last-minute delays today all but snuffed out Allied hopes for inter views with 22 Americans who stay ed with the Communists as Red ■ explainers chalked up their best score to date. Gen. John E. Hull, U.S. Far East : commander, indicated that the Al lies have given up hope that any of the 22 will return home. Hull said the Americans have had both time and opportunity to change their minds since they were turned over to Indian custody Sept. 25. The Allies’ only chance of con tacting the prisoners before the midnight Wednesday deadline ap peared to be through delivery of a 12-page letter addressed to each The Neutral Nations Repatria tion Commission ruled that the POWs must agree to accept the letter from an Allied explanation team. Lt. Gen. K. S. Thimyya, Indian chairmpn of the commission, suit! he would get the Americans’ answer tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Reds won back 34 of 250 Chinese captives as in terviews were resumed after a 34- day stalemate. WON’T COME HOME — Cpl. Claude J. —Batchelor (above) of Kermit, Tex., is one of the 22 U. S. servicemen in North Ko rean prisoner of war camps who have refused repatriation. This not only was the greatest number of prisoners the Commun ists have won back in a single day but was almost triple their best j previous record percentage-wise. The previous records were set | Oct. 31 when 21 of 459 Nor th Ko reans—4.6 per cent—elected to re turn to Communist rule. The best previous record with Chinese pris- ; oners was far- below this—10 won back out of 430 interviewed Oct. 17, a percentage of only 2.4. In eight days of interviews the j Communists have talked to 2,081 j prisoners and have won back .104 ■ or 3.9 per ceirt. Communist refusal to interview i entire 500-man compounds in a : single day precipitated the long ' suspension of explanations. A few prisoners cursed and spat! ; at the persuaders today, but therei ! was none of the violence which marked earlier explanation .ses sions. Some of the prisoners walked into the tents with their minds ob viously made up, but others ap peared to be convinced during long and quiet interviews. Gen. Hull told newsmen in Seoul he is interested only in being cer- 210 S. Main Bryan PJho. 2-1584 fm? war to save time JFMWMWM Flights Daily to a & la I l Fc« l ii Lv. 7:05 am. 2: For Reservations - > j>m A rr/m/l LI’L ABNER The Mad Hatter By AJ Cap*) ( MAH' ■ r . i /\v ves- v.t 1EH k EEFUSES REPATRIATION —- Sgt. R, E. Douglas of San An gelo, Tex., (above) is one of the 22 American prisoners of war- held in North Korea who have refused repatriation. American prisoners to choose their fu- The Battalion Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Founder of Aggie Traditions “Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman” The Battalion, official newspaper if the Agricultural and Meehan- j real College of Texas, is published by students four times a week, during the regular school year. During the summer terms, and examination j and vacation periods, The Battalion is published twice a week. Days of j publications are Tuesday through Friday for the regular school year, | ami Tuesday and Thursday during examination and vacation periods and the summer terms. Subscription rates $9.00 per year or $ .75 per month. Advertising rates furnished on request. tain that the have freedom ture. “The thing that we have stood for always has been freedom of choice,” he said. Chances for interviews with the 22 Americans, 1 Briton and 77 SouthKoreans dwindled further Monday when the repatriation commission put off until Tuesday discussion of a long protest from the prisoners. The Americans and Briton re fuse to attend interviews until the Koreans are processed and the Ko reans refuse to attend until they are permitted to make counter- explanations. The commission has refused to permit this. No interviews , can be conducted after midnight Dec. 23—90 days after the prisoners were turned ov er to neutral custody. Allied offi cers said it was unlikely there would be time to talk with the Americans even if all of the pris oners’ demands were met. LI’L ABNER Comes The Revelation By A1 Cupp ??--EXCEPT* F-FO'~&A§Pf*< HAPPENS® TO LOGO Hntered as second-class matter at Post Office at Collece Station, Texas under the Act of Con gress of March 3, 1870. Member of The Associated Press Represented nationally by National Advertising Services, Inc., at New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, smd San Fran cisco. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republi- cation of all news dispatches credited 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 4-7604) or nt the editorial office room, 202 Goodwin Hall. Classified ads may be placed by telephone (4-5324) or at the Student Activities Office, Room 209 Goodwin Hall. JERRY BENNETT, ED HOLDER. Chuck Neighbors Karri Baker Campus Editor Rob Boriskie Sports Editor Jon Kinslow City Editor Jerry Estes Basic Division Editor Bob Hendry Feature Editor Barbara Rubin Society Editor Jerry Wizig Associate Sports Editor Fraosk Hines. Jerry Neighbors. Bob Homey. Jim Collins, Ray Wall, Ai Di-=enb!rg. Arnold Goldstein. Bit! Parsons. Bill Warren, Jack Farley. John Linton. King McGkrvan. Jay Ireland. Charles Kingsbury, George Alanitzaa. E. B, McGowan Siaff Writers Gardner Collins : : . . Exchange Editor Bob Palmer. Tom Skrabanek Advertising Staff PORKY'S tf/OVT. 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