Circulated Daily
To 90 Per Cent
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Published By
A&M Students
For 75 Years
PUBLISHED DAILY IN THE INTEREST OF A GREATER A&M COLLEGE
Number 394: Volume 53
COLLEGE STATION (Aggieland), TEXAS, TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1954
Price Five Ceuta
Puerto Ricans Fire
Twenty Shots into
House Of Congress
Four fanatics seated in the House gallery yesterday
suddenly shouted, “Free Puerto Rico,” waved their flag, and
then fired at least 20 wild pistol shots that wounded five
congressmen.
One congressman, Alvin M. Bentley (R-Mich.), was so
seriously wounded that he was given only an even chance of
survival. Dr. Charles White, who helped operate on Bentley
said:
“The operation was a success. Bentley has a 50-50
chance. He is now in the hands of the Lord.”
Another congressman had a shoulder wound, and three
were hit in the leg.
Two gunmen and their woman companion, Puerto Ricans
from New York City, were seized on the spot. Police Chief
Robert . Murray said tonight that they have confessed the
shooting, and have implicated a fourth.
The wounded congressmen:
Bentley, 35, hit in the left side below the heart. The
bullet went on through, and came out the right side.
Ben F. Jensen, (R-Iowa), 61, struck in the left shoulder.
Clifford Davis (D-Tenn.), 56, shot through the upper
calf of his right leg.
Kenneth A. Roberts (D-Ala.), 41,+-
bullet struck left leg while he was
seated. It entered above the knee
and cam out below.
George H. Fallon (D-Md.), 51,
shot in the hip.
Police identified the Puerto Ric
ans as members of the Nationalist
party of Puerto Rico. Two other
members of the party tried to as
sassinate President Truman in 19-
50.
Police Chief Murray said these
three had admitted the shooting:
Mrs. Lolita Lebron, .‘14, of 315 W.
94th St., New York City. Murray
said she has just been divorced.
Rafael Cancel Miranda, 25, of
120 S. 1st St., New York City.
Andres Figueroa Cordero, 29, of
108 F. 103rd St., New York City.
Edgar E. Scott, deputy chief of
detectives, said that Mrs. Lebron
had said Irving Flores, 27, of 108
E. 103rd St., New York City, also
was a member of the. group. But
Scott said Flores had not admitted
he was present at the shooting.
“Flores ducked out in the con
fusion,” Scott said, “but we have
a witness Mrs. Lebron to his par
ticipation.”
Murray said all four were to be
arraigned later tonight and
charged with assault with intent to
kill.
Later, in an interview, Mrs. Le
bron said the shooting was timed
to coincide with the opening of the
inter-American conference in Ca
racas, Venezuela, today. She said
it wauld dramatize “the problem
of colonialism.”
She said the shooting was to
“bring the attention of the people
to the plight of Puerto Rico. It is
a country that is not free.”
“Did you shoot to kill or
Wound?” newsmen asked.
“Not to kill,” she said. T h e
jhooting, she added, “was my idea.
It was the idea of four of us. 1
feel I did something for my coun
try.” Mi-s. Lebron, a native of
lares, Puerto Rico, said members
of the Puerto Rican colony in New
York knew nothing about their in
tentions.
She said Pedro Albizu Campos,
leader of the Puerto Rico National
ist party did not tell them to car
ry out the shooting. “It was our
idea,” she said.
Morgan Names
Faculty Group
To Study Plan
President D. H. Morgan of A&M
College today appointed a faculty
committee to receive' and study
recommendations of the college’s
Student Life committee on propos
ed changes in its constitution and
present them to the Academic
Council. The Student Life Com
mittee recently voted to amend its
constitution to provide for a sub
committee dealing with student
publications. Such amendments
are subject to approval or disap
proval by the Academic Council.
Passage of the amendment pro
posals by the .Student Life com
mittee resulted in resignation of
the co-editors of the student daily
newspaper, The Battalion, followed
by resignations of all student staff
members.
Named to the committee by Pres
ident Morgan were T. W. Leland,
head of the Business Administra
tion Department; C. B. Godbey,
head of the Genetics department;
S. A. Lynch, head of the Geology
department; Dr. F. P. Jaggi, pro
fessor of Veterinary Medicine, and
B. A. Zinn, assistant Dean of Men.
Named as ex-officio members wei’e
D. D. Burchard, head of the Jour
nalism Department and C. G.
White, Assistant to the Dean
Men.
P R 0 C L A M A T10 N
WHEREAS, thero are conditions of tension and un
certainty in the world today, and it is recognized that
the many problems confronting us can be solved only
with the help of Almighty God; and
WHEREAS, March 5, the First Friday of the Lenten
season lias been declared a world-wide day of prayer in
more than one hundred countries;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ernest Langford, Mayor
of the City of College Station, Texas, do hereby proclaim
March 5, 1954
DAY OF PRAYER
for a better world for all people to remember the needs
of our nation, and all other nations, as we bow our
heads in reverent acknowledgment of our dependence
upon Almighty God, and I urge everyone to pause in his
work for one minute, to ask that God give us light to
guide us, courage to support us, and love to unite us.
Given under my hand and the Executive Seal this
second day of March, A. D., 1954.
(Seal) (Signed) Ernest Langfdrd
Mayor
City of College Station, Tex.
Board of Directors Voles
Contracts for Half Million
Contracts totaling $583,500.82 second unit of A&M’s new vetori-
StudentLife Committee
Calls For Acting-
♦“ Return of The Battalion to to student acting-editorship
was expidited at a meeting yesterday afternoon of the sub
committee which the Student Life Committee has appointed
on student publications and yell leaders.
Motions carried have only the effect of recommendations
Ho the Student Life Commit
tee. The Student Life Com-
of
Holt Is Speaker
At FFA Meeting
In speaking to the Collegiate
F.F.A. Chapter Tuesday night at
its regular bi-weekly meeting, Mr.
O. M. Holt, Consultant from the
Texas Education Agency, said one
of the major responsibilities of
teachers of vocational agriculture
in Texas is to develop boys into
men.
He called attention to the impor
tance of the activities promoted in
local F.F.A. chapters in develop
ing high school boys.
were awarded and appropriations
of $878,451.58 made by the board
of directors of the Texas A&M
College System in their regular
February meeting here Saturday.
Construction of 80 new dormitory
rooms for girls and 90 for boys at
Prairie View A&M College were
major contract items.
Contract was awarded Van Cleve
Construction Company of Houston
for an 80-room addition to Suarez
Hall, girls’ dormitory, and a 90-
room addition to Alexander Hall,
boys’ dormitory, at Prairie View
A&M College for a total of $551,-
755. Conti-act calls for completion
by Jan. 15, 1955. The 170 new
rooms will relieve an overcrowded
condition at Prairie View and make
it possible for students to be moved
from old trailers and other tem-
porary quarters, as well as accom
modate a reasonable increase in
enrollment next year. Prairie View
had a Fall em-ollment of over
2,500 this year, making it one of
the three largest negro colleges in
America.
Contract went to Bickley Bros,
of Houston for 1358 chair seats to
be used in the new Physical Edu
cation building at A&M for $15,-
456.82.
The chairs which will be metal
with cushion seats are expected to
be delivered in 120 days. They
will furnish additional seating on
the floor of the Physical Education
building when it is not being used
for basketball. This will give the
building a total, seating capacity
of around 4,800.
Sewage Lab
R. B. Butler of Bryan was award
ed contract for construction of a
sewage treatment laboratoi-y at
A&M for $6,680. E. A. Geike of
Bryan won contract for moving
residences at Prairie View for
$2,675 and Hamilton Roofing Com
pany of Fort Woi-th was awarded
contract for roof repairs to four
buildings at Tarleton State College
on a bid of $6,994.
Appropriations, in addition to
those required by contracts let at
this meeting included $80,000 for
air conditioning the college library
at A&M college, $3,000 for ex
penses of inauguration of President
D. H. Morgan at A&M, $15,000
for a building to house equipment
of the Firemens Training School,
$16,000 additional for plans for the
nary hospital, $60,000 for improve
ments at the college plantation and
$75,000 for dormitory repairs.
$7,000 was appropriated for repairs
to Davis Hall at Arlington State
college and $17,000 for new equip
ment for Arlington’s engineering
shops and laboratories.
Air conditioning of the Cushing
Memorial Library, which is a part
of the long-range improvement pro
gram for the College, was recom
mended to the board by President
David H. Morgan as being of suf
ficient importance that it should be
given priority for early completion.
The Chancellor was authorized to
proceed with preparation of plans
and receiving bids for the air con
ditioning of this building. The bids
will be referred to the board for
final approval.
Fireman’s School
The building to house equipment
for the Firemens Training School
which attracts fire fighters from
throughout the state and nation to.
the A&M campus every summer,
will be a large quonset building to
be located in the area immediately
North of College View apartments.
Much valuable equipment and
supplies have been donated by
various manufacturers for the use
of the school and this building was
authorized to house this equipment.
Improvements planned at the
College Plantation include repairs
to the Superintendent’s house, mov
ing and repair of the Foreman’s
house, a double garage for the
Superintendent and Foreman,
house and garage for the shop me
chanic, 14 small houses for laboi’ers
with 7 double combination garages,
chicken houses, and cow sheds, wa
ter storage tanks and water lines.
Improvements will also include a
storage sheds, a warehouse, office,
horse barn, seivice roads and new
fencing.
Dormitory repairs which will be
made during the summer months
include repairs and painting of ex
terior wood trim of Milner, Legget,
Haer, Law, Puryear, and Walton
Halls; interior repairs and painting
of Milner, Mitchell and Legget
Halls; laying of rubber tile floors
in Milner Hal; additional electrical
outlets in Legget, Mitchell, Milner,
Law and Puryear and roof i-epairs
to all dormitories.
Sgt. Daniel Dies
In Fire At Home
Saturday Night
M/Sgt. Marion LeRoy Dan
iel, a member of the Air Force
ROTC staff at Texas A. and
M. College, College Station,
Texas, was killed last Satur
day night when flames fed by
fresh northerly winds devoured his
home at 900 Ashburne St., College
Station, Texas.
Exact cause of the fire has not
been determined. Sergeant Dan
iel, age 37, was a veteran of nine
years service in the Air Force.
He held the Good Conduct Medal,
American Campaign Medal, Asiat-
ic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Occu
pation Medal for Japan, World
War II Victory Medal, and the
National Defense Service Medal
He had been a member of the Ail
Force ROTC staff at Texas A. and
M. since June 1952.
Sergeant Daniel’s body will
leave the Hillier Funeral Home,
Bryan, Texas Monday night for
New Port, Kentucky. The body
will be escorted by Master Ser
geant John 1’. Collins (AFROTC
Staff, TAMC).
Survivors are wife; his mother,
Mrs. Florence Daniel, Newport,
Ky.; a sister, Mrs. Lucille First,
Newport, Ky.; and his brother,
William B. Daniel of the US Navy.
COACH “BEAR” BRYANT and family are caught by the photographer in a more re
laxed mood.
SPLASH?—Patricia Koch,
Galveston’s first entry in
the Miss Splash Day beauty
contest to be held May 1
and 2, holds up a half pint
of Gulf water that was sent
to Lima, Ohio, to use in the
christening of a new air
liner.
Classes Offered
By Camera Club
The Camera Club has announced
that classes ranging from develop
ing prints to making enlargements
of pictures will be offered at the
MSC beginning March 15 at 7:15
p.m.
The classes will meet for one
hour every two weeks. Classes
will be free to camera club mem-
bers. Membership dues will be
$2.50 from the first time the class
meets to the end of this semester.
Dues may be paid to Margaret
Long at the MSC.
John Meacher, Vice President of
the club, will mimeograph material
which will give more and definite
information about the classes. This
information will be distributed over
the entire campus.
Morgan Names
New Manager
Of Publications
Karl Elmquist Monday was nam
ed manager of student publications
which includes The Battalion, stu
dent newspaper, at Texas A&M
College, Pres. David H. Morgan
announced. He is an English pro
fessor at college and came to A&M
in 1935 as instructor in English.
Carl Jobe, acting manager of
student publications, will take up
his old place as assistant managei
of student publications.
The appointment of Elmquist is
effective immediately and lasts
through August 31, Di\ Morgan
said.
Professor Elmquist has had gen-
eral news and editorial experience
while in school at SMU and while
in army. ,
He will work with the sub-com
mittee of Student Life Committee
charged with the responsibility for
student publications and with spe
cial committee of Academic Coun
cil recently appointed to deal with
publications, Dr. Morgan said.
mittee must approve before
they are subject to further
action.
The motions are:
1. That the sub-committee “rec
ommend to the Student Life Com
mittee that a special student body
election be held as soon as possible
for - the position of Acting Editor
of Acting Co-Editors of the Bat
talion.” The motion included the
stipulation that “qualifications for
the Acting Editor or Co-Editors be
determined by this sub-committee
and recommended to the Student
Life Committee.”
2. That the suh-committee “rec
ommend to the Student Life Com
mittee that candidates for Editor
Co-Editors must have the fol
lowing qualifications: 1. Be cer
tified by the Manager of Student
Publications as capable of filling a
position of Editor or Co-Editor. 2.
Must be at least an academic jun
ior and have a grade point ratio of
I. 25 through the preceding semes
ter.”
The chah'iuan of the Student
Life Committee, Prof. Joe Sorrels,
has called a meeting of that com
mittee for 4:30 today (Tuesday)
in the MSC Senate Chamber, to
consider these recommendations of
the subcommittee on student pub
lications.
The newly appointed manager of
student publications, K. E. Elm
quist, associate professor of Eng
lish, stated to those present at the
meeting that he understands his
function to include assisting in
maintaining freedom of the press
for The Battalion and that lie is ab
solutely opposed to censorship in
any form. Elmquist also stated
that he would, in acordance with
the wishes of the subcommittee,
consult with Carl Jobe, assistant
manager of student publications,
and with Prof. D. D. Burchard,
head of the department of jour
nalism, in certifying editorial can
didates as qualified to file in the
proposed election.
A second agenda item, a revis
ion of the constitution of the Stu
dent Life Committee with respect
to yell leaders and to the member
ship and functions of the proposed
student publications committee, to
become effective next autumn, was
passed over until the next meting.
Among those present at the meet
ing in the Senate Chamber of the
MSC were Carl W. Lpndiss, chair
man; Doyle F. Lowery, R. G. Per-
*ryman, T. B. Field, S. A. Kerley,
Bob Hendry, E. D. Besch, Ed Stern,
J. H. Sorrels, Wayne Stark, T. W.
Leland, C. B. Godbey, D. D. Bur
chard, Karl Elmquist, manager of
student publications, and C.
White, secretary.
Co
Friday Night, Guion Hall
Premier Set For A&M Movie
A Hollywood-style world pre
miere of the color movie, “We Are
the Aggies,” is planned Friday
night, March 5., in Guion Hall on
the Texas A&M campus. The film
depicts daily life of students at
work and at play.
Spotlights will play on college
and campus dignitaries arriving in
limousines and they will extend
greetings over a public address
system outside the hall. Piior to
the first of four public showings
that night members of the faculty
and staff who played prominent
parts in the production will be in
troduced to the audience.
General Matthew B. Ridgway,
chief of staff, U. S. Army, will at
tend one of the later showings Fri
day. He comes to the A&M cam
pus for tfie annual Military Day
on Saturday, and will be accom
panied by several other high-rank
ing officers.
Proceeds from the premiere will
go to the Twelfth Man Scholarship
Fund, according to John C. Akard
of (4227 Holland) Dallas, enter
tainment manager of the Student
Activities Office. This fund pro
vides a full four years of college
to some student not financially able
to 1 matriculate. Two such students
are now enrolled.
Production of the 30-minute
movie was aided by the A&M
Mothers’ Clubs of Texas and the
College Exchange Store. Mrs. Gus
Dales Announced
For Summer Camp
Summer military camp will be
held from the 19th of June until
the 30th of July according to the
Military department.
The rate of pay will be $78 a
month and students will be allowed
five cents a mile to and from camp.
The following outfits have been
assigned to the following camps:
Infantry—Ft. Benning, Ga.; Field
Artillery—Ft. Sill, Okla.; Triple
A—Ft. Bliss, Tex.; Armor—Ft.
Knox, Ky.; Engineers—Ft. Lin
Wood, Mo.; Quartermaster—Ft.
Lee, Va.; Signal Corps—Camp Gor
don, Ga.; Ordinance — Aberdeen
Proving Grounds, Md.; Army Se
curity Agency—Ft. Devens, Mass.;
Chemical Corps — Ft. McClellan,
Ala.; Military Intelligence—Ft. Ri
ley, Kan.
Becker of Mirando City, president
of the State Federation of Moth
ers’ Clubs, and Carl Birdwell of
the Exchange Store also will ap
pear at the first showing Friday
night.
The shooting script and final
narrative were written by Harry
L. Kidd jr., associate professor in
the English Department of A&M.
Photography was by Howard Ber
ry, director of the Photographic
and Visual Aids Laboratory of the
college. Setting was the campus
at College Station and students
comprised the “all star” cast.
Every scene is a natural shot
of a regular activity at the* school.
After a sneak preview upon com
pletion of the movie last month,
a viewer exclaimed, “when you
have seen ‘We Are the Aggies,’
you have seen life at Texas A&M
College.”
The film will be available for
school and club showings anywhere
and already more than a dozen
copies of it have been purchased
by alumni. Requests for the film
may be made to C. G. White, as
sistant Dean of Men in the Stu
dent Activities Office, Texas
A&M College.
Council Fails
To Compete
With Bugle Corps
JAMESTOWN, R. L—6P>—
The Boys’ Dnim and Bugle
Corps last night vanquished a
Town Council meeting.
Someone assigned a town
hall room for a drum corps
rehearsal the same night the
council met.
As the drams boomed and
the bugles blared the council
lors shouted at each other for
47 minutes, then gave up and
adjourned.
Weather Today
COLDER
Cold tonight with wind and con
tinued cloudiness. High this morn
ing 55. Low tonight 30,