Circulated Daily
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Battalion
Published By
A&M Students
For 75 Years
PUBLISHED DAILY IN THE INTEREST OF A GREATER A&M COLLEGE
Number 238: Volume 53
COLLEGE STATION (Aggieland), TEXAS, THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1954
Price 5 Cents
News of the World
By the ASSOCIATED PRESS
TEGUCIGALAPA, Honduras — Government officials
said last night severafcplanes arrived here with arms sent to
Honduras under terms of the U.S. mutual defense agreement.
The War Department declined to give details immediately,
but indicated an announcement might be made today.
ay
rested two men in Waco and announced a marijuana-
heroin ring operating from Mexico to New York had
been smashed.
* # #
DALLAS — A spokesman for an organization of 31
.Negro colleges in the South said yesterday most of the
25,000 Negroes enrolled will prefer not to enroll in colleges
for white students. The 31 private schools will “still carry
the chief responsibility” for college training of Negroes in
the South despite the Supreme Court ruling against segrega
tion in public schools, said E. Finley Carter of Manhasset,
N.Y.
* * *
MURFIELD, Scotland — Bill Campbell and Frank
Stranahan, two United States favorites, along with three
other Americans, were up to the fifth round of the Brit
ish Amateur Golf Championship yesterday.
# =* #
WASHINGTON—President Eisenhower yesterday made
public an inter-agency report calling for fewer but stronger
airlines and for orderly reduction and withdrawal of federal
subsidies to domestic airlines “where appropriate.”
WASHINGTON—Senate Republican leaders yester
day stuck by their predictions that Congress should ad
journ by July 31 despite a large splash of Democratic
cold water.
91 Dead In Carrier
Explosion; 201 Hurt
Swimming Series
Sets Registration
TWICE AS LOUD—North Texas State college students
have a reason for yelling twice as loud next year at foot
ball games—the twin cheerleaders are Nancy Jane and
James Lane Dodd, of Ennis. That’s probably Nancy Jane
on the left. Both are junior business education students.
Texas Joins
Speed Control
Movement
Texas is one of 13 Southern
states in a concerted effort
to control highway speeds
during the peak period of
summer travel.
Patterned on a similar program*
Which was conducted in 1953 by the
Northeastern states group, a “Slow
Down and Live!” campaign will be
conducted in 24 states from Maine
to Texas this year from Memorial
day through Labor day.
The Texas Safety association,
working jointly with the Texas De
partment of Public Safety, will act
as coordinators in making the sum
mer watchwords of the highways
from Passamaquoddy to El Paso—
“Slow Down and Live!”
The agreement of the 24 states
. to conduct the program was an
nounced by a joint declaration of
the governors of the states' partici
pating.
J. O. Musick, General Manager
of the Texas Safety association,
has been named state safety coordi
nator for the project.
Mrs. Van Wert Is
New Mothers Prexy
In explaining the reason for the
campaign, Musick said: “Traffic
accidents are more than an impor
tant social and economic problem—
they are a national tragedy. The
experience of states, counties and
municipalities tells us that nine out
of 10 accidents result from the
action of drivers afflicted with
the “in a hurrf” complex—the ‘me,
first’ attitude. On the highways
this viewpoint is expressed in the
traffic violations involving speed,
including: spesed too fast for con
ditions, following too closely, fail
ing to yield right of way, improper
passing and plain, excessive speed.”
Mrs. J. F. Van Wert of Mar
shall is the new president of the
Federation of A&M Mothers club.
Mrs. David H. Morgan, wife of
the president, is the new honorary
president.
Other officers are Mrs. Gus
Becker, vice president at large;
Mrs. Ira Vick, first vice president;
Mrs. B. A. Wulfman, second vice
president; Mrs. Allen Johnson,
third vice president; Mrs. F. C.
Olds, fourth • vice president; Mrs.
V. A. Hinz, fifth vice president.
Mrs. Ted Stephens, recording
secretary; Mrs. A. D» Henderson,
corresponding secretary; Mrs. Alex
Walsh, treasurer; Mrs. Howard
Barlow, parliamentarian; and Mrs.
E. J. Howell, historian.
The officers were elected at the
federation’s recent meeting on the
A&M campus.
At the meeting the group, which
is now composed of 45 clubs, voted
to change the name from “The
State Federation of A&M Mothers
Clubs” to “The Federation of Tex
as A&M Mothers Clubs.”
The change was made so the fed
eration could include mothers clubs
from any state or country.
“Interest has been expressed in
organizing new clubs in several
states and Mexico City,” said Mrs.
Allen Johnson, publicity chairman.
President David H. Morgan
spoke at the meeting on “The
A&M College.” Mrs. M. T. Har
rington, wife of the chancellor, in
stalled the new officers.
“We want to thank the Aggies
and the faculty for a wonderful
Mothers day program,” Mrs. John
son said. “Thanks come from all
the clubs — we enjoyed it very
much.”
Intervention
Waits For End
Of Peace Talks
WASHINGTON — UP) —
French diplomats said today
France will delay asking U.S.
interention in the Indochina
war so long as cease-fire talks
continue at Geneva.
Rep. Javits (R-Lib-NY), leaving
open the question of American in
tervention, said he is convinced
that vigorous and swift action
could save Southeast Asia.
Javits is a member of the House
Foreign Affairs committee, which
yesterday heard Adm. Arthur W.
Radford, chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, outline the Asian
military situation in a three-hour
secret briefing.
Committee members were reluc
tant to discuss Radford’s testi
mony. Some said it encouraged
them.
Registration for the summer
swimming series of the College
Station Recreation council will be
Thursday, June 3, at 1 p.m. in
DeWare field house.
The pool will open for summer
swimming June 7, with hours of
3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to
9 p.m. It will be closed Saturday
night and Sunday.
The swimming committee of the
Recreation council has begun mak
ing plans for the College Station
Invitational Swimming meet, to be
held here July 8, 9 and 10. Mrs.
Fred Weik is chairman of the com
mittee.
Taking lessons last summer were
375 College Station residents.
A&M swimming coach Art Adam
son teaches the course.
“Swim records of young people
who have taken advantage of this
fine opportunity are positive proof
of the success of this branch of
College Station Recreational pro
gram,” Mrs. Wiek said.
In addition to the Recreation
council’s beginners and advanced
classes, there will also be other
classes taught. These are, and the
times they meet:
Beginning business girls class,
Tuesday and Thursday, 5:30 p.m.;
advanced business girls class, Mon
day and Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.;
and a ladies class, Monday and
Wednesday at 1 p.m.
Registration for these classes
will be the first day the class is
scheduled.
The classes are arranged differ
ently this summer, in that they
will be for one term of eight
weeks, beginning June 7 and run
ning through July 31.
Aggie Graduates
CS Students Get Degrees
The following students from
College Station received degrees
at the graduation ceremonies here
Friday:
School of Veterinary Medicine:
doctor of veterinary medicine, Ger
ald Ralph Fuller, Carl David Grif
fin and Lloyd Melvin Reedy.
School of Agriculture—bachelor
of science: agricultural education,
Walker Jacobs; agricultural engi
neering, Earl William Schumacher;
animal husbandry, Spencer Jen
nings Buchanan, jr.; animal sci
ence, David Willard Williams, jr.;
plant and soil science, Carleton
David Ranney; wildlife manage
ment, Thomas Phillip Hunt.
School of Arts and Sciences—
bachelor of business administra
tion: accounting, Leland Moore
Stevens and Covey Windsor; build
ing products marketing. Walker
Dempsey Guthrie; personnel ad
ministration, Robert Douglas Mc-
Gar.
Bachelor of science: physical ed
ucation, Robert Russell Gosney,
Jason Seth Magee, Louis Richman
Merrill, jr. and Gene Searcy Ste
phens; biology, Elmer Marshall
Johnson and Vernon Hilton Smith.
School of Engineering—bachelor
of architecture: architectural de
sign, Paul Lassen, jr., John E.
Parnell and William Butler Stal-
ter. Bachelor of science: chemical
engineering, Jack Ragan Halliday
and Ide Peebles Trotter, jr.; civil
engineering, Raymond Burney
Hampton, Major Lynn Swatzell,
Charles Burke Tipton and Raymond
Lee Watson; industrial education,
John Eugene Lipps; mechanical en
gineering, Alton Maurice William
son.
Advanced Degrees — doctor of
philosophy: electrical engineering,
Edward Harris Andrew, jr. and
Walter Theodore Matzen, jr.;
agronomy, Elexis Cook Bashaw;
physics, Royal Eugene Collins; en
tomology, Lawrence Samuel Dillon
and Freeman Miree Fuller, jr.;
plant physiology, Samuel Park
Johnson; zoology, James Freed
Mangrum; biology, Robert Win
ston Menzel; range management,
Gerald Waylett Thomas; biochem
istry and nutrition, Billy Edward
Welch.
Professional degree: industrial
education, Don Howard Morrison.
Master of science: agricultural en
gineering, William Stuart Blair,
jr.; animal breeding. Dale Lee
Handlin; physics, Raiq S. Musa;
agronomy, Albert Clement Novo-
sad; mechanical engineering, John
Vivian Perry, jr.; mathematics,
Melvin Leroy Pierce.
Indians Sponsor
Boy Scout Night
Saturday will be Boy Scout night
for the Bryan Indians baseball
team.
All Scouts wearing uniform to
the game that night will be admit
ted free. Any Scout who does not
have a uniform can get in free by
showing his registration certifi
cate.
“A large attendance of Scouts
is expected this night to show ap
preciation of the Bryan Indians
and also this courtesy the Indians
ares howing them,” said Dan Rus
sell, local Scout leader.
A&M Gets
Corner In
Cotton Bowl
Texas A&M is going to have
its own corner of the Cotton
Bowl stadium in Dallas.
Concession stands in the
Cotton Bowl are being decor
ated with colors and photo
graphs representing the seven
Southwest Conference schools
There are 14 large stands in
the bowl, seven on each side
so each school will be repre
sented on each side.
Above the stand will be the
name of the school, an aerial
photograph of the campus
pictures of campus scenes and
photographs of the coach and
captain of the football team.
The enrollment figure will also
be shown.
Former Student Runs
For District Judge
An A&M graduate, W. T. Mc
Donald ’33, is running for district
judge of the 85th judicial district,
composed of Brazos and Robertson
counties.
Now Bryan city attorney, Mc
Donald served eight years as a rep
resentative to the state legislature.
Measles Leads
Health Report
Measles is the most prevalent
disease in College Station, accord
ing to the weekly Bryan-Brazos
county Health unit report.
There are 12. cases of measles
in College Station, and 8 in Bryan.
Mumps was next with 10 cases in
College Station and 14 in Bryan.
Other College Station diseases
were chicken pox, 5; diarrhea, 3;
and influenza, 1.
The report was for the week
ending May 22.
Rogers Gets Check
For Best Geologist
L. F. Rogers jr. was presented
with a $50 check and a one year
paid membership in the American
Association of Petroleum Geologist
last week by the Houston chapter
of AAPG for being the outstand
ing geologist to be graduated from
A&M this spring.
Rogers is a Tau Beta Pi, Phi Eta
Sigma, distinguished student and
president of the A&M Geology
club.
lAmyx Gets Award
.
: . ' .. :
J. W. Amyx
Receives Award
J. W. Amyx, assistant professor
of petroleum engineering here, was
one* of three college professors in
the nation honored this year with
$400 awards from the American
Association of Oil Well Drilling
Contractors. Amyx was presented
the association’s check and a
plaque in ceremonies at the Me
morial Student Center Monday,
The award was made for out
standing work of college staff
members in interesting petroleum
engineering students in the possi
bilities of careers as oil well drill
ing contractors.
It was presented on behalf of the
Educational and Research commit
tee of the association by J. K.
Butler of Houston, partner in the
Oil Production Maintenance com
pany. Butler is chairman of the
Houston chapter of the national
association.
“As the increasing demands for
petroleum products lead the search
for oil to new deeper horizons, the
technical problems of oil well drill
ing are increasing tremendously,”
Butler said in making the
award here.
Mr. Amyx is a 1946 A&M grad
uate in petroleum engineering, and
taught heer in 1948 before joining
the staff of Seeligson Engineering
committee in San Antonio as a
reservoir engineer. He returned to
the college staf in 1953. He is
teaching courses in drilling prac
tices and subsurface engineering.
SLOUCH DECALS—The Battalion’s Cadet Slouch is now
available on decals for car windows or other smooth sur
faces. The decals, drawn by Cartoonist James Earle, are
for sale at the Exchange store for 10 cents each.
Scores Trapped
Under Decks
By Blast
QUONSET POINT, ILL,
May 26—UP)—A devastating
explosion followed by searing
flames took a toll of at least
91 dead and 201 injured
aboard the aircraft carrier Ben
nington yesterday in one of the
worst peacetime disasters in U.S.
Navy history.
The Navy announced the high
casualty figure some 17 hours after
disaster struck the Bennington as
she cruised calmly some 75 rqiles
at sea.
Scores Trapped
Scores were trapped by the tre
mendous blast below the flight
deck. Hatches and bulkheads were
sealed, blocking off escape for
many. Some suffocated, others
perished in flames.
Crewmen who survived told of
escape hatches sealed by explosion
cluttered with bodies of injured
and dying men.”
Seaman Edward Cushman of
New Milford, Conn., related how
he talked by phone for an hpur
and three quarters with an un
known number of trapped buddies
until they suffocated.
‘Too Late*
“The last words I heard were
‘This is my last breath,’ ” Cush
man said. “Hatches were blown
closed and bulkheads were curved
in,” said George Vega, 26, Brook
lyn, N.Y. “Everybody worked hard
but we were too late.”
The 32,000-ton Bennington was
tossing along in serene seas under
sunlit potsdam skies when the big
ship was shaken by a loud ex
plosion.
“We had just completed our first
successful launching of the first of
our air groups,” said the Benning
ton’s new skipper, Capt. W. F. Ra-
bom jr. of Oklahoma City, Okla.,
“when suddenly an explosion shook
the forward part of the ship down
on the second or third deck.
Realizing a serious catastrophe
had occurred we launched the rest
of the air group to free the decks
for casualty control.”
Investigation
Secretary of the Navy Charles
Thomas flew on from Washington
and after conferring with Captain
Rabom said he had ordered an in
vestigation of the tragedy.
He expressed sympathy for the
men of the Bennington and their
families, as did President Eisen
hower in a White House announce
ment.
Admiral John Hoskins, who lost
his right leg in the Pacific, directed
the helicopter rescue operations.
He said many lives were saved by
prompt evacuation by air.
He said the exact location of the
explosion was not known but that
it probably was in the general vi
cinity of the ward room. In naval
parlance the ward room is “offi
cers’ country.”
One of Worst
Hoskins said the tragedy ■was
one of the worst in peacetime he
could recall. He added that he
didn’t believe there was any possi
bility of sabotage but that such an
angle will be investigated along
with every other.
Secretary Thomas said a naval
board of inquiry will meet Thurs
day. He said search for bodies in
the Bennington still was continu
ing.
Later Captain Rabom said “I
am damn proud to be commanding
officer of such a heroic, unselfish
crew of American seamen.”
Weather Today
POSSIBLE SHOWERS
Cloudy to partly cloudy, with
widely scattered thunder showers
today. High yesterday was 85;
low today 68.