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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 9, 1961)
Page 2 College Station, Texas ’ Thursday March 9,1961 THE BATTALION Sound Off Purpose? Use? (Editor’s note: This is the final letter that will be printed concerning the film “Operation Abolition.”) Editor, The Battalion: In your recent editorials con cerning the film, “Operation Ab olition,” you have indicated that the nature of the charges being made against this motion picture were to some degree unknown to you. Most of the criticisms have been directed at the film’s accuracy. Critics have main tained that the film has been so edited as to distort the actual sequence of events in the San Francisco disturbances; that un documented statements have been made by the narrator; and that the lack of credits at the film’s beginning makes it impossible to fix responsibility for its produc tion. While other criticisms have been made, these seem to be the principle ones. A study by the undersigned in an effort to de termine the true facts of the situation has thus far been fruit less. The atmosphere seems filled with charge and counter charge, and responsible individ uals are to be found on both sides of the controversy. The House Committee on Un-Amer ican Activities has admitted some discrepancies in the makeup of the film but has insisted that they are of negligible conse quence. The Bay Area students in their statements have made much of the words of the exam ining magistrate in dismissing the charges against 67 of the 68 students arrested in the melee, yet seemingly his words have been taken out of context and his full statement does not give the students the complete vindi cation they would claim. CADET SLOUCH by Jim Earle in,' u'wHnrt— I ,, J. Edgar Hoover carefully documents the part known Com munists played in the affair. On the other hand, usually reliable observers indicate that a great majority of the students involved were completely free of Com munist influence and were stag ing a genuine protest against the committee’s hearings, and that the Communists then cap italized upon a situation already aggravated by an alleged breach of faith by the Committee in dealing with the students. In other words, it seems that the facts are not all in. It would be well for every interested citi zen to reserve final judgment until they are. I- 'll am. . . you could buy a front row seat for th’ Intercollegiate Talent Show Friday night and when th’ Kilgore Rangerettes come out—bang. You’ve got yourself a Rangerette. You’ll Enjoy Your Meals Even More At The TEXAN When You See Our Moderate Prices! RESTAURANT & DRIVE-IN SERVICES 3204 College TA 2-3588 “Biltrite” Boots and Shoes Made By Economy Shoe Repair and Boot Co. Large Stock of Handmade Boots Convenient Budget & Lay-Away Plan $55.00 a pair Made To Order Please Order Your Boots Now For Future Delivery — Small Payment Will Do. Main Office: 509 W. Commerce, San Antonio CA 3-0047 Beverley Braley Travel Service MAKE YOUR EASTER RESERVATIONS NOW! VI 6-7744 THE BATTALION Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the stu dent writers only. The Battalion is a non-tax-supported, non profit, self-supporting educational enterprise edited and op erated by students as a community newspaper and is under the supervision of the director of Student Publications at Texas A&M College. Members of the Student Publications Board are L. A. Duewall, director of Student Publications, chairman; Allen Schrader, School of Arts and Sciences; Willard I. lien Truettner, School of Engineering; Otto R. Kunze, School of Agriculture; and Dr. E. D. Medicin McMurry,’ School of Veterinary Medicine. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous origin published herein, in are also reserved. Rights of republication of all other matter here- The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A.&M. is published in College Sta tion, Texas, daily except Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and holiday periods, Septem ber through May, and once a week during summer school. Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office h College Station, Texas, under the Act of Con gress of March 8, 1870. MEMBER: The Associated Press Texas Press Assn. Represented nationally by National Advertising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago, Los An geles and San Francisco. News contributions may be made by telephoning VI 6-6618 or VI 6-4910 or at the editorial office, Room 4, YMCA. For advertising or delivery call VI 6-6416. Mail subscriptions are $3.60 per semester; $6 per school year, $6.50 per full year. Advertising rate furnished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 4, YMCA, College Station, Texas. BILL HICKLIN EDITOR Joe Callicoatte Sports Editor Bob Sloan, Alan Payne, Tommy Holbein News Editors Jim Gibson, Bob Roberts Editorial Writers Larry Smith Assistant Sports Editor Bob Mitchell, Ronnie Bookman, Robert Denney, Gerry Brown Staff Writers Johnny Herrin Photographers Russell Brown Sports Writers What is the purpose of this film? Some have said that it is simply an effort to alert peo ple to the dangers of Communist infiltration among immature col lege students. If this is it real objective, it is worthy of our commendation provided that the charges mentioned in the para graph above prove to be un founded. If these charges are true, however, then we can hard ly approve of the use of an im moral means even in the attain- men of an end as worthy as this one. But again there are many who are saying that the film has been issued for the sole pur pose of justifying the Commit tee’s continued existence, since for some time its discharge or curtailment has been urged by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, Paul Tillich, Dr. Robert Maynard Hutchins, Harry Emerson Fos- dick, Reinhold Neibuhr, J. Frank Dobie, Gen. Hugh B. Hester and many others who, while we may not agree with them politically, are nevertheless above suspicion at the point of their loyalty. If self-justification is the motive behind this film’s release, it would seem that there is room for considerable discussion con cerning the propriety of such ac tion by a congressional commit tee. incidents of the smear, the un signed charge of “Communist!”, the attempt to create suspicion of one’s neighbors, all of which are part and parcel of a danger perhaps as insidious as Commun ism. This disease is on the in crease. At a recent “Anticom munist” rally in Austin, the speaker is reported to have la beled President Roosevelt, Sen ator Jacob Javits and others as “Communists,” while President Eisenhower was more charitably termed “little more than a Com munist tool.” Further questions concerning the use of this film are raised by the words of a speaker in introducing the mo tion picture at a showing at a local civic club to the effect that our efforts against Communism must be guided by “the prin ciples of American jurisprudence before they were corrupted by the United States Supreme Court.” All of this activity, lo cal and statewide, brings to mind a statement by J. Edgar Hoover, whom you rightly term “a great fighter against Communism,” in his book, Masters of Deceit: “We must be absolutely certain that our fight (against Communism) is waged with full regard for the historic liberties of this great nation. This is the fundamental premise of any attack against Communism. Too often I have seen cases where loyal and pat riotic but misguided Americans have thought they were ‘fighting Communism’ by slapping the la bel of ‘Red’ or ‘communist’ on anybody who happens to be dif ferent from them or to have ideas with which they did not agree. Smears, character assassination, and the scattering of irrespons ible charges have no place in this nation. They create divi sion, suspicion and distrust among loyal Americans—just what the Communists want—and hinder, rather than aid, the fight against communism.” “Another thing: Time after time in this book,” continues J. Edgar Hoover, “I have men tioned that honest dissent should not be confused with disloyalty. A man has a right to think as he wishes: that’s the strength of our form of government; Without free thought our so ciety would decay. Just because a man’s opinion is unpopular and represents a minority viewpoint or is different he is not neces sarily disloyal. Hence one should have the facts before accusing anyone of propagating the Party line.” But what of the use to which this film is being put ? It is certainly commendable if its consequence is heightened inter est upon the part of our citi zenry to what is one of the great problems of our day. Again, however, many fear that it is being used to generate a rebirth of mccarthyism. Your editorials have done little to allay such fears. There have been local Surely these words of J. Edgar Hoover have immense relevance to the present situation in our community. James B. Argue, Allen L. ' Fowler, Tom Shepherd, Wil liam R. Oxley, John R. Combs, Cliff Harris, Charles W. Elmer, George Fry, Bruce Felker Your RIGHT Ijjfl TO VOTE MR. AND MRS. VOTER, do you .feel that you should have an opportunity to vote on legalizing Parimutuel Horse Race Betting? A constitutional amendment (H.J.R. #4) is being con sidered whereby Texans will be given an opportunity to legalize horse race betting in Dallas, Tarrant, Harris, Gal veston, Bexar, Midland, Hidalgo, Cameron and Webb Counties, subject to approval by LOCAL OPTION. H.J.R. #4 provides for distribution, ANNUALLY, among all counties that do not have race tracks, one-half of the STATE TAX REVENUE obtained from horse racing. Each county would receive approximately $1.00 per capita population the first year. Counties where the tracks are located would receive 2% of parimutuel handle. The state’s tax income from horse racing alone would run close to $12,000,000 the very first year—possibly more—besides all the income tourists would bring to Texas—which would amount to millions of dollars, plus a great ad valorem tax on race tracks, breeding farms and many valuable race horses. Please express your opinion by checking Ofl the appropriate box below. You do not have to sign your name unless you like, but we would prefer it. P 0 L L - 1 1 YES: 1 P eo pl® should have an oppor tunity to vote on horse race parimutuel betting. □ NO: I am not in favor of letting the people vote on the subject. Check Your Choice and Mail This Coupon > Today ADDRESS CITY f ADDRESS YOUR ENVELOPE TO: Voters Survey P. O. BOX 4534 AUSTIN 51, TEXAS Job Interviews The following organizations will hold job interviews for sen iors in the Placement Office this Friday: The Cabot Corp. for those ma joring in chemical or mechanical engineering. ★ ★ ★ The De Kalb Agriculturial As sociation, Inc., for those major ing in agricultural economics, ag ricultural education, agronomy Social Calendar The following organizations will meet on campus tonight: The Amarillo Hometown Club will get together at 7:30 p.m. in Room 203 of the Academic Building. The Red River Valley Home town Club will meet in Room 2-D of the Memorial Student Center at 7:30 p.m. The El Paso Hometown Club will meet in Room 3-C of the Memorial Student Center at 7:30 p.m. Members should bring pic tures of girls so a hometown sweetheart can be chosen. The Deep East Texas Home town Club will meet in Room 2-C of the Memorial Student Center at 7:30 p.m. The Big Thicket Hometown Club will meet in the Lounge of the Memorial Student Center at 7:30 p.m. The Rio Grande Valley Home town Club will meet in the Sec ond Floor Lounge of the Memo rial Student Center at 9 p.m. Pictures will be taken for The Aggieland. The Tyler-Smith County Home town Club will get together in the Gay Room of the YMCA at 7:30 p.m. and animal husbandry. ★ ★ ★ The Ingersoll-Rand Co., for those majoring in chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical or petroleum engineering. ★ ★ ★ The Southwestern Investment Co., for those majoring in agri cultural economics, business ad ministration or economics. ★ ★ ★ The Central Intelligence Agen cy, for those majoring in agricul tural engineering, entomology, accounting, chemistry T economics, English, history, mathematics, modern languages, oceanography, meteorology, physics, aeronauti cal engineering, chemical engi neering, electrical engineering, geology, geophysics, industrial engineering, industrial technol ogy, mechanical engineering, nu clear engineering and petroleum engineering. Corps Juniors & Sophomores Year book Portrait Schedule JUNIORS & SOPHOMORES in the corps will have their por traits made for the “AGGIE LAND ’61” according to the fol lowing schedule. Portraits will be made in CLASS A WINTER UNIFORM at the Aggieland Studio, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM on the days scheduled. Mar. 6-7 Squadron 5-6 7- 8 Squadron 7-9 8- 9 Squadron 10-12 9- 10 Squadron 13-17 BAXTER HOUSE MOTOR HOTEL Dallas’ Most Luxurious Motor Hotel • Each room is sound proof for your conven ience and fire proof for your safety ..... • Large and spacious bedrooms beds in every room .... Longboy • Complete food service, including Terrace Room Restaurant, Coffee Shop open 24 hours; and outdoor patio service • Olympic-size heated swimming pool . . . . . • Your own coffee maker in each room .... • Ipdividual penumatic temperature control for each room • Texas hero suites . . • Carpeted sidewalks • Plenty of parking space ® 21-inch television, hi-fi-music and radio in each room, including message light indicator. ® Beauty Shop . . . 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