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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 5, 1961)
T hi im i hi in hiiiihmiii iiiiii i 11^11 THE BATTALION Page 2 College Station, Texas Wednesday, April 5, 1961 CADET SLOUCH by Jim Earle Letter - Signers Express Views A controversial film and a con troversial congressional committee recently received a great deal of play in the editorial columns of The Battalion. The film, “Operation Abolition,” and the committee, the House Un- American Activities Committee, have been the subject of several Battalion editorials and a large number of letters to the editor. precipitated, The Battalion inter- of the signers of the letter. Not all of the signers were in terviewed, but the answers of those who were contacted seemed to reflect the same general opin ion. One of these letters, reprinted in The Battalion’s “Sound Off” column Feb. 22, was signed by 24 A&M faculty members. Of the twelve faculty members interviewed, only one said he saw the film before he signed the let ter. Three of the twelve said they saw the film after the letter was published, but only one of these said he would not have signed the letter after seeing the film. The 24 faculty members, repre senting the departments of eco nomics, mathematics, physics, Eng lish, geography, agricultural eco nomics and sociology, history, en tomology, biology, chemistry, oceanography and meteorology, and plant physiology and pathol ogy, criticized the showing of the film without any explanation of its controversial nature. None of the signers said they_ objected to the film itself or the showing of the film on the cam pus. The principal objection seem ed to be the showing of the film without first explaining to those who were to view the film its con troversial nature. “At the very least, each pre sentation of the film should be ac companied by some mention of protests against the committee by various religious groups, by jour nalists, by the labor movement and by 700 faculty members from Stanford University, the Univer sity of California at Berkley, San Francisco State College and San Jose State College,” the letter said. A Dallas Morning News column ist, Lynn Landrum, picked up the story and in his “Thinking Out Loud” column of Mar. 3 said: T didn’t object to the picture, but to the Air Science Depart ment's showing of the film with out explaining its controversial na ture,” one faculty member said. USAF Okays A&Mi Frosh, Soph Math Contest Set May 2 Propellan t Project “The film is questionable when presented without its background information,” said another signer, “I think there should be a thor ough study of what the film actu ally is.” “ . . . I was nervous as a cat at home durin’ th’ holidays. I was afraid that th’ postman would bring my grades.!” The U. S. Air Force has re cently approved support of a new A&M research • project dealing with missile propellants. Dr. Walter W. Heck, associate professor in the Department of Plant Physiology and Pathology, and principal investigator and co ordinator of the project, said the initial contract is for one year and provides a budget of $25,270 to be administered by the A&M Research Foundation. Purpose of the project, Dr. Heck said, is to study effects of missile propellants on environ mental pollution. In addition to Dr. Heck, A&M researchers to participate in the program are Dr. Luther S. Bird, associate professor of the De partment of Plant Physiology and Pathology; Dr. Morris E. Bloodworth, professor of the De partment of Agronomy; and Dr. William J. Clark, assistant pro fessor of the Department of Biology. The new research program is of fundamental importance, Dr. Heck said, because of the in creasing use of missiles and their possible wide geographical distri bution. He said some of the missile propellants are known to be toxic materials. This research effort will add to knowledge of the effects of these propellants and provide a foundation for sound public health and agricul tural safety. Four areas of investigation will be studied by the different spe cialists. Dr. Heck will study effects of missile propellants on plant growth and development. Dr. Bird will investigate effects on soil bacteria and fungi. Dr. Bloodworth will study effects on soil, soil structure and run-off water, and Dr. Clark will concen trate on the effects on aquatic life and water supplies. Job Interviews INTERPRETING The following firms will inter view graduating seniors on campus: April 6 Texas Highway Department, District No. 9 (Waco) will inter view graduating seniors major ing in civil engineering. ★ ★ ★ April 7 The Connecticut General Life Insurance Co. will interview graduating seniors majoring in agricultural economics, business administration, economics and in dustrial distribution. The annual Mathematics Con test examinations are scheduled for Tuesday, May 2, from 7:30- 9:30 p.m. The freshman contest will be held in Room 223 of the Academic Building, and the Sophomore contest in Room 225. Prizes offered this year in each of the contests are: first prize— gold wrist watch; second prize— $15, and third prize $10. All freshman awards and the second and third sophomore awards are provided by the Robert F. Smith Memorial Fund, established in memory of the late Professor Robert F. Smith. The first prize for sophomores is ob tained through the Halperin Award Fund, established by the estate of the late Professor H. Halperin. Profesors Smith and Halperin were for many years members of the mathematics staff of the college. NOW UNDER NEW MANAGE MENT. Effective Of Today. I ■■■■■■■I “Sports Car Center” Dealers for Renault-Peugeot & British Motor Cars Sales—Parts—Service “We Service All Foreign Cars’’! 1416 Texas Ave. TA 2-4517 umuLumuiil You’re a natural wonder in HALF-BELT CLUB SLACKS Here’s the last word in slim-cut, natural-look slacks that give you all the advantages of a belt with beltless comfort. Double-dart tai loring in back assures snug, con tour fit. Half-belt sparkles with handsome interlocking coin buckle, Be a charter member in “Club," the smartest slacks you’ve ever wornl “None of these professors was at San Francisco. None of them is prepared either to say or to get reputable witnesses to say that the student participants of what the film records were hired actors . . . What, the camera shows was not rehearsed. It took place. And every viewer can say for himself what it means.” “The film was presented as fact ual when it should have been shown as controversial,” said another. “There is a question as to what is fact and what is fiction in the film. There are two sides to the question. Both should be present ed,” said another signer. When asked what should be done to combat communism at A&M, the faculty members interviewed seemed to believe our biggest need is education. Cuba’s 6 Good 9 War What Khrushchev Had In Mind Landrum then said, “The column does suggest that these gentlemen (the faculty members who signed the letter) may be representative of a large class of clergymen, edu cators and others who leap to the defense of the so-called ‘liberties” of people who are engaged in seek ing the destruction of the actual liberties of us all. That they do it innocently does not lessen the harm of what they are doing.” As a result of the controversy jhe letter and the Landrum column “We must freely discuss con troversial issues and know what communism it,” said one. “We can’t learn just one side of these issues, but must know what both sides think.” “Students must be able to de cide for themselves what is good and what is evil. To do so, they must first know the backgrounds of both communism and our own heritage,” said another signer. “Educate the students and let them make up their own mind,” said another. “Biltrite” Boots and Shores 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 BBII THE BATTALION Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the stu dent writers only. The Battalion is a non-tax-supperted, 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. Truettner, School of Engineering; Otto R. Kunze, School of Agriculture; and Dr. E. D. McMurry, School of Veterinary Medicine. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use fo] dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in the for republication of all news paper and local news of spontaneous origin published herein. Rights of republication of all other matter here in are also reserved. 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 rtising i 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, ~ , Ti College Station, Texas. BILL HICKLIN Joe Callicoatte. EDITOR ... 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 By J. M. ROBERTS Associated Press News Analyst The State Department’s pam phlet on Fidel Castro and the capture of his revolution by the Communists is an outline in de tail of just what Premier Khrush chev of the Soviet Union promises revolutionaries everywhere. In his statement of Jan. 6 in terpreting the Communist mani festo of 1960 for Soviet purposes, Khrushchev promised interven tion in such civil wars as “good wars” for promoting the world revolution. The picture of Castro coming to power in Cuba through a “good” war, then finding that he had to rely on such organizers as he had available, the organiz ers being in many cases Com munists, is typical of what Khru shchev had in mind. The Inter national Communist movement intends always to be Johnny-dn- the-spot with such help. The White Paper lists a num ber of important Cubans who helped Castro to success, then quit him when the Communists took over. Incidentally, it makes quite a list of possible leaders of counterrevolution, whether the State Department intended it that way or not. But Castro, holding to power vested him by a trust- ever, in avoiding the semblance ful people, preferred to out-Com- munist the Communists and re tain his position. Dictatorship at tracted him, and so did dreams of spreading his revolution through out Latin America. The State Department is try ing to rally Latin-American opin ion against these dreams. It hopes that hemispheric organiza tion can be solidified aS against any tendency toward merely Southern Hemisphere organiza tion—which would inevitably be directed against the United States. In this connection it cites tlie grievances of other Latin-Ameri can states against Castro, as a warning but not as an actual de mand for action. This attitude, of hoping the other states will carry the ball against Castro, has made the United States appear indecisive ever since the emergency was Social Calendar The following organization will meet on campus: April 6 The Bellaire Hometown Club will meet in Room 207 of the Academic Building at 7:30 p.m. Get a flying start on Continental! WASHINGTON NEW ORLEANS CHICAGO NEW YORK Convenient connections at Dallas and Houston with fast 4-engine non-stops east. For reservations, call your Travel Agent or Continental at VI 6-4789. CONTINENTAL AIRLINES . recognized. It has its points, how- of big-power pressure. The Castro revolution in Cuba, which has now become the Com munist revolution, may fail of its own shortsightedness, and of its own subversion to interests with which the Cuban people have nothing in common. As yet, be cause many of the people are still befogged in dreams, there is small hand-hold for counter revolution. Wednesday - Thursday - Friday Walt Disney’s “SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON” Plus “HERCULES UNCHAINED” with Steve Reeves The Cjimpus new manager wants to get acquanted with all Aggies. So, Mon. thru Fri. from 1:30 p. m. to 6 p. m. will be roommate time. Bring your roommate in free on one adult ticket. Double Feature TODAY THRU SATURDAY Eddie Albert In “ORDERS TO KILL” & “GRISBI” (Little “A1 Capone”) PALACE iliVlUliEVES IBEWHiTE^ wmborIA TECHNICOLOR® OYALISCOPE - WARNER BROS. 11 At your favorite campus store; in a wide and wonderful selection of washable all cotton fabrics and automatic wash-and-wear Dacron poly ester blends... $5$5 to f8S5. One da: U p BANQUETS - BANQUETS - BANQUETS TRIANGLE RESTAURANT - 3606 So. College - TA2-1352 WE STILL HAVE A FEW CHOICE RESERVATIONS LEFT E