THE BATTALION
Page 2 College Station, Texas Friday, January 10, 1964
BATTALION EDITORIALS
Congressmen Hide
Beh inds Trifles
Napoleon is credited with having said, “Men are lead by
trifles.”
As forces begin to line up for the battle of the presiden
tial election year, one might become inclined to agree with
the great general. It appears that the game is going to be
played on a field marked with trifles rather than the real
issues confronting the U. S. In our day and time we have
come to refer to some of the trifles as technicalities. Or as
many people say, mountains are made from molehills.
The most recent example at hand would center around
President Lyndon Johnson’s State of the Union address to
Congress Wednesday. With the exception of a few who dis
agree with everything, including the shining of the sun,
congressmen generally agreed with proposals made by Pres
ident Johnson for the year ahead. However, both Republi
can and Democrats were quick to disagree with the way in
which the President worded some of his proposals.
It seems that Congress spends a great deal of its time
trying to say how the nation should do something that every
one is suppose to want done. But, the high paid representa
tives of the people spend days, weeks and even months
arguing over the wording within a piece of legislation.
Only yesterday the chairman of the House Rules Committee
said that he and the chairman of the House Judicial Com
mittee could not agree on the meaning of words in the civil
rights legislation.
We have no intentions of underrating the complexity
which pieces of federal legislation entails; but, we certainly
do question the earnestness of the men who are to act on
that legislation to reach a compromise. It seems that in
many cases a gentleman of the Congress who is opposed to
a piece of legislation would rather pick a technicality to beat
on than to openly state that he is opposed to the legislation.
This nation was founded and built by men who were
ready to state their opinions on issues and who did not hide
behind technicalities. It makes one wonder what type men
we are sending to Washington when they hide behind a fine
point rather than state that they flatly oppose or support
a measure.
Il *s Only A Rumor
Rumors are somethings that float freely around the
A&M campus. One rumor among the many that have found
their way to The Battalion office is concerned with the A&M-
TU basketball game this Saturday.
The rumor is that TU students are making an effort to
buy up all the tickets for the game. They are in hopes, so
the rumor goes, that there will not be any tickets left for
Aggies when they get to Austin Saturday.
There is no way for The Battalion to confirm this rumor,
but we do feel that we have an answer if such a situation
does greet Aggies in Sipville. The secret to the answer is for
everyone going to the game to carry a handy transistor radio
with him.
Should Aggies get on the sip campus and find that there
are no tickets available for the game, we would suggest that
they wait patiently until the game is about to start. We
would hope that when the game starts all Aggies who cannot
get into Gregory Gym will be just outside with radios in hand.
From that same position those Aggies listen to the game
and still support their team with yells just as they ordinarily
would. In no uncertain terms they would let the sips and the
national TV audience know that Aggie Spirit never quits.
As we said, we don’t know that the rumor is true, we
have just offered a solution if it is.
Ferreri’s Triangle Restaurant
Friday^ Featuring Our
FISH SPECIAL
All the fish you can eat for $1.00 at 12:00 noon and
from 5:00 p. m. to 8:00 p. m.
Book Your Banquets and Special Parties Early.
Accomodations From 10 to 200 Persons
THE BATTALION
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the
student xvriters only. The Battalion is a non tax-supported,
non-profit, self-supporting educational enterprise edited and
operated by students as a university and community news
paper and is under the supervision of the director of Stu
dent Publications at Texas A&M University.
Members of the Student Publications Board are James L. Lindsey, chairman ; Delbert
McGuire, College of Arts and Sciences ; J. A. Orr, College of Engineering; J. M.
Holcomb, College of Agriculture; and Dr. E. D. McMurry, College of Veterinary Medicine.
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.
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. Rights of republication of all other matter here
in are also reserved.
Second-Class postage paid
at College Station, Texas.
MEMBER:
The Associated Press
Texas Press Assn.
Represented nationally by
National advertising
Service, Inc., New York
City, Chicago. Los An
geles and San Francisco.
Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school year, $6.50 per full year.
All subscriptions subject to 2% sales tax. Advertising rate furnished on request.
Address: The Battalion, Room 4, YMCA Building; College Station, Texas.
News contributions may be made by telephoning VI 6-6618 or VI 6-4910 or at the
editorial office. Room 4, YMCA Building. For advertising or delivery call VI 6-6415.
DAN LOUIS JR EDITOR
Ronni^ Fann Managing Editor
Glenn Dromgoole News Editor
Jim Butler Sports Editor
John Wright Asst. News Editor
Marvin Schultz Asst. Sports Editor
Mike Reynolds, Robert Sims Staff Writers
Juan Tijerina, Herky Killingsworth Photographers
CADET SLOUCH
by Jim Earle
‘HE’S FORGOTTEN HIS HEART’
Johnson’s Long Work Days
Create National Concern
“I think he’s beginning to realize that there’s no time left
this semester!”
Sound Off
Editors Note: Because the
past contributors to Sound-Off
have shown a tendency to make
their contributions too lengthy
The Battalion has found it ne
cessary to limit all letters
addressed to Sound-Off to 200
words. Any letter exceeding this
length will be edited to meet this
requirements.
Editor,
The Battalion:
The recent “Wright or Wrong”
columns by Mr. John Wright are
examples of the most one-sided
and misrepresented slanting of
the “news” that has yet appear
ed in The Battalion. Mr. Wright’s
blind faith in the Democratic
Party and President Johnson, as
evidenced by his column of Jan
uary 9, speaks poorly of him;
but his vicous attack on Barry
Goldwater which is void of any
truth or accuracy is a slander
not only on Mr. Wright himself,
but also on The Battalion. It is
a sad state of affairs when a
newspaper which supposedly rep
resents the entire A&M student
body prints only one side to a
vital national issue which con
cerns all of us. I hope there
will be some action taken about
Mr. Wright’s very Wrong column
in the near future!
Sim Lake, ’66
★ ★ ★
Editor,
The Battalion:
While sitting at my desk work
ing very hurriedly, one of our
secretaries “disturbed” me with
my daily Batt. As usual, I
paused to glance at the headlines
and noticed the usual Christmas
driving warnings. Upon turn
ing to the second page, I was
confronted with a very warm,
truthful account of Silver Taps
by Dan Louis, Editor, Battalion,
my first thought was — “an
other interpretation of Silver
Taps;” but such was not the
case. This is undoubtably the
best “written” description of
Silver Taps I have ever read.
It expresses exactly one’s feel
ings concerning the solemn, bea
utiful, and memorable ceremony.
I, like many others I’m sure, was
very touched by your article.
The only wish in my mind is
that everyone, including non-Ag-
gies, could read this. Not just
for the explanation of Aggie Sil
ver Taps, but rather to impress
everyone with the needlessness of
careless driving habits which is
the main cause of Silver Taps at
A&M.
Sam F. Rhodes, ’62
By TEX EASLEY
WASHINGTON WP) — Presi
dent Johnson’s 12 to 14-hour
work days are causing many peo
ple to worry.
He and Mrs. Johnson are get
ting mail from all over the coun
try urging that he take it easy.
That, however, would require a
radical change in Johnson’s make
up — which isn’t likely to hap
pen.
Those who know him best say
he thrives on drive. He was
that way as a member of the
House, as a senator and then as
vice president. His 1955 heart
attack only slowed his pace for
about a year.
Robert Waldron, who was an
aide of Rep. Homer Thornberry,
D., Austin for years has a
healthy respect for Johnson’s
vigor.
“I went with him on that trip
to Holland, Belgium and Luxem
bourg early in November,” Wald
ron observed.
“He had all of us around him
dragging, we were so worn out.
Yet he was meeting with officials
here and there, attending all
kinds of functions and kept look
ing fresh and fit. I don’t know
how he does it.”
Waldron said the same thing
happened when he accompanied
Peace Corps Quiz
Set For Saturday
The next Peace Corps Place
ment Test will be at 8:30 a.m.
Saturday at the post office in
Bryan, and all major population
centers in Texas. Application
forms may be obtained from the
post office, county agent’s office,
the Placement Office or Daniel
Russell, A&M liaison officer in
Room 316-17 of the Agriculture
Building.
Johnson on a 1961 world tour.
On that two-week trip, which
took place six years after his
heart attack, Johnson was able
to snatch only a few hours sleep
a night and one night didn’t get
any.
One expanation of how he does
it, according to a close friend,
is that he is thoroughly relaxed
with friends or even strangers at
semi-social or outright social ga
therings. He seems to enjoy it,
where some men would not.
As a congressman, the Presi
dent also maintained a fast pace
because of requirements of the
job as well as through inclina
tion.
That this speed is required of
anyone serving in Congress is
attested to by Rep. Jim Wright,
D., of Fort Worth, in a recent
letter to constituaents.
“From the time a congressman
tumbles wearily out of bed to
grope sleepily for the morning
paper and his first cup of cof
fee,” wrote Wright, “every min
ute of his day is spoken for sev
eral times over.
“In fiscal 1963 (ending last
June 30), a total of 18,450,000
pieces of mail were delivered to
Congress. Into my own office
each day come about 160 letters.
“So, the congressman must
spend his first few hours of the
day getting his mail organized
and dictating as many replies as
he can. Some will require tele
phone calls to Administrative
agencies.
“Soon it will be 10 o’clock —
the hour when one of his com
mittees goes into session. This
is important, because most of the
actual legislative business of
Congress is handled in Commit
tee. With a few parting instruc
tions to a secretary who feverish
ly tries to jot them down in
shorthand on her dictation pad.
the congressman bolts out tit
door in an effort to hear his
committee’s first witness ...
“But as he is passing through
the outer office, he runs head-on
into a family of constituents en-
tering from the hallway. He
wants to visit with them, of
course, for they have to come
to the Capitol to see him and they
deserve attention.
“Realizing he is missing the
first order of Committee business
and yet trying not to appear hai-
ried or hurried, he greets the
constituents warmly and invites
them to have a cup of coffee
from the 30-cup urn he keeps
bubbling in his office.
“Before long it is 11:45 a.ra,
and the buzzers imperiously sum
mons members to the House
floor. On the way he may grab
a hamburger at the House resta
urant . . . Once on the (House)
floor, he takes advantage of a
lull in proceedings to dash into
the cloakroom to try to return
several long-distance calls his of
fice received while he was in
Committee . . .
“When the House adjourns,
perhaps around 5 o’clock, the con
gressman dashes back to the
House Office Building. There he
takes up where he left off — dic
tating, checking, signing the mail
and returning last-minute tele
phone calls.
Bulletin Board
FRIDAY
Pan American Club will meet
in Rooms 3-A and 3-B of the
Memorial Student Center at 7:31)
p.m.
MONDAY
Electrical Engineers Wives’
Club will meet in the YMCA
Building at 8 p.m.
CIVILIAN
YEARBOOK PORTRAIT
SCHEDULE
Civilian Students will have
their portrait made for the “Ag-
gieland ’64” according to the
following schedule. Portraits
will be made at the Aggieland
Studio, between 8 AM and 5
PM on the days scheduled. TIES
AND COATS SHOULD BE
WORN.
NOTE: JANUARY GRAD
UATES should have their por
trait made before leaving school,
disregarding any conflict in
schedule dates.
CIVILIAN SENIORS AND
GRADUATE STUDENTS
January 9-10 A-D (surname)
13-14 E-J
15-16 K-P
20-21 Q-T
22-23 U-Z
CIVILIAN SOPHOMORES
AND JUNIORS
February 4-5 A-E
6-7 F-K
11-12 L-R
13-14 S-Z
“Sports Car Center”
Dealers for
Renault-Peugeot
&
British Motor Cars
Sales—Parts—Service
“We Service All Foreign Cars”
1422 Texas Ave.
TA 2-4517
1963-1964
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
DIRECTORY
of
Offices — Staff — Students
Price $1.00
Now On SALE
At The Student Publications Office
YMCA Bldg.
PEANUTS
By Charles M. Schulz
I GUESS SOMEBOO/S
GETTING HUNGRY
~J&0-
]RAV
By
S]
“It’s nev
et hope.”
This opti
, be the
lared by j-
sams. In
[emorial !
hop, t he
■arning at
a ve been
>ast a y
linute stu
xam grad<
The opin
his study,
ne extrem
ould be <
lers,” the
'predestine
AT ONI
'crammers,
mt, last
;reased w
leep retar
James M
najor, saic
ines chapt
“I sit do
ook at
jossible to
lefore fina
;ain it, buf
;0 put dow
Mike Me
mg in mar
wtes, crar
squeeze.”
paying att
best way t
reading be
only for
marizing.
A soph
Boyce, sail
toi:m
c
Je
“PA]
V*
STi
Ja
“PRC
STAR'
love
Cl
“su:
OUR
]
“IT !
<1
S
“55 D