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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 1966)
Columns • Editorials • News Briefs Che Battalion Page 2 College Station, Texas Tuesday, January 4, 1966 • Opinions • Cartoons Features CADET SLOUCH by Jim Earle Coeds, Corps Rated Top Issues ’65 Campus News Review JL i i ■ rff'^srP- “ . . . th’ guys tell me that you didn’t miss a single game on TV!” Draft Revision: Fairness Needed Escalation of the war in Viet Nam and its subsequent criticisms from a minority of college youth have brought a highly controversial topic to the national limelight once again: The Universal Military Training and Service Act. Student critics have publicly burned draft cards, openly protested the military draft and unintentionally aroused support for the United States activity in Southeast Asia. They have also encouraged many responsible citizens to question the inequalities of present conscription pro cedures. Ever since Irish Democrats in New York opposed President Lincoln’s compulsory military service measures prior to the Civil War, critics of the draft have been with us. Basically, they are in two camps: One that favors abolishment of any military conscription, the other advocat ing a truly compulsory system without exception. Both groups decry the inequalities of our present setup that requires induction of less than 60 per cent of the eligible male youth under age 26. Proponents of a strictly voluntary armed forces claim: 1. The draft is militarily ineffective because 97 per cent of the draftees leave after their hitch is up. 2. Adequate training cannot be provided during the time alloted for draftees. 3. Today’s modem warfare requires fewer and more specialized soldiers. 4. A more professional and adept military force could be maintained by voluntary personnel, attracted by higher salaries and fringe benefits. 5. The draft removes useful youth from the general employment market. Ross Wilhelm, associate professor of business adminis tration at the University of Michigan and strong advocate of the voluntary system, has suggested a $300 monthly across-the-board pay hike for all military personnel—a pro gram which he says would cost the federal government an extra $9 billion annually. Reduction of government expendi tures in other areas would finance the raise, he claims. Recruits are presently paid $78 a month, as compared with West Germany’s $110 and Canada's $112 for enlistees. Opponents of the voluntary plan, however, say costs of the program would be excessive and question the feasi bility of having professionals shoulder the sacrifices and responsibilities for the entire nation. The second plan—strictly compulsory conscripition— calls for an actual universal draft which would eliminate the deferments and rejections that have made the present pro gram quite unfair. According to figures in U. S. News and World Report, less than 60 per cent of American males age 26 are serving or have served their military obiligation. About 30 per cent are rejected for physical, mental or moral reasons and the other 10 per cent are deferred because of parenthood or other cause. A recent Gallup Poll indicated that 83 per cent of the people interviewed favored some form of compulsory duty for rejected draft-eligible males. A special program for these youth would, proponents claim, cut unemployment, reduce juvenile deliquency and encourage reenlistments. Also, the compulsory program would distribute respon sibility for national defense more evenly. Both plans have merit—something the present system is sadly lacking. If the inequalities of our present draft laws are to be eliminated, either military careers must be made more attractive or universal conscription enforced. The pseudo-universal program will continue to be attacked and will lack necessary support as long as it re mains unfair. By GLENN DROMGOOLE Battalion Editor Coeducation and non-compulsory military train ing — Texas A&M’s age-old hot topics — reigned as the top campus news stories of 1965, Battalion editors voted Monday night. The developments in the coeducation question made it the number one event of the year, just slightly ahead of the Board of Directors decision to revert A&M to the voluntary Corps it knew for four years during the 1950’s. The top 10 also included: 3. Randy Matson’s accomplishments with the shot put and his decision this fall to play basket ball. 4. Reorganization of the Texas A&M Uni versity System that resulted in the A&M-Arlington State feud last spring and climaxed with the Arlington school’s divorce from the A&M net work. 5. Gene Stallings' first year as head football coach and his accomplishments in student sports manship, recruitment, and state press accolades. 6. The Johnny Cash Bonfire Night performance at Town Hall that was canceled by the A&M administration after Cash was arrested in El Paso on a narcotics charge. 7. Southwest Conference action against A&M for alleged violations of spring practice and scholar ship rules which resulted in one-year probation and a severe reprimand for the Aggies and Stallings. 8. Three-way tie for places 8, 9 and 10. Ranger’s death after he had been considered in some quarters to replace Reveille when she retired as Aggie mascot; the telegram to President Johnson endorsed by more than 2,000 Aggies supporting the United States involvement in Viet Nam after stu dent protests had rocked the nation this fall; Rodney Dockery’s expulsion from the Corps of Cadets last spring for alleged abusive language in the presence of two married coeds. Participating in the balloting were Glenn Drom- goole, editor; Gerald Garcia, managing editor; Tommy DeFrank, news editor; Larry Jerden, sports editor; Lani Presswood, summer editor and present amusements editor, and Mike Reynolds, Battalion columnist and editor of The Review . Other campus stories receiving votes were the Baylor and Rice painting incidents, acquisition of the James Connally Technical Institute in Waco, campus construction projects, the political clubs controversy and Corps-civilian relations. Also mentioned were the eleventh Student Conference on National Affairs, last May’s over flow of the Brazos River, local highway construction and selection of the 1965-66 Aggie Sweetheart, Cheri Holland. As 1965 ended advocates of coeducation at this traditionally all-male school were confident of a victory early in 1966, although various proponents of the men-only policy still vowed to fight to the last moment. Included in the all-male camp are about three A&M directors (according to a quite reliable source), not the least of whom is Board President H. C. Heldenfels. However, coeducation backers could count six directors on their side as the year closed, and the signs point to a decision one way or another before school adjourns in May. Some observers believe the vote will come at the board’s February meeting, others think it may be April. Still others hope—though faintly—that it will never come. Among the major developments in coeducation in 1965 were: —Senator Andy Rogers’ bill in the Texas Senate to prohibit the board from expanding its present limited coeducation policy. The bill finally died after Bryan Sen. Bill Moore waged an all-out campaign against it, but the legislature did pass a resolution asking the board to not tamper further with the question. —A question of whether or not the limited coed setup violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The board asked Attorney General Waggoner Carr for a ruling, and Carr replied that the present policy is discriminatory and would be difficult to defend in court. Carr said the board could adopt either an all-mall or full coeducation policy without feai of violationg the federal statute. —The board's directive (concealed from the state press) to President Rudder authorizing him to personally examine applications from any females desiring to attend A&M. This move was hailed by coed proponents as another step toward un limited coeducation early in 1966. The Corps of Cadets became a voluntary or ganization for the second time in a decade when the Board of Directors eliminated compulsory mili tary training at its April 24 meeting. President Earl Rudder reaffirmed his confi dence in the ROTC program and the Corps two days later, and Col. Denzil Baker, Corps com mandant, predicted the non-compulsory military students would either adopt the philosophy that cadets are in the Corps because they want to be, therefore subjecting them to extracurricular discipline, or would make the organization attractive to prospective students by creating an elite military unit. Contrary to predictions of cadet opponents (particularly the faculty), Corps enrollment didn’t suffer under the voluntary plan this fall. Nearly three-fourths of incoming freshmen signed up for the military program and were committed to at least one semester in the organization. The Viet Nam war and an overall enrollment in crease were credited with keeping the Corps mem bership intact, although its percentage of total registration dwindled. Corps skeptics were pointing to the spring regis tration as 1965 ended, predicting a mass exodus by fish from the military ranks, and Corps pro ponents were hopefully denying any such move. So the old year ended as it had begun—full of speculation—as 1966 is expected to be the year of decision. STALLINGS REVIEWS PERFORMANCE . . Aggie coach was a top newsmaker for 1965. GRAVE MARKS A LEGEND Ranger’s death ended campus year on sad note. Mike Reynolds Ring Out The Old, Bring In The New... This columnist is still trying to recover from the New Year’s partying while wondering: —Who will go down in history as the first Dean of Women at Texas A&M University? Febru ary is getting closer all the time and some people would tell you that coeducation is, also. - -Just how many people are reading the attendance figures at Texas A&M ? If the school con tinues to boom as it has this year and if more women come, it can’t help but mean more money for everyone. Several new eating establishments have opened their doors and more are on the way. Watch that new building next to Coach Norton’s. Could Highway 6 turn into the “drag” of College Station ? —Is it really true or just a New Year’s hangover? I am re ferring to the construction equip ment gathered around the circle on Sulphur Springs Road. What will the married students do for amusement if they can’t play Russian Roulette going home for dinner ? —Just where the Head Yell Leader will lead the procession at next year’s Midnight Yell Prac tice ? The libarians might be very fussy about holding the doors open for the band to march through the new Temple of 1,000,000 Unread Volumes. —By the way, what ever hap pened to AH-SO ? For the unin formed, those letters stand for the Ad Hoc committee for Stu dent Opinion. —What ever happened to the molemen ? —What happened to the basket ball team during Christmas ? —What happened to Michigan State, Texas Tech, Texas Chris tian, Arkansas and Nebraska over the holidays? —Whatever happened to the holidays ? —If our Dean of Students is really going to start reposses sion overtures against the Baylor Student body’s new sportsman ship trophy? That hunk of gold ought to about pay for the dam age done to our campus. —What would REALLY happen if the son of one of our board members was caught with paint brush in hand? —If G. Rollie White will be ready with the new air condition ing system by the time I’m ready to graduate? —If I will be ready to graduate by the time G. Rollie White gets the new air conditioning. —If there will be an April Fool’s Edition of the Battalion printed ? —If there will ever be an Ag- gieland that doesn’t look like last year’s —Who the Athletic Department thinks they are going to put in the new seats in Kyle Field ? Have they looked at our atten dance records lately? Could it be that we will see a day come when we will play more than three or four games at home? —If the day will ever come when the A&M student body has room to put its seniors on the fifty yeard line like they told us they did before we came here. I have taken down my crystal ball and jotted down a few things that the glass reveals in the future parts of this year. I can not be held responsible for what comes forth and any complaints can be mailed to Father Time c/o Greenwich, England. Old diehards will again get some state official to say that coeds cannot come to A&M. A&M will promptly secede from the state. Dean James P. Hannigan will step up to the position of head of the YMCA. The Board of Directors will hire a public relations man to better their image with people of the state. A 40 minute color movie of the board’s meetings will be made to show to the student body. One person will show up at the premiere. A fish, no doubt, late for registration in the fall. The Battalion will hire a public relations man to better their image with the administration. A 40 minute color movie of a staff meeting at East Gate will be made to show to the school's fathers. A North Gate Merchant will begin producing color movies at 33 1/3 to 50 per cent savings. Goodness Gracious will become a household word this fall. Attendance at A&M will fall because of the drop in popularity of Aggie jokes. Everybody will rush to attend Beminji State. A document will be found by the University of Texas proving that not Columbus, not Lief the Lucky, but Darrell Royal dis covered America. A document will be found prov ing that Oklahoma and not Texas discovered Darrel Royal. —The Student Senate will finally accomplish something. They will move to abolish them selves by a unanimous decision. I may get fired. THE BATTALION Opinions expressed in The Battalion The Associated Pr«*s ia entitled exclusively to the use for . x j ± 'X i rn t republicjition of all news dispatches credited to it or not CLTC ZrlOSB Of ZflC StUdCTiZ WTVt&TS OVLly. A flC otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous Battalion is a non tax-supported non- Ti£ pepubHe * tion ot aI1 oth " profit, self-supporting educational enter- Second-Cla«« postage paid at College Station. Texas. prise edited and operated by students as Represented nationally by National Advertising Service. a university and community newspaper. Inc., New York City, Chicago, Angeiee and San Francisco. ” T — ~ 77 77 7 7 77 News contributions may be made by telephoning 846-6618 Member, of the Stadent Publications Board are: Joe Baser. or 846-4910 or at the editorial office. Room 4, YMCA Building, chairman: Dr. David Bowers. College of Liberal Arts; Dr. For advertising or delivery call 846-6415. Robert A. Clark. College of Geosciences ; Dr. Frank A. Me- Donald. College^ of Science; Dr. J. G. McGuire. College of Mail subscriptions are $8.60 per semester; $6 per school Engineering; Dr. Robert S- Titus, College of Veterinary year; $6.60 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 2% Medicine: and Dr. A. B. Wooten, College of Agriculture. sales tax. Advertising rate furnished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 4. YMCA Building, College Station, Texas. The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M Is published in College Station, Texas daily except Saturday. EDITOR GLENN DROMGOOLE Managing Editor Gerald Garni. Sports Editor Larry Jerden MEMBER News Editor Tommy DeFrank The Associated Press, Texas Press Association Photographer Herky Killingsworth PEANUTS By Charles M. Schuh PEANUTS EVERYONE SAID THIN6S WOULD BE BETTER, Birr THEY'ftE NOTi f I DON'T THINK THIS 16 A . NEW YEAR AT ALL... I THINK hJEVE BEEN STUCK WITH A USED VEAR."