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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 1972)
CADET SLOUCH by Jim Earle A P analysis New Cong offensive decisive The North Vietnamese general offensive promises to be the third decisive encounter of the Vietnam The previous two had momen tous impact on the course of the conflict. The first was the Viet Cong winter-spring offensive of late 1964 and early 1965. That one crumbled the Saigon army and brought American ground troops into the war. “Those are the high points of my year so far—Thanks giving, Christmas and Easter.” The second was the Tet offen sive of 1968. That one saw Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces unexpectedly rise from the jungles and 1 swamps and attack military camps and population centers throughout the country. The dramatic upsurge of fighting called into question the official allied assessments of progress. Ultimately, the American with drawal of combat forces began and Vietnamization became Amer ican policy. The targets of this third gen eral offensive seemed to surprise some observers, although the of fensive itself was expected. But viewed in the context of the dec ade-long war, the crash, of Hanoi’s armored columns across the de militarized zone and the powerful infantry thrusts against the weak est of Saigon’s divisions were as predictable as the monsoon rains that annually wash across the paddyfields and mountains. Since the victory over the French at the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the North has had the capacity to sweep across the DMZ. It was this Korea-like threat that persuaded American military advisers to build a con- Silence JAU The confusion that has stemed from the protest in the race for student body government recorder comes not from it’s being an intricate and involved issue but from the lack of thinking—and statements—by the principles involved. It would seem now that Eichorn and Michelson are among the two least involved people in the whole affair. Michelson wants justice and Eichorn didn’t know what was happening. But the OPA and Pat Self have been on the other end of the stick. They evidently know how the mess all got started, but damned if they are going to say anything. This leads us to several conclusions. 1) They don’t know any^t^ig—that we won’t argue. 2) They know everything but somehow can t fell anyone—right. 3) They are probably guilty of starting the whole mess—a likely possibility. They will probably say something. As late as possible. And we will be damned surprised if anyone believes them. Let it be that way then. They have brought it on themselves. >■ »iri - •« * Power to the BAG The lines were long Monday night at Sbisa Dining Hall and the reason was soul food—something that most rural Aggies, whether white or black, had been eating all their lives. But in this case the responsibility falls to the Black Awareness Committee, not anybody’s mother. The BAC had gotten together with Food Services to prepare a menu of barbecued spare ribs, chitterlings, ham hocks, collard greens, pintobeans, black-eyed peas and such soulful desserts as sweet potato pie and watermelon. Carrying things even farther, perhaps too far, was the red soda pop also provided. The thing is, it was great. Not only did it serve to publicize Black Week to the entire campus, but it also brought some good eating, with the exception of those damn chitterlings, to the campus. Rather than a fare of dubious spaghetti, mystery meat and other questionable items brought to us by food services. Aggies finally had the opportunity to sink their teeth into something that was familiar, identifiable, and good. For this, all power to the BAC. Along with this bright spot, food wise, the BAC is doing quite a few other things this week that should be brought to the students’ attention. Tonight at 8 in the Basement, Mance Lipscomb, a local blues and folk musician of fame, will perform. Thursday, Sudan Arts will present poetry, folk music, African dance and drama. Saturday a dance will be held in the Memorial Student Center Ballroom at 8:30. During the dance the first black sweetheart of TAMU will be crowned. All during the week a display of black history and films about blacks will be on display in the MSC lobby. We urge students to attend these happenings. The BAC has gone far out of their way to put this on and it is well worth all the effort. Unfortunately, James Foreman, minister of foreign affairs of the Black Panther party, who was scheduled to speak Thursday, had to cancel his appearance. Now, since Texas is about 13 per cent black, maybe we can talk Sbisa into serving soul food 13 percent of the time. That’s at least once every ten days. Cbe Battalion Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the student writers only. The Battalion is a non-tax- supported, non-profit, self-supporting educational enter prise edited and operated by students as a university and community newspaper. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor must be typed, double-spaced, and no more than 300 words in length. They must be signed, although the writer’s name will be withheld by arrangement with the editor. Address correspondence to Listen Up, The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77813. Members of. the Student Publications Board are: Jim Lindsey, chairman; H. .F-. filers. College of Liberal Arts; F. S. White, College of Engineering; Dr. Asa B. Childers, Jr., College of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. W. E. Tedrick, College of Agriculture; and Layne Kruse, student. Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising ” k City, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Services, Inc., New York Francisco. The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M, is published in College Station, Texas, daily except Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and holiday periods, September through May, and once a week during summer school. MEMBER The Associated Press, Texas Press Association The Associated Collegiate Press Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school year; $6.60 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 5% sales tax. Advertising rate furnished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all news dispatchs 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 herein are also reserved. Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas. EDITOR HAYDEN WHITSETT Managing Editor Doug Dilley News Editor Sue Davis Sports Editor John Curylo Assistant Sports Editor Bill Henry ventional South Vietnamese army. But until 10 days ago this threat never materialized. Why did Hanoi move that way now, changing at least for now the very character of the war? The earlier patterns of the con flict are clearer now. The North Vietnamese leadership initially hoped to take over the South in the general elections provided for under the Geneva conventions that ended the war against the French. When President Ngo Dinh Diem said no to the elections, Hanoi encouraged partisans in the South to organize an insurgency along the lines that Ho Chi Minh insti tuted in his successful campaign to oust the French from Indochi na. By 1964, the Viet Cong guer rillas were ready to move. Late that year, mobile guer rilla battalions were destroying at least one Saigon battalion a week, and by early 1965 the mili tary situation was so serious that only American troop intervention could prevent a defeat. When the Americans came in, so did the North Vietnamese. But Hanoi’s forces only sparred with the Americans, choosing the bat tle sites, usually in remote moun tain regions where the terrain fa vored them, and quickly backing off when casualties rose in bloody battles. It was not until late in 1967 that Hanoi’s military leader, Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap, had figured out allied weaknesses. He had drawn American forces Into the moun tains and jungles, leaving South Vietnamese forces in the rear. Giap sent his troops around the Americans and through the lines of the South Vietnamese, greatly assisted by whole village populations on the outskirts of Saigon and other cities. They had been won over to the Communist cause by Viet Cong cadres. Hanoi has always played its military cards close to its chest. But short of a serious miscalcu lation, which seems unlikely when reading through the history of the war, Gen. Giap and his advisers must be convinced that the cur rent mighty effort will bring sat isfactory results. What is the maximum they must be hoping for? Probably the total collapse of the Saigon armies and the capitulation of the capital of Saigon to Com munist troops. But the North Vietnamese would settle for much less than that. The North Vietnamese still en joy the military luxury of choos ing the site and time of the battle. They can go back up through the DMZ. They can fade again into the jungles of War Zone C and the central highlands. Yet they can always return, as they have always done. Bulletin Board Tonight The A&M Wheelmen will meet in Room 3-D of the MSC at 7:30 p.m. Nominations of officers for the summer session will be taken. The Ag Economics Club will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the Plant Sciences building, Rooms 112-113. SAM will meet at the Red Lion at 7:30 p.m. to elect new offi cers. Page 2 THE BATTALION College Station, Texas Tuesday, April l| BUSIER - JONES AGE! REAL ESTATE • INSURANCE F.H.A.—Veterans and Conventional Lowil pUANE or those FARM & HOME SAVINGS ASSOCIATION " Home Office: Nevada, Mo. 3523 Texas Ave. (in^flldgecrest) 846-3Hi| JOHN What More Could You! Ask for? /e won bf Brya le past Brushed Denim Bush Jeans, Sta-P Nuvo® Flare Sueded Sateen Bells, Blue! im Bells, Fatique Bells, And Colors! Khaki, Olive, Faded Blue, Navy, Beige,l Loden, Burgandy, Plum, Awol ,Wine, I Blue, K.P. Brown, Detention Blue, Brown. of course at the HOU 9:30 801 Texas Ave. P.S. We also carry Brand "X” 822* 9*30: Yes, after 30 years, Lou is moving to a better location. Lou’s moving to serve you Ag gies. And Lou doesn’t want to have too much merchandist to move. 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