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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 4, 1981)
The Battalion Viewpoint August 4 Slouch By Jim Earle “Not only did I not get any studying done, but I forgot my books and notes and left them at home. “ The Washington Star must live as a free voice Bv DAVID S. BRODER WASHINGTON — Once before, a few Christmases ago, I asked the indulgence of readers outside Washington while I used this space to talk about The Washington Star and the importance of its being saved as an independent journalistic voice in the nation’s captial. Lask week. Time, Inc., the latest owner of The Star, pulled the plug on the struggling newspaper and said it would be shut down on Aug. 7 unless a new buyer could be found. So, once again, I am impelled to talk about the Star and what it represents — this time with the sickening feeling that it may be a eulogy and farewell to my old friend. I am not objective about The Star. I worked there for five happy years. I have many friends on its staff. And, for the last 15 years on the staff of The Washington Post, I have had the constant stimulus and benefit of the strong competition The Star and its staff provided. Let me tell you what kind of paper it was when I worked there in the early 1960s under editors like Newbold Noyes, Charles Seib and John Cassady. Its lead political columnist was a man named G. Gould Lin coln, who was nearing 90, but was physi cally vigorous, mentally acute and, of course, unrivaled in his knowledge and experience of three generations of politi cians. The Star was wise enough to recognize the irrelevancy of “retirement age’’ for a man like Gould Lincoln. But it was also gutsy — or foolhardy — enough to let a 30-year-old novice go to cover the West Virginia primary and to print his finding that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, John Kennedy was very likely to beat Hubert Humphrey. There’s something else I will never forget about my first few months on that paper. The editor was Benjamin O. McKelway, a gentleman of innate dignity and character, a power in American journalism and a friend of all the mighty. In the spring of 1960, I was sent to Austin to cover my first- ever Texas political story, involving the Texas Democratic convention’s endorse ment of Lyndon B. Johnson as its favorite- son candidate for Prsesident. THe process involved some real arm- twisting and wheeling-dealing by Johnson, Sam Rayburn and their friends. Fascinated, I wrote of it in some detail. The next morn ing, while I lingered in Austin, the Senate majority leader was back in Washington. He did not like what he saw in the first edition of The Star and he picked up the phone and advised his friend McKelway that The Star should get rid of that young reporter before his bad reportng caused further embarrassment. When I was awakened by a phone call from the editor, recounting the conversa tion and asking for further information to back up the story, I was in a panic. A few hours later, my memo went off and I waited — sure that my fate was sealed. When McKelway called again, it was simply to say he was satisfied our account was right and just to go on about my job and let him worry about the majority leader. That kind of honesty and independence is the rarest, most precious commodity in the news business. It is, of course, inestim ably important in the supercharged parti sanship of Washington, D.C. What has strangled the Star are the in creasingly familiar bugaboos of afternoon newspapers — traffic problems disrupting circulation, TV news shows bringing later information, advertisers shifting their dol lars in other directions. The special prob lem for The Star is that the Washington Post, my paper, has been both journalistic ally and commercially a smashing success. Obviously, I take pride, as does everyone who works at The Post, in that success. But it gnaws me that it should have come at the expense of The Star — let alone its destruc tion. We need The Star. The country is governed now by poeple who belive that the marketplace is the rightful arbiter of human and busniess des tinies. But somehow The Star has fallen through the safety net. And that is a loss we really cannot afford. I wish some of those companies that are lusting after Conoco would lift their sights above the almighty bottom-line and demonstrate, for once, that businessmen recognize there are values that loom larger that a profit-center. The Star deserves to live. The Battalion U S P S 045 360 MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Angelique Copeland City Editor Jane Brust Photo Editor Greg Gammon Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff Make-up Editor Greg Gammon StaffWriters Bemie Fette, Kathy O’Connell, Denise Richter, Cartoonist Scott McCullar EDITORIAL POLICY The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Bat talion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M Universi ty administrators or faculty members, or of the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Department of Communications. Questions or comments concerning any editorial matter should be directed to the editor. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length, and are subject to being cut if they are longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must also be signed, show the address and phone number of the writer. Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and are not subject to the same length constraints as letters. Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor, The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. The Battalion is published Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during Texas A&M’s summer semesters. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Build ing, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. United Press International is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. GTE should instruct student to use new phone system too By DENISE RICHTER Battalion Staff Has anyone figured out the new phone sys tem? If you have, would you be willing to share your knowledge? Just call me at 845-2611. Or 5-2611. Maybe you’d better try 9-845-2611. Or how about 260-2611? Frankly, I’m confused. Prior to GTE-Day (the day the new dormitory phone exchanges went into effect), I was profi cient in the art of phoning. I could make a call with relative ease and finally had memorized the really important numbers like the student loca tor, Mr. Gatti’s pizza delivery and Brazos Sav ings’ Time and Temperature number. Now that knowledge is worthless. Oh, the numbers haven’t changed — but what good are they if I can’t figure out how to dial them? I’m convinced that the average college stu dent tallies up just as much telephone time as the average University employee. But were we included in the training sessions GTE sponsored to teach University employees how to use the new phone system? No. All we received was a “Student Telecom munications Guide.” I’ll admit it’s a nice little booklet but it fails to answer a few basic ques tions: — Why is it necessary to dial 9 plus the entire Second thoughts by Denise Richter number to call a dorm room from a number on the 845 exchange? Isn’t 9 used to reach off- campus numbers? Did I miss something? The next time the University decides to move all the dorms off campus, I wish someone would let me know. — Why isn’t it necessary to dial 9 when I want to call my off-campus cronies from a dorm but have to dial the 9 before I can call off campus from an 845 number? Is it because the dorm is closer to the edge of campus or is it just another ploy to keep us confused? — Why did GTE change the exchange from 845 to 260? I liked 845 — it had a nice ring to it. Still, I’m not totally against change, I would have accepted a new number if CTEj something with a little life toit-t that spelled out a word or sometl® only two words that 260 spells ouln “boo“). All of the above are minor imtm year or two I’ll adapt. The realobjedi is explained in this sentence CTEi the students guide (at least theydit fine print): "If you do not contract for long4 vice, you cannot reach the long-4 ator to make collect or credit cirda Does this make sense? Why woui; make collect calls if 1 had long-dislu And why would I shell out butt; distance service if I only plannedtoi, calls and not foot the hill anyway? GTE does make a feeble attec, frustrated phoners by reassuringuii still use a pay phone to make colic. card calls. Okay, if GTE wants ton phone on the third floor of Keathleyi if not, forget it. You know, there has to be an alta of this — an easier way to reach out and touch someone. Does anyone know how muchitJi a telegram? liig •ii r J mEnYTHEN, KXJ WISH TOR NW RESIGNATION, MR-SECREIARY? Fresh frui all year r( Condiments need vigilance improve fisl water “farm Offshore i will also inc dieted, as By DICK WEST United Press International WASHINGTON — Last month, as is his wont, Sen. William Proxmire made sport of the Army for drawing up 17 pages of specifi cations for Worcestershire sauce. I can see how so much fuss over condi ment guidelines might strike a senator as excessive, and some of Proxmire’s jocular comments may have been well taken. But when he questioned the “national defense” relevance of loose labels, he was perhaps on shaky ground. One section the Wisconsin Democrat quoted verbatim reads in part: “Label adhesive shall be examined for water resistance as follows: Submerge glass container, with label affixed, into room temperature water for four hours. Remove from water and remove excess water by blotting with paper towel. Press finger firmly against the label (in area where the adhesive has been applied) and move finger (still pressed against the label) towards the bottom of the bottle. Displacement of the label indicates failure to meet this require ment.” Yes. Exactly. In failing to grasp the importance of this test, Proxmire apparently overlooked the opportunities for practical joking that are afforded by Worcestershire sauce. Possibly he was unaware that in some circles the highest form of wit consists of steaming off the labels of Worcestershire sauce bottles and attaching them to bottles of ice cream flavoring. And vice versa. It is patent the first thing any rogue bent on such devilment would do would be to soak the bottles four hours, making certain the water was room temperature. Then he would remove excess water with a blotting towel, press his finger firmly against the label and push downward. Any Worcestershire sauce labels failing to meet federal specifications would slide right off and could easily be transferred to the ice cream flavoring. With cte some minds hilarious, consequft By protecting its own Wotf sauce against such tampering, tk effect, is protecting us all. Your average Worcestershires er is unlikely to have two labelin! — one for the military and thf civilians. If, seeking a big order from tW sticks on his labels tightly enough federal inspectors, the product)? buy almost certainly will posset degree of label adherence. Admittedly, the chances ofi label-switcher striking ourpantr)’ rather remote. Still it is comfortinl a Worcestershire sauce label isC drop off, denuding the bottle a one to mistake it for massage 1» I can tell you from bitter expel* a Worcestershire sauce rubdo** soak in the Jacuzzi is no way 1 tension. Warped By Scott McCd HEY BUSTER, l bought THIS CALCULATOR RIGHT HERE IN THIS STORE 8 MONTHS AGO AND NOW IT'S THIS STUPID THING HAS A LIFE-TIME GUARANTEE ON IT, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO MAKE IT GOOD ? UFE“ TIME GUARANTEE HEH? HMM... / MON Sa Mu Wh V C Roll or C ( ~ (I FR1C BR FILE Roll or C T