Herewith are excerpts from letters come to the desks of the editors during the past week. They are selected primarily for the information they contain either supplementary to, or corrective of, news previously published in TIME.
"Mighty Fine"
TIME Washington, D. C
The News-Magazine Oct. 8, 1925
Sirs:
TIME is a mighty fine little magazine and I find it a great help, both as a source of news and as a reference library. I would like to get all of the back numbers of the magazine and am just wondering if you have them bound in book form. If you can send these to me, I shall be glad to forward a check to cover cost of sams.
JAMES J. DAVIS
The wants of Secretary of Labor James J. Davis were speedily attended to.--Ed.
Westman's Rebuttal
TIME Franklin, Mass.
The News-Magazine Oct. 6, 1925
Sirs:
Certain readers are ever fond of rushing into print and obscuring the points at issue. Would Mr. Young [TIME, Oct. 5, LETTERS], tell me in what dictionary he found "bathysophical" ? I have searched in vain in Webster's, Stormonth, The Century, Concise Oxford, Pocket Oxford, and if I had access to the great Oxford I am not so sure that I should have found it.
By the use of such strange unusual words TIME, as the Editor has so graciously admitted, defeats its own purpose of conveying information quickly and accurately. So the Editor and I agree.
Readers of TIME need not fear losing the pleasure and adventure of meeting new words, and not necessarily strange and unusual save to the reader. So Mr. Young will go on with encircling and increasing his vocabulary and, let us hope, his good judgment. Perhaps he will be so kind as to let a fellow reader into the secret of understanding strange discourses in unfamiliar terms. For he claims to delight in such.
But let me draw your attention to a "howler" comparable almost to any high school product. In TIME, Oct. 5, Page 36, Column 3, we are confidently told that legislation is proposed to admit deaconesses to the priesthood. In other words, women are to be given Holy Orders in the Episcopal Church. A most egregious blunder. In the first place, a deaconess is not in Holy Orders as a deacon is, and is not "ordained" to her office or function but is "set apart." In the Episcopal Church there are but three orders of Ministers--Bishops, Priests, Deacons--and these are confined to male persons who may be found qualified.
What is proposed is that a deaconess may continue as such though she should marry or be married.
CHARLES WESTMAN
The advance volumes of "The Great Oxford" do not give "bathysophical," but if one reasons from the analogy of "bathymetric" and "bathygraphic," it is not hard to get the meaning of "bathysophical." To one versed in his Greek roots it should give a keen pleasure to have this adjective applied to the late Prince of Monaco, who was most wise in things pertaining to the depths of the sea.
As to the deaconess-into-priest "howler," there is no defense. Subscriber Westman, as usual, is correct.--Ed.
"Not Needed at Columbia"
TIME Red Bluff, Calif.
The News-Magazine Oct. 16, 1925
Sirs:
In your issue of Oct. 5, you printed tha reply of Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler to Congressman William D. Upshaw's challenge to debate with him the Prohibition question. To say that Dr. Butler's reply is flippant is to speak mildly. Dr. Butler should set a good example to the young. That is not an effective way to teach. They are not in need of examples of flippancy, rudeness and insult. Dr. Butler could have ignored the challenge, but why publicly insult Mr. Upshaw? He says the Congressman's nickname is Pshaw and hence he is not regarded as carrying on the tradition of Toombs, Stephens, Ben Hill and Gordon. Does that follow? Is one responsible for his name or his nickname? The reference to the 14th and 15th Amendments is as applicable to all the Congressmen and Senators of all southern states as to Mr. Upshaw. If Mr. Upshaw could find an opportunity for usefulness in spraying the boll weevil, might not this also be true of many others? And Dr. Butler, if encaged in such an occupation, would not be furnishing an example of discourtesy to the youth of the land. He is not needed at Columbia.
W. P. JOHNSON
"Easy"
TIME Spring Lake Beach, N. J. The News-Magazine Oct. 13, 1925. Sirs:
Your splendid magazine TIME is invaluable to me.
Every Monday morning from Sept. 14 to the following May 14, I take up current events before the preachers' meeting at Ocean Grove, N. J. My address -- running comment -- is followed by general discussion. TIME keeps me in close touch with all current affairs. It saves me much time and puts pep into what I say. So TIME is for me a time-saver--an illuminator--a flashing herald--always full, fresh and spicy.
I have been doing this thing for years. TIME makes it easy for me.
JAMES WILLIAM MARSHALL
Reads to his Grandchildren
TIME New Haven, Conn. The News-Magazine Oct. 16, 1925. Sirs: I read TIME to my grandchildren. TIME, Oct. 12, Page 6, Column 3, reads : "Exclaimed M. Caillaux with weary irony." Of course, I don't know, but is not the satire? pointing Is out not of irony the saying foibles one of thing -- people meaning the opposite? He meant exactly what he said. You place yourself with those lower classes who enjoy using sarcasm" when they mean "irony."
Please be more careful. I can't stand these orgasa [sic]. It's my heart. R. B. JONES
An Inaccurate Adv't.
TIME Washington, D. C. The News-Magazine Oct. 17, 1925 Sirs: Please do not think me critical of TIME, but having come from California all the way across this continent for the sole pur pose of standing for a few brief moments before those nine robed and worthy succes sors of John Marshall, and having months ago perused with interest your articles concerning Mr. Justice McKenna's retirement and the elevation of Mr. Justice Stone to the bench of the Supreme Court of the United States, I have just read with an amazement not unmingled with sorrow the advertisement of TIME itself on Page 33 of your issue of Oct. 12.
Your readers do not demand infallibility, but those of us who have read from cover to cover every issue that you have ever published do ask assurance that TIME'S statements of fact be made as reasonably accurate as careful editing and repeated checking can make them. At any rate, if you must at times err, please do so as to facts upon which I am informed, as I dislike even to suspect that your fascinating statements relative to matters about which I know nothing are not always 100% correct.
At all events, may I add my appreciation for what you are doing. Nothing could persuade me to cancel my subscription.
CARL I. WHEAT State Bldg., San Francisco
The advertisement of which Original Subscriber Wheat complains listed the names of the Justices of the U. S. Supreme Court and mentioned the fact that their troubles--and the vicissitudes of the Constitution--are recorded in TIME. Due to ignorance by a member of the Promotion Department, the name of Mr. Associate Justice McKenna was listed; Mr. Stone, as all TIME readers know, was appointed last February to take Mr. McKenna's place.--ED.
Justice for Chief Justices
TIME Philadelphia, Pa. The News-Magazine Oct. 17, 1925.
Sirs:
I note at or near the bottom of Column 2, Page 8, of your issue of the 19th in stant the statement, "Chief Justice Fuller, Confederate Veteran, the only Roman etc." Catholic Chief Justice, used to remark,
As an acquaintance and friend of the former Chief Justice, permit me to say that he was not a Confederate Veteran, but an Illinois Copperhead-- and a bitter one at that, but he never entered the Rebel Army ; also he was not a Roman Catholic, he and his family were members of the Protestant Episcopal Church, having been formerly members of the Congregational Church in Augusta, Me., and entering the Episcopal Church just before or a few years after the Chief Justice was born. I think he saw the error of his ways as to Copperheadism, and would not thank you for classing him as a Confeder ate, and would certainly angrily repudiate being classed as a Roman Catholic. I hope you will make the needed correction. HAROLD GOODWIN P. S. -- I was admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court by him. TIME Lancaster, Pa. The News-Magazine Oct. 16, 1925. Sirs: In your issue of Oct. 19 you refer to "Chief Justice Putter, Confederate veteran, the only Roman Catholic Chief Justice," on Page 8. You evidently mean Chief Justice White. Edward D. White of Louisiana was both a Confederate veteran and a Roman Catholic. Melville W. Fuller of Illinois was neither. WILLIAM H. KELLER Judge of the Superior Court of Pa. Of course, as Judge Keller points out, the attributes erroneously attached to the name of Chief Jus tice Fuller were really those of his eminent successor, the late Chief Justice White.--Ed.
"Not Obscure"
TIME Bethany, W. Va. The News-Manazine Oct. 17, 1925
Sirs:
Your issue for Oct. 12 has come to my desk and I note in your Business & Financy department (Page36) under the caption "Bankers' Convention" a short sketch of the life of Oscar Wells, now President of the American Bankers' Association. Quoting from this sketch : "Born in a lopsided Missouri log cabin, Mr. Wells had tilled the soil, attended an obscure college. . . ."
Now the fact is that Mr. Wells is a graduate of Bethany College, which is by no means an "obscure college" as your article states.
Bethany is the oldest college in West Virginia, having been chartered as a college by the State of Virginia in 1840. Buffalo Seminary, the forerunner of the College, was instituted in 1818. It is the home college of the Restoration Movement in Christianity, which movement was led by Alexander Campbell, founder and first President of the College. This great movement has culminated in the establishment of thousands of Protestant churches under the name of Churches of Christ or Chris tian Churches.
James A. Garfield,* Joseph R. LaMar./- B. B. Odell,-- and John Marshall/=/= are a few of the outstanding men who have received their college training here at Bethany.
I call this matter to your attention as a point of information for you and in an effort to interest you in Bethany.
F. H. KIRKPATRICK Director of Publicity, Bethany College.
F. H. Kirkpatrick
Subscriber Kirkpatrick fails to mention Champ Clark, another son of Bathany. In spite of these famed names, Batheny has had scarecely 1,500 graduates since 1840.--Ed.
"Too Much"
TIME Saxtons River, Vt. The News-Magazine Oct. 14, 1925
Sirs:
I am an original subscriber who was a skeptic at first. I asked TIME to give me an accurate and readable survey of the most important world news. It has not failed.
From time to time I have been tempted to criticize certain minor editorial habits of TIME. I have refrained, largely because; of my delight in and enthusiasm for the magazine as a whole.
But a practice (common in your columns and recently defended by your staff) was carried to such lengths in your issue of Oct. 5, Page 17, that I can no longer hold my peace. In his desire to be in formative, the writer of the review of Amy Lowell's last book refers to Keats as "Poet John Keats." This is too much. Shall we shortly be informed that William Shakespeare was an Elizabethan dramatist? Even assuming that all literate people do not know who John Keats was, is it not also true that all people likely to be interested in the work of Amy Lowell do?
I can, without irritation, occasionally look up an unknown word ; I can worry along with your habit of referring to little-known persons by their vocational epithets -- but a reference to Keats as "Poet" John Keats seems an insult to tho intelligence of your readers if not to the fame of one of the world's great spirits.
Shall we eventually have "one John Keats" ?
Lest you should think me unduly aroused over a matter of form, let me say that I recently sent you a two years' subscription and shall probably repeat it if the opportunity is offered.
R. Q. MCGUIVE
*Onetime (1881) President of the U. S. ; of the U. S.: graduated from Williams College in 1856. His biographers make no mention of his having attended Bethany.
/-Onetime (1910-1916) Associate Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court.
**Governor of New York (1901-04).
/= "The" John Marshall (from Virginia) became Chief Justice of the U. S. in 1801, before Buffalo Seminary was founded.--ED.