Emeritus

Sirs:

As an alumna of Wellesley College, I wish to take exception to your reference to Katharine Lee Bates, author of "America the Beautiful" as "onetime Wellesley professor." Herself a graduate of Wellesley, after a lifetime of service to the college from instructor to head of the department of English literature, she is now professor emeritus, honored and well beloved for "all times.'

Princeton, N. J.

Stuff

Sirs:

You will please give a definition of the name Buffoon such as you used in connection with the real American Senator Heflin, also give reason for printing so much about the Pope of Rome, what do 85% of the people of America care for such stuff as is printed on p. 20 of April 25 ?

A. L. BABCOCK

Woods, Ore.

Scrapbook

Sirs:

... So many of your articles are so well written and interesting that we have fallen into the habit of cutting them out and pasting them in a scrapbook. Now, of late, many of your cleverest articles appear on both sides of the page. What shall we do ?

JAMES BORDON

Battle Creek, Mich.

Buy two copies.--ED. Idealist

Sirs:

For Heaven's sake, why don't you cut out your RELIGION Department? Can't you see that a third of your dissatisfied readers have been "touched and grieved" by your broad-minded policy ?

If people must read about their gods and their Pope, let them do so in some other publication, but don't stain your pages with such made-to-please rot.

Being open-minded in this country brings nothing but blows and ingratitude.

Take the advice of

IDEALIST P. F. BOWLES

Jamaica, L. I.

Englishman

Sirs:

The opinion of an Englishman who has read TIME for over 18 months may be of interest to you.

Although entirely different from any publication on this side of the water, it appears to me to be wholly admirable.

Its candor, its freedom from cant, and its breezy versatility are all most refreshing and I should always recommend it without reserve.

G. L. HART

Dumstable, Bedford, England

Confusion

Sirs:

I am curious to know where you obtained your data regarding the Daughters of the American Revolution and its outgoing and incoming Presidents General as published in the issue of TIME, May 2. The article is quite interesting and would be more so if it were quite true, but as it happens, I am not the retiring President General. I came into office last year and shall remain for another two years. Mrs. Anthony Wayne Cook whom you designate as the new President General, retired last year after a three-year term.

I am sure you would not care to make such obvious misstatements. . . . You can readily understand that they would cause a great deal of confusion in the minds of not only the members of this Organization, but of the world at large. GRACE W. BROSSEAU

(Mrs. Alfred J. Brosseau) President General N. S. D. A. R. Washington, D. C.

To a TIME staff writer, for a confusion of facts which he pleads was due to haste, a thoroughgoing reprimand. To President-General Brosseau and onetime President General Cook, apologies.--ED. "Visitor"

Sirs: In connection with your statement, TIME, May 2, that citizens of New Orleans turned out to "repel" Mayor Thompson of Chicago--that statement is absolutely false. As a matter of fact, although Mr. Thompson visited here at a time of unusual strain, he was received with the greatest courtesy. Since the publication of that issue, there has been no end of resentment here on that particular sentence. . . . Comment around the Hibernia and other banks here was equally unfavorable. I have, of course, no personal interest in Thompson. . . . But, without presuming, it would seem to me to be bad policy to make such an absolute misstatement at a time when New Orleans is already receiving more than her share of erroneous publicity.

A. D. PARKER JR.

New Orleans, La.

TIME said: "In New Orleans, where the Thompson trip was to terminate in welcome-speeches, in reception committees, masses of citizens were gathered, not to greet but to repel a visitor. Chagrined but sympathetic, sorry, the Mayor gave $1,000 to Memphis flood fighters. In all his party contributed $7,000." By "visitor" TIME'S writer had reference to the Mississippi flood. But to that writer a thoroughgoing reprimand for having committed a juxtaposition that could be interpreted as a reflection on New Orleans hospitality.--ED.

Chinawoman

Sirs:

Under CHINA, subhead "Extremism," in TIME, April 25, you speak of certain young Chinese women as "Chinawomen." Now regardless of the propriety or alleged lack of propriety in the action of the young women in question, perhaps, according to Chinese views of the matter, they had sufficient provocation, it was decidedly disrespectful to call them Chinawomen, for no one, not even in China, I daresay, calls American men and women, Americanmen and Americanwomen. The two cases are exactly parallel. I hope that you will not repeat this offense, that has been, so far. gratifyingly absent from the daily newa dispatches and editorials concerning China.

RAYMOND G. LYMAN

Rochester, N. Y.

Barbara

Sirs:

Referring to "Mothers" (TiME, May 2) I was interested in Subscriber Mrs. Spaulding's tribute to North Carolina womanhood of today, which shows that in one State, at least, the race is not dying out but living up to the traditions of the mothers of Revolution days when large families were the rule. I quote from the simple genealogical record of my mother's people as a sample:

"The good wife Barbara, was a handsome, healthy, stirring, industrious woman, did her own housework the first five years of

Published weekly by TIME, Inc., at The Penton Building, Lakeside Ave. and West Third St., Cleveland, Ohio. Subscriptions $5 a year. Entered as second-class matter Aug. 25, 1925, at the postoffice, Cleveland, Ohio under the act of March 3, 1879. her marriage, yet found time to indulge daily in horseback riding, her favorite diversion, frequently riding to the distant city to do her shopping. Two days after the birth of her eleventh child, she left her bed and drank some new cider which caused sudden illness and death at 35 years. Her husband's mother had ten children, Barbara eleven, their eldest daughter nine, their granddaughter eight. Truly, "there were mothers in those days." The family was of Dutch and English extraction, the first having come to America from Holland in 1686, settling near Philadelphia, and building the first stone mill in what is now Pennsylvania." (And so on the record goes.) CHARLES R. BARKER

Anniston, Ala.

Impeccable

Sirs:

I am free to admit, that part of my pleasure in perusing your columns is in looking up the new terms discovered therein. Along with unusual terms, is your habit of using frequently words for which you manifestly have a decided penchant. This would not be objectionable, if employed correctly. May I cite one example? It is the word "impeccable."

Impeccable means: Not subject to sin; exempt from the possibility of wrong doing. Proper use of the word is illustrated by these quotations; "Man at first made impeccable and secured from falling." (Bishop Atterbury). "I may do a virtuous action without being impeccable." (J. H. Newman). But TIME, instead of applying "impeccable" to a person's soul, prefers to use it in describing his habiliments.

The current issue (TIME, April 25, p. 13) pictures Sir J. M. Barrie in "an impeccable frock coat." A few weeks ago, (TIME, Jan. 31, p. 15) Lord Birkenhead was represented as "burly of stature but impeccably sleek." Prior to that, another sinful man slipped in by an "impeccable cravat." .

May I ask, is this intended as humor .' Or is it an extension of meaning from the realm of spirit to that of things.

C. D. RISSER

Subscriber and cover to cover reader Saint Paul, Minn.

Subscriber Risser is correct in his definition of the original meaning "impeccable" (from impeccare: not to sin). "But," says Webster's New International Dictionary, "Impeccable, in modern usage, more frequently suggests something with which no fault can be found or which is irreproachably correct ... as ... impeccable evening dress."--ED. Victim

I have received your letter of the 20th inst. in reply well I am one of one of the Flood victims and have lost so heavily I am oblige to have you discontinue the paper I am a Farmer and I am up agiants it hard you will do me a favor to discontinue

and oblige

C. R. CRANE

R. F. D. Box 24 Wagoner, Okla.

Bryan Said It?

Sirs: The enclosed footnote-- appeared in TIME, April 11, giving credit to Senator Borah, as an apt phrase maker. Senator Borah is everything you claim for him, and I have the highest regard for the Senator and his work. However, there is a question as to the particular phrase which you have credited him with making. On Nov. 28, 1921, I attended a meeting addressed by Mr. William Jennings Bryan, at which he said he was asked by Mr. Barrett to give to the Pan-American Building, in Washington, a photograph of himself, and, a sentiment to go with it.

Mr. Bryan said he gave the picture, and the sentiment he wrote across the picture was: "God has made us neighbors; let justice make us friends." At the time the statement was made, the picture and sentiment was in the Pan-American Building, and I doubt not that it is still there. It is simply a question as to who first gave utterance to this very fine sentiment.

Lucius C. CLARK

Washington, D. C.

In the Pan-American Building at Washington there now hangs no photograph of William Jennings Bryan. But entering the building on the 17th St. side, going up to the second floor, in the Sanitary Bureau room on the right, behind the door, visitors can view Mr. Bryan, painted in oils.--ED.

Good Riddance

Sirs:

... As a Jerseyite, what particularly attracted my attention in TIME, April 25, was the pathetic letter of Mary J. Lane of Newark, N. J., which tells of the terrible predicament she is in with regard to renewing her subscription.

It is regrettable indeed that a lady of her apparent intelligence classifies our State as one "where 'Graft' runs wild," and in my despair at reading such slander hurled against our noble commonwealth, I see a ray of probable sunlight, that I glean from the very beginning of her second paragraph, in which she states something about changing her residence, and I sincerely hope that she will cross the. State line, be it east, west, north or south, when she makes that change, as the State of New Jersey will be well rid of such as her.

Apparently, if she could afford to live at a hotel, and she thinks your publication so well worth reading, why not contribute less than a dime weekly to those lounge lizards and lobby loiterers cheerfully by giving them her paper, which would perhaps be instrumental in making better men of them, instead of slandering a State, which has given birth to some of the best Americans that ever lived, that is so rich in honorable and valuable American history.

HARRY BEHRMAN

Paterson, N. J.

16-Inch Guns

Sirs:

Do the super-dreadnoughts of the U. S. Navy really spit 18-and 20-inch shells as reported in TIME, April 25, p. 8, col. 3 ? I have been out of touch with the Navy since the War but am of the opinion that 16-inch guns are the largest yet installed on our ships. However, more power to the Navy, and yourselves.

M. S. QUAY

Sewickley, Pa.

The 18-and 20-inch shell statement was corrected by many a TIME-subscriber. TIME'S Naval correspondent said that guns of these calibre might be adopted in the future; the message was garbled in transmission.--ED.

Colossal Ignorance

Sirs:

I quote from TIME, May 2: " 'The Star Spangled Banner' ... is, according to many an American, of too elaborate composition, too great a range, to be suitable for the national hymn."

Is it possible that in your colossal ignorance you do not know that the "Star Spangled Banner" is our official national anthem ? You must know this, and therefore your expression "to be" is sneeringly malicious and most offensive to me, for one.

SARAH LINTON WELLS

Springfield, Mass.

Since the U. S. is without an official national anthem, the National Society of United States Daughters of 1812 is now disseminating propaganda with the object of persuading Congress to authorize a national anthem at its next session.--ED.

--The footnote said: "In the coining of apt phrases, the Senator from Idaho has no equal. Speaking of Mexico, recently, in an attack on the foreign policy of the administration, he spoke words that many think will go ringing down the ages. He said: 'God has made us neighbors; let justice make us friends.' "--ED.