Tom Tom Tom Tom Sirs:

"The TOM of the tom-tom" (TIME, current issue). The scrivener runs riot, tom-tomming all over his paragraph. Let a protest be noted. Peeping TOMS, TOMboys, Blind TOMS, TOM-tits, TOMcats, TOMcods, TOM turkeys, Long TOMS, the TOM of the tom-toms as words, should be axed. Why should a noble name be subject to veiled insult and subtle abuse? Sir, in the game of Gleek the knave of trumps is called TOM! An oyster's liver is sneeringly called a TOMalley! Why not Peter for the Peepers, Terry for the little girls who break windows and thumb their noses, Bert for the blind musicians of Dixie, Ted for the titmice, Timothy for the cats, Tobias for the Turkeys, Louis or Louie for the long guns? And doesn't everyone who has heard of tom-tom know that it doesn't TOM at all, but wum-wum-wums? TIME is too kindly, too wise, not sufficiently Jimmy Wal-kerish, to head this TOMfoolery. Give TOM a break, along with Richard and Henry!

TOM LENNON Oakland, Calif.

Horrified, Disgusted Sirs:

If you of TIME'S press ever laid a claim to that virtue called completeness, relinquish it immediately! I was shocked, horrified, nauseated, disgusted, not to say alarmed and surprised at a certain small but ever so noticeable "faux pas" in your issue of July 16, where, on page 9, col. i, under the heading "Bandwagon" (O how it pains me to set this down!) you committed the horrible blunder of referring to Senator James Thomas (Tom Tom) Heflin -without (terribly so) the usual and customary appositional phrase which begins, "who mortally hates--etc."

Please wake up! That's all I can say.

DAVID MCDONELL

Washington, D. C.

Subscriber McDonell proves that TIME readers have learned to supply the appositional phrase for themselves--hence it will in future be omitted.--ED.

Jumper Hoyt

Sirs:

In your issue of July 16 under the department caption PEOPLE--"Names make news" there is a paragraph headed Tallulah Bankhead, followed by an account of a man's jumping from the liner Rochambeau into the Atlantic Ocean. In view of your avowed passion for accuracy may I point out the following errors in the account.

Miss Bankhead was not in any way connected with the story, nor was she mentioned at all in the United States by A. P., Universal or United Press; she is not red-headed but blonde; she is not the daughter but granddaughter of the late U. S. Senator Bankhead (Ala. D.). Whether she "was robbed for a moment of her gay and civilized exuberance" is problematical but doubtful.

The man did not jump at night but in broad daylight or he wouldn't be writing this; the liner did not put out a lifeboat until the man had been sighted, nor would there, under any circumstances, be any point in so doing. The man -is not now married; his former wife's name is not Jeanne but Eugenia. Perhaps as you say "no one could guess why Morgan (wrong again) Hoyt should have wished to leave J:he bright (?) ship," etc., but some of them seem to have made a pretty good job of trying.

MORTON HOYT Washington, D. C.

Of the Rochambeau jumper, TIME said "His name is Morton McMichael Hoyt." A few lines below, proofreader permitted "Morgan" to replace "Morton."

Jumper Hoyt had not previously been famed, but is or has been variously related to many and variously famed characters, including Actress Bankhead whom many a theatregoer believes to be red-headed and who is the daughter of a onetime U. S. Congressman and who is a sister of Jumper Hoyt's onetime wife Eugenia who is often referred to as Jeanne, notably by the Social Register.

TIME will not dispute whether the jump, at 8 p. m., occurred at night.

Finally, let able Jumper Hoyt state why he jumped. TIME assumes him to possess a better reason than that given by one Elsie Ekengren, 17-year-old schoolgirl, who told reporters that after making his acquaintance on shipboard she girlishly cried, "I dare you to jump overboard," whereupon Jumper Hoyt jumped.--ED.

Again, "Jackass" Mobile

Sirs:

Let Mr. Ole Oftedal of Milwaukee be assured that rescued jackass Nobile means no gain to the world, but men of the north will forever honor Roald Amundsen, son of the vikings, who died as he lived--a hero.

VIGGO SCHIORRING

Detroit, Mich.

A Woman & Sorry

Sirs:

While personally I have every reason to deplore and despise night clubs and their hostesses and patrons, still I do think you are a bit hard on women--we are only what men make and demand of us. Man supports these places and this type of woman, please be fair.

"A WOMAN & SORRY ABOUT IT."*

Elmira, N. Y.

Let the sorry Elmira woman turn to Music.--ED.

Christian Generalisms

Sirs:

I am glad to see you deal try to give the "Christian General" a square deal which I believe he has seldom had in American or Engilsh newspapers. You mention Mr. Gailey without stating that he is "Bob" Gailey, erstwhile famous athlete at Princeton University, who has been giving a noble altruistic service in China for ten or more years. . . .

Mr. Crane [Charles R., onetime U. S. Minister to China.--Ed.] told me an amusing story that Gailey found Feng laboriously trying to improve his knowledge of English by attempting to read the life of Abraham Lincoln, and offered to help him to the extent of tutoring an hour a day at any time when Feng was free. Feng left Gailey to confer, with his adjutant as to the hour and was a bit dismayed to find the only free hour that could be found was from 5:30 to 6:30 a. in., but kept to his bargain, and was amazed to have a breakfast set out before him consisting solely of a bounteous dish of ice cream. Feng had inquired what the American liked most to eat and then told his "number-one-boy" to provide it for his distinguished friend next morning. Said "number-one-boy" was reported to have spent most of the night with a staff of house servants in finding out how to make ice cream and getting ready this amazing breakfast.

A highly educated and patriotic native Chinese wrote me recently: "What China needs most of all is a Mussolini." I am inclined to believe that Feng measures nearer to this admirable standard of patriotism and exemplary life than any other of the Chinese leaders now conspicuous.

JOHN R. FREEMAN

Providence, R. I.

Subscriber Freeman errs in the following particulars:

1) Feng asked Gailey to report at 4 a. m.

2) Unknown to Feng, the "Number-One-Boy" got Gailey to come at 3 a. m. to prepare the icecream which Feng had insisted upon having.--ED.

*Name omitted at request of writer.--ED.