U. S. President Atchison

Sirs:

It has been stated repeatedly in TIME that Herbert Hoover will be the 31st President. While I realize that this is the usual way of reckoning, it would be more accurate to say that he will be the 32d President. I do not believe you have considered David Rice Atchison, who was President for exactly two days in 1849.

The inauguration day of General Zachary Taylor fell on Sunday, March 4, 1849. President Folk's term expired on March 3. As president of the senate David Rice Atchison became chief magistrate of the nation from noon on Saturday until noon on Monday--between Folk's retirement and Taylor's inauguration.

This is offered by way of news--not for unTIMEly fault finding.

STEUART H. BRITT

Kansas City, Mo.

According to Robert L. ("Believe It or Not") Ripley in the New York Evening Post, President Atchison slept all during his term of office.--ED.

Hoover-Smith Meeting

Sirs:

I read in your magazine that Nominees Smith and Hoover "never met." Perhaps you meant during the campaign. I picked up a little pamphlet the other day and saw where Hoover and Smith both addressed some banquet in New York--at the Astor I think it was--several years ago. . . .

T. T. SPENCER

Detroit, Mich.

TIME should have qualified and said: "They never met during the campaign." Could Reader Spencer's "little pamphlet" have been the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.'s Intelligencer? In the September issue of that able house-organ, pride was taken in the fact that the Messrs. Hoover and Smith once attended and addressed a company banquet at the Hotel Astor, Manhattan. It was said that President Haley Fiske of the company was probably "the only living man who has the distinction of having sat at dinner with the candidates for President of the two great parties, one on his right and the other on his left." The banquet was in 1923. The Messrs. Hoover and Smith met before that. In 1921, they spoke together for the Red Cross at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.--ED.

McCoy und Gott

Sirs:

J. P. McCoy says (TIME, Dec. 17): "England has no more right in India than she has in Ireland, or Egypt, or in South Africa, and with the help of God she will one day yet be forcibly ejected from them."

McCoy und Gott--is it--will do the job? Or is the mention of God's name a mere rhetorical flourish, characteristic of the race? And will the job be McCoy's--alone?

And, av coorse, India and South Africa will be restored to the Irish then--with J. P. McCoy himself as viceroy! or, mebbe, king itself!

RALPH WARDLAW GLOAG (a joyous subscriber)

Boston, Mass.

Again, Vodka

Sirs:

. . . I am absolutely convinced that the wonderful elucidation of the methods of imbibing Vodka (TIME, Dec. 10) concerns the worthy brand of that beverage, the so called SMIRNOVKA only.

The present day Russian Vodka is an abnoxious mixture of alcohol and water, fit only for the morons starving in that miserable land of the Bolshies and a few stray visitors eulogising their stupidity.

I must add that in the absence of a cucumber chaser one may very advantageously use the Lencoran Caviar sandwiched in the Georgian Lavash. Gentlemen, believe me, this is delicious!!!!

IVAN PETROV

Los Angeles, Calif.

Millions Wasted

Sirs:

Not the least of the joys in reading TIME lies in spotting its blunders and inaccuracies and chortling thereat. It suffuses one with such a glow of superiority.

Hence when Mr. John Sargent Pillsbury is identified in the issue for Dec. 17 with "flour--Eventually. Why not Now?" one weeps to think of the millions which Washburne-Crosby wasted on their slogan for Gold Medal Flour.

Yet this only repeats a blunder common to 75% of the average careless reader of newspaper advertising.

The moral: Name the commodity in the slogan. "Let the Ivory Twins do your Work." "When you see an Arrow, Think of Smith Brothers Cough Drops." "If it isn't a Whoozis, It isn't a Whatsitsname." . . .

REV. CLAUDE J. PERNIN, S. J.

Loyola University, Chicago

Snake Valley v. Tobacco

Sirs:

Why haven't we had some news as to when and by whom the challenges being flung out by the Tobacco Interests will be taken up? Camels started the game by suggestively placing pretty women in their ads, Chesterfields followed by having their lady beg to have some blown her way; and now Old Golds show their lady as actually smoking. But Lucky Strikes win the prize in this race for new customers, by making a direct appeal to the more youthful men and women with their "Reach for a Lucky and not a Bon-Bon."

The brazen Lady Nicotine has grown bold. She now walks the streets in the better part of town and openly solicits the patronage of the young folks. Be careful Old Girl or you'll find yourself behind a deadline down in the restricted district along with John Barleycorn, where you belong.

GRAHAM SHEPARD QUATE

Snake Valley Trading Co.

Garrison, Utah

Crude Oil

Sirs:

As an old subscriber I am writing to correct a statement made in your issue of Dec. 10, page 59, wherein you state that the Prairie Oil & Gas

Co. is the largest United States producer of crude oil.

As a matter of fact the largest United States producer of crude oil is the Standard Oil Co. of California. Incidentally its production is mainly light oil, and comes from fields located at tidewater, which adds immeasurably to its value.

Furthermore, the Standard Oil Co. of California is by far the largest potential producer and owns the greatest known oil reserve. Most of these lands are owned in fee (no.royalties).

It might interest you to know that this Company, having a capital of three hundred and fifteen million dollars and a surplus of approximately one-quarter of a billion, has no bond issue, preferred stock or bank loans ahead of the common. The stock of this Company is, by the way, considered in the West our leading prime investment.

WM. C. MURDOCH JR.

San Francisco, Calif.

Banana Oil

Sirs:

I am a very careful reader of TIME, and think very highly of it. Hence I cannot help but register a little disapproval at some of your scientific "Bulls."

Banana oil, so called because of its odor resembling bananas, is isoamyl acetate, prepared synthetically and not from bananas as you would have us believe in your article under Colombia, issue of Dec. 17.

L. E. CLARK

Maryville, Tenn.

Mayor of Mobile vs. Eslava

Sirs:

If Senator Heflin owns any real property in the state of Alabama, he derived title straight from the Pope. At least this seems to be the holding of the Supreme Court in the old case of Mayor oj Mobile vs. Eslava (Alabama, 1839) reported in 9 Porter 577. The following excerpts are taken from the opinion in that case:

'By the bulls of Alexander VI, on which, as its magna charta, Spain founded its right, all the regions which had been, or should be discovered, were bestowed as a free gift upon Ferdinand and Isabella. They, and their successors, were uniformly held to.be the universal proprietors of the vast territories acquired by conquest in the new world. * * * It was an opinion, perhaps as ancient as trie crusades, that the pope, as the head of the church on earth, had competent authority to dispose of all countries inhabited by heathen nations, in favor of Christian potentates * * * This high power being accorded to the pope * * * titles acquired upon the supposition that it was rightful cannot now be disturbed * * *." Mayor of Mobile vs. Eslava (Ala. 1839) 9 Porter 577.

EDWARD T. BISHOP

The Superior Court Los Angeles, Calif.

Best Wishes

Sirs:

A subscriber to and booster for your valued publication, wishes to compliment you on the thoroughness with which you are covering Mr. Hoover's trip. The maps visualizing the route, and the brief interesting information regarding the countries visited is very refreshing to the average man, who is not so well informed about South American countries.

It confirms what I've often said about the splendid news service you give.

With best wishes for a prosperous New Year.

H. C. HARMON

P.S. Was a little disappointed that you didn't include in your airplane article our local plant, The Alexander Company.

And please advise your Sports Editor to look up the record of Earl ("Dutch") Clark, quarterback of Colorado College (Colorado Springs) of the Rocky Mountain Conference. Watch him, playing on the small College of about 500 students, make at least honorable mention for All American.

Colorado Springs, Col.

To Subscriber Harmon, The Alexander Co., Quarterback Earl ("Dutch") Clark and to all TIME Subscribers and Regular Newsstand Buyers, best wishes for a prosperous New Year.--ED.