Plaisteds Like La Follettes

Sirs:

Having lately subscribed to TIME, I am pleased to find it so concise and complete in all its departments.

On p. 15 near the top of the third column reference is made to the fact that in 1901 Philip La Follette saw his father Robert inaugurated as Governor of Wisconsin, and in 1931 Philip, himself, took the oath of office in the same State.

Allow me to call your attention to a similar political coincidence in which General Harris M. Plaisted was inaugurated as Governor of Maine in 1881 at Augusta, Me., and that in 1911, also 30 years later, as in Phil's case, Frederick W. Plaisted, the son of General Harris M. Plaisted, was sworn in as governor of the same State of Maine.

I thought that the fact of a similar incident would be of interest to you. My brother Fred and myself saw-our father sworn in as governor, but as the governor's chair was not big enough for both of us, I resigned my chance of following in the steps of our illustrious father, and my younger brother Fred succeeded to the gubernatorial chair.

HAROLD M. PLAISTED

St. Louis, Mo.

Andros Bone-Fish

Sirs:

Sometimes TIME is almost too accurate and tells too much. In your map of Nassau--issue of Jan. 26--you tag Andros with "World's best bone-fishing." This is perfectly true--but I had hoped that it was, at least, a partial secret. How did you find out?

The steel spring and dynamite bone fish of Andros will not appreciate your publicity if it brings down upon them a blight of fish slaughtering pseudo-sportsmen.

H. E. HARRINGTON-

Boston, Mass.

The Andros bonefish need not fear the onslaught of pseudo-sportsmen. They and all who have made their acquaintance can testify that they are to be apprehended only by ablest anglers.--ED.

British Steppers Sirs:

I have observed that nearly all pictures of prominent British officers published in TIME appear to be snapshots, the subject being caught in the act of stepping. Is it that they will not deign to pose for a picture to be taken? or is this a favorite pose?

Good pictures of all prominent Americans, from the highest down, can be usually produced from the files of leading news publications. Is it different in England? I ask to know, and will appreciate an explanation.

McCALL PATE. Lieut. U.S.N. (Ret.) Bennettsville, S. C.

British officers are forbidden to pose, newspicturemen are barred from all British Army, Navy and Air maneuvers, except ''tattoos" (public shows). Posing is a privilege of U. S. officers.--ED.

King-Born Shapur

Sirs:

You report, ''His Majesty [Alfonso XIII], famed as 'the only man ever born a king,' has thus etc." (TIME, Jan. 19). Thus you ignore lamed oldster, the militant Zoroastrian Shapur II, onetime (310-379 A. D.) hard-boiled king of Persia. Potent foe of Christianity, he also slew Apostate Julian, drove the Romans from Mesopotamia, Armenia, cowed Jovian, died a king. Alfonso will need to step-- FREDERICK B. Noss

Andover, Mass.

Correct. After the death of his father, King Hormizd II, and before his own birth, the Persians killed Shapur's oldest brother, blinded his second oldest, imprisoned the youngest--so that the Persian throne awaited Shapur at his birth.--ED.

Old Friends Sirs:

In col. 3 p. 32 TIME, Jan. 19 appears an article describing the recent stranding of the old White Star liner Germanic in the Sea of Marmora. To the majority of your readers this news item might not be particularly interesting, but to me it is very much so. I came from Queenstown to Manhattan in the Spring of 1879, 52 years ago, on that same liner Germanic, and remember quite well how she was then classed as one of the fastest steamships. For some years afterwards I would occasionally hear of this steamship, but I had lost all trace of her for a number of years until I read this article. Being a Charter Subscriber of TIME I feel that this is a case of one old friend (TIME) helping me locate another old friend (S.S. Germanic). HARRY A. VAGG

Saco, Mont.

Sirs:

Your article concerning the old Germanic under People naturally brought back old memories. In 1921 I cruised about the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and Sea of Marmora aboard her. At that time she had been rechristened Gul Djemal a Turkish word meaning "Cheeks of Rose." We were captured by the Greeks who were then at war with the Turkish Nationalists, and this helped round out her long string of accidents and adventures. . . .

EDWARD J. STYERS, D.D.S. Baltimore, Md.

Still a Codger Sirs:

In TIME of April 15, 1929 was published part of a letter I wrote you. This letter was (very ably I thought) commented on by one CLEMENT two weeks later. Rising out of an expression I used in my letter I was dubbed "Old Codger," which I felt gave me the entree into the magic circle of your correspondents. The subject matter of my letter was TIME'S references to our English Royal Family and I can only say that since that date all TIME'S reference to our said R. F. have been, even when witty, nevertheless respectful and I would like to record an Old Codger's satisfaction with the sweet way in which TIME has humored his whim in that direction. Bully for you!

Ordinary Time (to distinguish it from your periodical--a veiled compliment here!) in its flight brings subscription time 'round again and am enclosing my order, with the greatest pleasure. I take the liberty of an established correspondent to point out a little literary curiosity which may, or not, interest you. Or it may not even seem curious to you, in which event there is always the W. Ppr. basket or the electric suction wastepaper shoot or whatever American editors use for rejected MSS. Briefly, I am what is known as a minor poet. That is, you know him unless you can avoid it. I have dared to produce two or three books in England. The Pedlars Pack was very kindly received in 1926 and a new one, By the Way, has just issued. I send you a copy of these two herewith. When you have a rude correspondent who simply asks for castigation, send him one or the other. He will never offend again.

(Unhappily. Old Codger's MSS and books have not reached TIME.--ED.)

The curiosity I mention relates to the lines on p. 27 in By the Way which were written in Arlington Cemetery, Washington when I was there in 1928 and I was standing by the National Tomb at the time. In my notebook above these lines I had written for reference ''Unknown Soldier, Arlington'' and never noticed until the other day that the initials of these three very significant words are just simply U. S. A. "Still a funny old Codger," I hear you say. Maybe so.

D. PALMER-JONES

Purley, England

P. S. In enclosing my order I am not aware that any of my many friends in U. S. A. will be sending me TIME as hitherto, but you will let me know. In any case it would give me great pleasure to subscribe for TIME for H. R. H. Edward of Wales or someone like that, of course incognito!

D. P.J.

P. P. S. Among other little Codgerisms of mine has been the invention of and introduction to the entire world (including the States, through my old friend Mr. Eugene Peton, President of the Patent Scaffolding Co. of New York) of the quaint little old tubular steel scaffoldings you may have seen disfiguring or otherwise your fine buildings here and there. . . .

Meanwhile forward with my bill.

D. P.J.

Managing Member Sirs:

In your Jan. 5 issue, I was interested to read in your column headed "Miscellany" the unique way in which The Joanne Eloise, latest 1930 Model from Detroit, "The Motor City," was announced to the world.

The arrival of a still later 1930 model was heralded by the writer's law-partner, in this wise:

Barton Baker Telephone

Bernice M. Baker Culver

Beatrice Bernice Baker 1849-W

BAKER, BAKER AND BAKER 93 Hazelwood Terrace Rochester, New York State of New York County of Monroe }ss: City of Rochester

I hereby certify that I have become the managing member of the above named firm on this first day of December 1930 at 7:40 P. M. My official weight is 6 Ibs. 12 ozs. BEATRICE BERNICE BAKER

My Mark

Witnesses Barton Baker (Signed) Bernice M. Baker (Signed) (seal) Merry Christmas

Suggest TIME conduct a contest to determine the smartest way it can be done. Conventional books on etiquette are of no assistance to a baby's publicity agents.

ELBERT H. CARVER Scottsville, N. Y.

TIME conducts no contests. But, contributors willing, TIME will report other strange modes of announcing offspring.-- ED.

Rogers Telegram Sirs:

Either TIME'S editorial staff is too modest, or else its hawk-eyed reporters did not see the Will Rogers telegram reproduced on page nine of Variety, twenty-fifth anniversary number.

Always on the lookout for some compliment to TIME which I can show my friends, I have looked in vain for the above-mentioned to appear in your "one and only" newsmagazine.

PAUL E. GRIFFITH

Iowa City, Iowa.

TIME saw Mr. Rogers' telegram. Said he: VARIETY AND TIME HAVE MORE REAL INFORMATION IN EM IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS THAN ANY TWO PERIODICALS PUBLISHED TODAY . . --ED.

Glimmerous Cure Sirs:

Poor Mr. Edwin B. Jackson! To be "struck stone blind" in Florence, Italy, is indeed a calamity (TIME, Dec. 8). Do you suppose that my information would supply a glimmerous cure? TIME may be found at the Courtyard Tea Room in Haskard Casardi's Bank on Via Tornabuoni, Florence. The copies may be previous to last week's, and very much thumbed, but they are still legible, and Mother and I read them from "kiver to kiver" during our sojourn there.

E. G. BALSLEY

Hartford, Conn.

Copies of TIME may also be found in Florence at the offices of the American Express Co. (Nos. 2 & 4 Via Tornabuoni) and Thomas Cook & Son (No. 10 Via Tornabuoni), where they are on file for the convenience of TIME readers abroad. --ED.

Energy Trio

Sirs:

Your Jan. 12 issue reported a statement by Filippo Tomaso Marinetti, citizen of Italy and disciple of Fascism, inveighing against spaghetti and other wheat paste products as inducing "torpor and pessimism." Signer Marinetti proposed to reduce the consumption of macaroni, spaghetti and kindred foods whose popularity now necessitates the importation of considerable quantities of wheat, as well as the finished product, chiefly from America. His plan involved the substitution of synthetic foods, on the basis that macaroni products are not "sufficiently dynamic" for hardy patriots.

This unwarranted condemnation of macaroni products was obviously inspired by political expediency--the desire to utilize Italy's rice surplus in place of American-grown durum wheat and American-made macaroni. Nevertheless, it tends to create a mistaken idea of the dietetic value of wheat paste foods. Macaroni, spaghetti and egg noodles, the three dominant members of the family, have long been known for their nourishing, tissue-building qualities. Significantly, they are grouped in the co-operative advertising of the National Macaroni Manufacturers Association as "The Energy Trio." . . .

FRED MILLS

Counsel for Board of Advertising Trustees National Macaroni Manufacturers Association Indianapolis, Ind.

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