Ickus in Pennsylvania

Sirs:

TIME erred not. They may pronounce it Ick-ees in Illinois (TIME, March 20), but back in good old Pennsylvania where Harold L. was born, it is still pronounced Ick-us, as you had it at first.

Personally, I prefer the original pronunciation.

HELEN CUSTER BISHOP (His Cousin) Chestnut Hill, Pa.

"Mmmm" to Wampus

Sirs:

TIME'S statement under Education in the March 27 issue, "The eighth consideration, new to non-Nebraskans was 'M-mm,' " occasioned considerably more amazement in the Wampus editorial office than either the earthquake or Professor Dickinson's mathematical capers of 1932. "Mmm" and the contest TIME had reference to were the none too healthy brain-childs of one Charles E. Van Landingham, Wampus editorial staff member and campus news sleuth at the University of Southern California.

Conceived and executed last December, tabulations of the girls' contest appeared in our January issue. . . . Nebraska's running the identical contest, less the approved credit line for reprint rights, may be explained in that their Awgwan ran both contests in one issue, gave a slightly different interpretation and one less "m" to Van Landingham's "M-m-mm."

The Southern California Wampus takes pleasure in joining hands with TIME in an inspired triumphant march toward concise, accurate detail in magazine editing, by submitting for your consideration the enclosed January and February Wampus tear sheets. . . .

To TIME: A complimentary subscription to the Southern California comic-monthly Wampus.

DEAN HARREL

Business Manager

University of Southern California Wampus University Park, Los Angeles

To Wampus: full credit, after examination of the evidence, for originating "Mmmm" to designate general sex appeal. Awgwan went a step further, used "O-ooo" to define masculine appeal.--ED.

Elegant Indians

Sirs:

Beneath a pornographic picture of Betty Compton (TIME, Nov. 21, 1932) you write "The Maharajah is interested in reform" and in the article on same page you refer to Colonel Sir Shri Krishnaraja Wadiyar Bahadur, Maharajah of Mysore, and further state that the ex-Mayor of New York, Mr. J. J. Walker, was about to return the visit of the Maharajah. In TIME (Dec. 5) is a cut giving a photograph of the "Maharajah" and his friend.

TIME is in grievous error. Ignorant TIME will learn with surprise that the photograph is that of the Yuvarajah of Mysore (heir-apparent). The Maharajah himself has never gone to Europe or America, is a devout, god-fearing and good man. He visited the sacred spots on the Himalaya in 1931. A prompt retraction will, it is hoped, follow.

In TIME (Dec. 5) you refer to the jabbering of the Indian delegates at the Round Table Conference. Your conception of these men is, I suppose, of persons dressed something like Tarzan, with bows and arrows, ready to do a hula hula should my lord Reading or my lord Irwin not agree to their views. It is of course difficult for people in the U. S. to conceive that these men are dressed as elegantly as Mr. Jimmy Walker himself and are as polished and cultured as the Marquis of Lothian. They do not jabber but speak finer English than that I heard in many a place in the U. S. Slang words and swear words are very conspicuous by their absence.

Your surprise at some Indian having more than one wife is natural and so is mine as well as that of other Indians while reading (p. 41, same issue) 'Carolyn McDonald Walters Bronson Burgess Chevallier Garden White Luigi Hatfield Willis Paschal, 57, Louisiana's most-wed woman (TIME, May 18, 1931); and Robert McManus, 50, wholesale fish dealer; in Columbus, La. Widowed three times. . . .' or the announcement about the Denver heiress DeTarr DeTarr and again now DeTarr. Are there any more DeTarr brothers, anyway?

However, like TIME very much and congratulate the people of U. S. for being served with such a fine newsmagazine. Read it from cover to cover and always anxiously wait for the next issue. Shall be glad to see FORTUNE or other publications from the same office.

Since taking to TIME, have a peculiar vocabulary, for instance, tycoon, pulp magazines, cloture, newsworthy, and so on.

Shall be glad to hear from TIME readers from different States of the Union.

B. B. MUNDKUR

Pusa, Bihar, India

Security on Its Toes

Sirs:

As a director of the Security Banknote Co., I was interested in your recent article on American Bank Note Co. However, TIME'S accuracy, of which it can justly be proud, has slipped a cog.

Your issue of March 13 carries a statement regarding scrip, to the effect that American Bank Note Co. is the only company "that could do the job and do it on time." As you probably know, there are ten companies in the U. S. (of which the American Banknote Co. is the largest) equipped to produce stock certificates, bonds and other securities of such character as are required for listing on the New York Stock Exchange (the most exacting body in the world in the standards which it sets for banknote work). These ten companies are also equipped to produce checks, banknotes, stamps, clearing house certificates, scrip, etc.; and at least one of them, Security Banknote Co., with factory in Philadelphia, received orders during the recent bank holiday for millions of pieces of such scrip from its offices throughout the country. It, too, went suddenly into a 24-hour-a-day production, and delivered on time. In fact, in one instance, when American Bank Note fell down on delivery of some of its certificates, Security was called in at the eleventh hour to help the bankers out of a jam, and in the incredible period of less than 48 hours, delivered part of a large order of temporary clearing house certificates for use until American Bank Note could deliver.

No doubt, some, if not all, of the other eight companies could report having made scrip. Undoubtedly all were on their toes alert to offer whatever service was needed.

ALFRED R. HUNTER

Philadelphia, Pa.

Dog Racing's Dignity

Sirs:

Your statement "commonest objection to legalizing pari-mutuel betting on horse races; it might pave the way for gambling on dog races, slot-machines, lotteries," in March 20 issue of TIME is grossly unfair to dog racing.

Reason: it leads the reader to believe that dog races, slot machines, and lotteries are gambling devices of the same rank in respect. This is not true.

Horse racing, generally accepted the world over as the "king of sports," and dog racing are on a par with each other in a point-by-point comparison. Nowhere that both are legally permitted is dog racing looked upon with less dignity than horse racing.

Dog races are as honest, if not more so, than horse races, and proof of this can be had. Bettors wager on horse and dog races upon such facts as breeding, form, past performances, condition of track, weather, distances, etc. Who ever heard of playing a slot machine or buying a lottery ticket on such knowledge? Then why even lead people to think badly of dog racing, or at least include horse racing, as long as it is so evident the writer is not well informed on the actual present day facts? . . .

Your readers undoubtedly would appreciate a story giving the facts about dog racing as conducted in this State. As a member of the International Greyhound Racing Association (parent body of dog racing in the U. S.) I would appreciate your consideration of this matter.

HARRY SULLIVAN

Miami Beach Kennel Club Miami Beach, Fla.

Dog racing inspires confidence because there are no jockeys. It has never enjoyed a prestige, in owners and sponsors, comparable to the prestige of the turf.--ED.

Fairbanks' Bartlett

Sirs:

In your issue of Feb. 27, p. 21 under Science you refer to Capt. Bob Bartlett as the writer to the New York Times of the article mentioned. This TIME--all wrong.

The writer is E. L. (Bob) Bartlett, until recently associate editor of the Fairbanks News-Miner--a daily newspaper serving this community of 2,500 people.

He is a local boy, the son of pioneer parents and was a boyhood schoolmate of Bob Crawford, who is well known to you, and a similar type of chap.

He is now on his way to Washington, D. C. to take the position of secretary to the Delegate from Alaska--Anthony J. Diamond recently elected. . . .

JOHN A. MCINTOSH

Fairbanks, Alaska

Atherton Method

Sirs:

Gertrude Atherton complains that you did not review her Adventures of a Novelist when it appeared last year (TIME, March 27). And she adds that it may be just as well, as you "probably would have said something nasty about it.". . .

Perhaps, as I was, you were a little frightened off on Mrs. Atherton's book. Although I prepared advertising on it, for several months nothing could persuade me to read it. But a long illness last summer gave me plenty of time to tackle a thick biography. And after reading it--it took me four days during which I hated to lay it down--I wrote Mrs. Atherton a letter. Among other things I asked her how she could write such a long book and retain its vibrancy to the very end. In the very next mail from California I received her reply. Part of it will perhaps interest you.

"As to method," writes Mrs. Atherton, "this is mine: I write a chapter by hand, generally at top speed. Then I copy it on the typewriter. When the book is finished I copy it all over again, revising as I go along. At one time I wrote the whole thing at top speed and revised later; but I find a combination of the two methods more satisfactory. The alternate periods of comparative leisure prevent that mental fatigue which so often betrays itself at the end of a long book."

"But," she continues, modestly, "I can only speak from experience. Other methods may be better. Every young writer must experiment for himself."

I must also confess that I have disliked every other Atherton book. But this is real and quite unforgettable. If for nothing else read it for her description of George Atherton's demise during an ocean voyage and how his body was shipped to her in a keg of rum, buried beneath

shipment of citrus fruit--so the superstitious sailors should know nothing of a jinx on board. In Adventures of a Novelist Mrs. Atherton says, too, that George Moore's face reminded her of a "satyr crossed with a codfish"--a quotation that found its way even into Moore's obituary notices a few weeks back!

AMY VANDERBILT

New York City

Blaker Advertising Agency

Prayer Wheel Piety

Sirs:

Ref. TIME March 27, p. 19, "Stunt."'

A continuous pulpit reading of 773.7 words per minute for 1,000 minutes of vocal Biblicalisthenics is not only obviously impossible, but is also, to true Christians, inane. . . .

Biblicalisthenics of such more than amazing rapidity can have resulted only in a mumblejumble of sounds. Its religious effectiveness is on the below-bottom level of Oriental prayer wheeling, where the formula is: salvation is directly proportionate to the number of revolutions per wheel per minute.

If they have done nothing else, I am sure Cincinnati Bible readers have given their God a headache.

ALLAN KAZUNAS

Berwyn, Ill.

TIME & Time

Sirs:

While reading the letter of Oliver La Farge and the account of his sojourn in the Guatemalian mountains (TIME, March 20), the thought occurred to me that TIME might be interested in hearing something as to its reception here among the felons. To the best of my knowledge, my own is the only copy within this walled city of some 4,700 odd souls. Time (amount) is of course the subject foremost in the minds of the most of us here, and the one redeeming feature of knowing that another Monday is approaching is the fact that it means another copy of TIME. There is almost always a scramble as to who shall read it as soon as my cellmate and I have finished with it. It is passed on into innumerable hands and thence back to me to be held as a ready reference in case of disputes which are not infrequent, and on diverse subjects. . . .

No. 39704

Missouri State Penitentiary

Jefferson City, Mo.

Conservator

In looking up the word conservator in my Century Dictionary, the second definition given is "a person appointed to superintend idiots, lunatics, etc., manage their property and preserve it from waste."

LYDIA K. STIFF

Johnstown, Pa.

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