"Strike, Then Ask"
Sirs:
Your Oct. 2 issue is not too sympathetic of Labor in the NRA, in my opinion. I can fully appreciate that Labor, in the persons of Ryan and his fellow coal miners would logically protect themselves in the face of the reputed activities of the opposing mine owners. Your reports of the NRA and the labor disputes do not cite enough of the activities of the members & petty leaders of the different labor organizations. Too much of the racket appears. Doubt as to the success of the NRA is more frequently spoken of in quarters not heard from before and most from places where labor is presenting difficulties. Little mention is made of the great number of strikes being called because of disputes between labor leaders, where the employer has not been informed of anything but of the strike itself. In the knit goods industry in New York City, the workers were called out and lost a week to date to learn which of two unions had jurisdiction. It could have been decided while the work was going on. The workers cannot make up lost time with overtime. The NRA gave Labor its greatest boon, but it never warned Labor's leaders of their responsibilities. . . . When did the NRA say "Strike, then ask questions'"? The public certainly is damned by them.
EDW.. I. SCHAMMAN
Brooklyn, N. Y.
For news of jurisdictional strikes last week, see p. 10.--ED.
Tokyo Alarm
Sirs:
. . . Your account of the Premier of Japan's dinner party in your issue of July 31, is absurdly incorrect. The account gives a lurid picture of nervous excitement here in Tokyo which we who live here do not recognize. "After grim days of extreme alarm . . . tension relaxed sufficiently for Premier Saito to give a party." But the "grim alarm" and the "tension" were not enough to keep the Premier and Viscountess Saito from coming unconcernedly to my humble home the week before to drink coffee and eat doughnuts with a crowd of guests. The dinner party you describe at the Premier's official residence--where Premier Inukai was assassinated a year before--was given in honor of our Methodist Bishop and Mrs. Welch who are close intimate friends of Viscount and Viscountess Saito from old days in Korea. As the Welches were staying at my house I was included in the invitation and that is why I happen to know personally the details connected with this dinner party. While we were waiting to go out to dinner--a bell began to ring in the drawing room and kept right on ringing. Finally the Premier's son stuffed his handkerchief in behind the bell to silence it. None of us had any idea what the bell meant. We thought it was a telephone bell out of order. But of course the Premier and his wife knew that it was the alarm bell installed in the official residence after the Inukai assassination--and as far as they knew it meant that another attack was being made upon the residence. But neither of them gave the least sign of alarm. If assassins had broken in and attacked the Saitos, I am sure we guests would have all rallied to their protection as quickly and as naturally as though they were our parents. That is the kind of folks they are.
Ambassador and Mrs. Grew arrived at the door just as the alarm went off--and they saw the police rushing about. But they were treated with nothing but courtesy themselves and no "screeching" of "assassins" was heard by them. Someone had punched the alarm bell by mistake thinking it was an electric light button--and of course the police on guard were at once excited and rushed about some. But your account of it all is absurd.
You characterize Ambassador Grew as "a trifle lame and slightly deaf." We who-have known Mr. Grew here for the year past and have seen him on all sorts of occasions' and even watched him play golf have had no idea that he was even a trifle lame. Anyhow he is an A No. 1 American ambassador. Every time he has made a speech since he came to Japan we have been proud of him and' proud of our country.
. . . You should order your Tokyo correspondent to send you more correct news from this part of the world. In these days of delicate feeling between America and Japan such reports as this one I have criticized may do much harm. To make your correspondent realize the enormity of his offense--I suggest that you dock his next honorarium a substantial amount and apply the same to extend my subscription to TIME--so that I may go on indefinitely enjoying your magazine--even though I cannot now be sure that the fascinatingly entertaining accounts of affairs from various parts of the world are always correct. A. D. BERRY
Tokyo, Japan
The general tone of your correspondence from Japan is hatefully cynical--and the effect is to make the Japanese seem to be a jumpy, excited, silly people, instead of being the sane, fine, courteous, peace-loving people they really are.
Whether or not the Premier and Viscountess Saito evinced alarm, Tokyo Chief of Police Fujinuma was sufficiently upset by rumors of fresh assassination plots to have posted special police guards outside Tokyo's leading business offices, banks, the homes of Cabinet ministers and to have come himself to the residence of Premier Saito where he remained personally on guard.--ED.
Hogs, Syrup, Common Sense
Sirs:
In your Sept. 25 issue, under heading Medicine, Secretary of Labor Perkins says: "No amount of statistics and no number of bulletins can take the place of a lamb chop and a glass of milk at the right moment." I would like to give a true case that might interest Secretary of Labor Perkins and her semiweekly conference with doctors, dietitians, educators and sociologists, on undernourished school children:
I am next oldest in a family of nine children raised on a South Georgia farm. I can never remember seeing on our table a lamb chop, glass of sweet milk, whole wheat bread, spinach, lettuce or celery. Our parents disliked sweet milk and we were not forced to drink it. We ate fruits & vegetables in season: none out; had beef on Sundays. We consumed approximately the following:
52 gal. cane syrup per yr.
52 24-lb. sacks white flour
20 hogs
400 Ib. rice
Would like to tell you the results: no rickets, no deaths. The doctor visited our home mostly to assist with next family increase. All are church members, five own our own homes, pay taxes and vote, two college graduates, five high school grads, two in school. This is how we turned out:
Boys: Height Weight Occupation
35 yr. 6-2 200 Ib. physician 5 children
31 yr. 6-3 175 Ib. aviator 1 child
23 yr. 6-2 160 Ib. farmer 1 child
16 yr. 6-1 150 Ib. highschool single
Girls: 5-5 1/2 136 Ib. secretary married
5-7 155 Ib. housewife 1 child 5-6 145 Ib. housewife married 5-3 120 Ib. painting single 5-5 125 Ib. college single
The above proves that we are physically, mentally and morally fit. No doubt, there are thousands of Georgia children well and thriving that will never be benefited by Zook, Perkins or their conferences. I would augment her statement thus: No amount of statistics and no number of bulletins, lamb chops and milk can take the place of healthy parents with common sense. LOUISE C. JAMESON
Jacksonville, Fla.
Golfer Marston
Sirs:
A friend of mine plays golf. He is an excellent player and has won many tournaments and was able to win the Amateur Championship in 1923 after defeating Bobby Jones.
By fine golf playing he reached the finals at Cincinnati this year and was beaten by Mr. Dunlap who is now champion.
My friend has never sought publicity, he is of a retiring nature. He does not write for syndicates, had no ghost writer, and why TIME should go out of its way to attack Mr. Marston is beyond my understanding. Can't we allow an amateur sportsman to play without treating him like a Senator?
Also, can a golf player lay his opponent a stymie at will? He can more easily sink the putt as the hole is several times the diameter of the ball, and to lay a stymie one must put his ball exactly on the line of the other player's putt.
Also, who heard Mr. Marston say "That's perfect," after one of these "intentional stymies"? Was it the referee of the match or one of the caddies?
HOWARD W. HUNTER
Philadelphia, Pa.
Golfer Marston's "That's perfect" was reported and commented on by outspoken, honest Joe Williams of the New York World-Telegram and Jimmy Powers of the New York Daily News.--ED.
Broun & Ex-Lax
Sirs:
In one of your recent issues Heywood Broun is reputed to have shrieked: "What is this-- type casting?" as an answer to an offer to work on an Ex-Lax radio program.
This is one time when Walter Winchell muffed. Ex-Lax never invited Heywood Broun to participate in its program.
, . . But we do think Heywood Broun is a fine columnist.
SIDNEY MATZ
Vice President Ex-Lax, Inc. Brooklyn, N. Y.
Gymnastic Gravy, Animated Eggs
Sirs:
Here is something new and nifty for under the neck ... a tie of leather! Beauty, style, long service, and economy in every sense of the words.
Should your soup slip and spot this Stay-Rite wonder tie, simply wipe it off with a damp cloth. If the soup is the stickier, more stubborn variety, put a little soap on the cloth, and . . . presto, cleano!
Gymnastic gravy, animated eggs, "eatin" tobacco juice . . . practically any stains . . . are just as easily removed. No pressing is needed, for the Stay-Rite holds its shape regardless of wind, wear, and weather. . . .
The tie I am sending you is one of a large number of attractive embossed patterns, available in four-in-hand as well as bows. Also, dull finish black leather for those who prefer this sedate style. . . . C. W. GARRISON
Stay-Rite Tie Co.
Milwaukee, Wis.
Modest Mr. Garrison understates the advantages of his product. Against the attractive embossed pattern of the mottled brown sample furnished by him. a gout of gravy or a blob of egg would enjoy magnificent protective coloration.--ED.
Blood-Blotched Withers
Sirs:
TIME in its description of the Vampire Bat on p. 26 of the Oct. 2 issue gives a somewhat erroneous impression of the rarity and distribution of the Vampire Bat. Of the genus Desmodus there is only a single species rotundas but this is widespread in tropical America and not confined to Panama. Vampires are common from Central Mexico south over all of Central America, and South America to the limits of Peru and Brazil at least. I have spent several years over this territory and I have collected many hundred vampire bats, usually from limestone caves. I could have collected thousands, as they occur in great colonies in caves and abandoned mine tunnels. My pack mules and horses have been attacked nightly by vampires which left blood blotches on their withers and necks. At night I have observed them with a flashlight hovering over the mules and horses. The stomachs of all vampires examined contained blood but no insect or other animal food. Desmodus, the common vampire, has but one species rotundus and there is only one other known genus of vampires, Diphylla, so rare that only a few specimens have been discovered up to date.
Raymond Ditmars is the first naturalist to bring vampires back to civilization alive and this feat is a real achievement. . . .
EDMUND HELLER Director
Milwaukee Zoo
Milwaukee, Wis.
Director Heller errs. There are three genera of vampires: Desmodus, Diphylla and Diaemius. And of Desmodus rotumdus there are two subspecies: rotundus and murinus. TIME erred in not stating that Batman Ditmars specimen was subspecies murinus, found only in Central America and Mexico. Difference between it and Desmodus rotundus rotundus., found generally in South America, is very slight: 5 to 10 mm. in length of forearm.-- ED.
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