Dodd Letter
Sirs:
Your May 24 treatment of my Bulkley letter was fair and even co-operative in spirit and I wish to drop you a note of thanks.
What certain Senators and a few newspapers said was quite unfair. My purpose was, as you note, to treat the larger issue of judicial abuses and minority action in the Senate against immense majority popular votes. My fear is that this sort of thing may some day so divide parties that we shall have dangers before us not unlike those of Italy and Germany in years past. The majority of one's people may not always be right but minorities certainly have made greater blunders.
I am glad you gave my letter its proper aspect to your readers.
WILLIAM E. DODD
Embassy of the United States of America
Berlin, Germany
Ambassador Dodd's letter to Senators Bulkley, Glass and others voiced his alarm about a U. S. billionaire fascist (still unidentified). TIME reported Senator Borah's description of it as "the figment of a disturbed mind."--ED.
"Flapdoodle"
Sirs:
In the issue of TIME dated June 28th, you published a statement which I regard as a great injustice to a most capable Washington reporter and writer. I refer to the reference you made to Eugene Kelly, writer for the Universal Service. The objectionable reference to Mr. Kelly is as follows:
"His (Eugene Kelly's) most famous specialty is baiting William Green: 'Come, come, Mr. Green, will you stop handing us that flubdub?' "
Mr. Kelly never baited William Green. He has always been courteous, frank and fair?both in his questions and in his reports of interviews. Surely you would not regard fair, frank, courteous, intelligent inquiries as "baiting." Yet you publish a story which places a fine, highly qualified news writer, who submits intelligent questions, as a "baiter."
I cannot allow an injustice such as you have done Mr. Kelly to go unnoticed and without protest.
WILLIAM GREEN
President
American Federation of Labor
Washington, D. C.
TIME erred in implying that Reporter Kelly made President Green the sole butt of his baiting. Reporter Kelly's usual comment at conferences with Secretary of Labor Perkins is: "Well, we see you've been defending John Lewis again." TIME also erred in substituting "flubdub"' for Reporter Kelly's far better word, "flapdoodle." --ED.
Du Ponts
Sirs:
Your June 28 cover and article under "Milestones" raises the question as to the correct spelling of duPont. On the cover you spell it with a small "d" but in the article it is spelled with both a small "d" and capital "D." The daily press, notorious for inaccuracy, almost without exception uses the upper case "D."
Presuming that a man spells his own name correctly on his stationery, it may interest you to know that on the die-stamped letterhead of Mr. P. S. duPont the name appears in all capitals, with the "du" slightly smaller just as TIME used it on the June 28 cover.
Incidentally while an "economic royalist" Mr. P. S. duPont nevertheless purchases Jim Farley's imprinted stamped envelopes at, of course, a considerable saving over ordinary printed envelopes bought from printers, stationers, etc.
On a 3-c- stamped envelope dated June 14 the inscription reads:
"After 5 days return to P. S. duPont, duPont Building, WILMINGTON, DELAWARE."
In conclusion let me state that I claim no acquaintance with Mr. duPont, his letter to me being merely an impersonal, routine business epistle.
PAUL BRINDEL
Los Angeles, Calif.
Sirs:
In your issue of June 28, under the heading "Milestones" (p. 24) in speaking of the activities of Eugene du Pont it is stated "Since 1912 he has spent most of his time farming, fishing, shooting and clipping the coupons from $10,000,000 worth of Du Pont stock." Your next cover should be red from embarrassment, TIME, for confusing coupons or bonds and dividends on stock in such a manner. Anyway, I am for you and shall continue to read you.
L. S. HASTINGS
Chicago, Ill.
Sirs:
My Du Pont stock certificates have no coupons to cut. Maybe Eugene's have.
CHAS. V. CRITCHFIELD Mt. Vernon, Ohio Most Du Ponts spell their name as two words, with a small "d" when preceded by a name, title, or initial, with a capital "D" when it stands alone, as did TIME. To TIME'S checking department, a rebuke for passing a writer's careless mention of "stock coupons."-- ED. High-School Jalopies
Sirs:
Are you being kidded by Webster R. Vaughan of Darien, Conn.? (TiME, Letters, June 28). Was Mr. Webster successfully kidded by Herbert Somborn? Or are you having fun yourselves with the "half black geese" definition of "jalopies" put forth ?
Reared in Los Angeles, "jalopy" was a well-known expression denoting a certain part of a woman's anatomy to me in high school days, 15 years ago. Knowing something of Herbert Somborn (originator of Hollywood's Brown Derby restaurants) I'm inclined to think he was exclaiming over the "beautiful jalopies" of the dancing girls in much the same meaning that we took our high-school lunch period on the lawn and admired precisely the same things, with the same expression, as girl students walked past.
My personal guess is that "Webster R. Vaughan" ("Webster R. Kent" earlier commented on the word) is having several hearty laughs showing your reprint of his nonsense to friends.
JACK F. DAILEY (Not "Webster R." Dailey)
Pocatello, Idaho
The letter of Webster R. Vaughan refuting Webster R. Kent on "jalopies" was, to TIME'S certain knowledge, written in complete good faith and with due regard to historical accuracy. To Expert Dailey, all thanks for his report on what appears to have been an interesting but local application of an international epithet.--ED.
Man of the Year
Sirs:
Why wait until January to name the Man of the Year?
Looks like Walter Chrysler or Tom Girdler are the only logical candidates.
GEORGE O. HACKETT
Highland Park, Mich.
Sirs:
Is it too early to nominate John L. Lewis Man of the Year?
ERMA E. BAER
Chicago, Ill.
Nominations for Man of the Year will open Oct. 1.--ED.
No Son-in-Law
Sirs:
In your May 24 issue under the heading of Judiciary referring to Judge Robert M. Gibson, presiding or senior Federal Judge of this district, you write, "His son-in-law, William H. Eckert, is a member of the law firm of Smith, Buchanan, Scott & Ingersoll, Aluminum Co. attorneys." As Mr. Eckert is not a son-in-law of Judge Gibson you doubtless will be glad to correct your error. . . . ALFRED G. BAUER JR. Vice President
George S. Daugherty Co.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
To TIME's Pittsburgh correspondent, a sharp reprimand. Lawyer Eckert married Judge Gibson's niece.--ED. Death of Pack
Sirs:
Since TIME records the events of the country, why is it that no mention was made ot the death of Charles Lathrop Pack of Lakewood, N. J. on June 14?
The records show that Mr. Pack was one of the leading citizens of the U. S. in conserving forestry and other outdoor resources. He established forestry foundations at Yale and the University of Michigan. Demonstration forests were donated to Syracuse, Yale, Cornell, Washington and Michigan Universities. Scholarships in forestry were provided and he left a fortune in a trust fund to conserve the natural resources of this country.
Believing that the basis of wealth is in the soil, and that our people should conserve what the soil produces, Mr. Pack devoted his life to philanthropic projects. He served as President of the American Forestry Association, endowed, with his son Arthur Newton Pack, American Tree Association, American Nature Association, and Nature magazine.
I think TIME should record the death of such a man.
WILLIAM L. FINLEY Portland, Ore.
TIME regrets that lack of space pre-vented mention of the death of able Conservationist Charles Lathrop Pack, who in addition to his distinguished work in forestry, founded the Cleveland Trust Co., was president of the World Court League (1921), aided in the reforestation of France, England and Italy after the War.--ED.
Doyle v. Dunninger
Sirs:
My attention has been drawn to a misstatement of fact which appeared in the April 26 issue of TIME, to the effect that a Mr. Joseph Dunninger, magician, has in his possession a code message from my Father, the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, supposed to have been given by him when alive.
Mr Dunninger is supposed to be offering a substantial sum to anyone who can convey from my Father a posthumous message duplicating this code.
I am writing to inform your readers that there is not one word of truth in Mr. Dunninger's claim to possess this code message from my Father.
I am in a position to entirely refute Mr. Dunninger's claim, for I know as a positive fact that my Father never left a code message either with Mr. Dunninger or anyone else, not even with his own Family.
Such a message never existed, and anyone claiming to possess it is either guilty of a deliberate fabrication, a publicity seeker trying to "cash in" on my Father's name, or else a victim of a genuine self-deception or misunderstanding.
I trust for his own sake that the gross misstatement of fact attributed to Mr. Dunninger may be ascribed to the last category. DENIS P. S. CONAN DOYLE Junior Carlton Club London, England
TIME does not propose to arbitrate the dispute between Denis P. S. Conan Doyle and Magician Joseph Dunninger, who is ready to give an affidavit that his message from Spiritualist Conan Doyle's famed father is genuine.--ED.
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