No! No! No!
Sirs:
You just said something about Legionnaires by the thousand sleeping on sidewalks, gutters and hotel lobbies during the GREAT convention. Damn it, sir, that is going a little too far.
To say that they slept in lobbies is not so bad. But to state that they sought sleep, wonderful sleep, in gutters when there were neat sidewalks alongside is an insult.
Put yourself in a Legionnaire's place. Let's assume that for any one of several reasons you suddenly find the arms of Morpheus more attractive than those of Gipsy Rose Lee. There you are, with a gutter and a sidewalk both beckoning to you. The gutter is damp and filthy. The sidewalk is nice and clean, with only a few programs and torn newspapers to mar its perfect score. . . . Certainly your good sense would make you pick the sidewalk. . . . O.K. Then why assume that a Legionnaire has any less sense than you have and chooses the gutter?
Call us boobs and fake heroes, and we take it. But insult our intelligence by saying that we sleep in gutters, and we rear ourselves up on our toes, swing our canes, and exclaim: No, No, a thousand times No.
G. D. HOUTMAN Chairman
Delaware County Committee
Media, Penna.
Sirs:
Last year I received your miserable, smart-aleck publication as a Christmas present. The only reason I am not cancelling this subscription now is that I do not care to make you a gift of the few cents you would gain by my so doing.
I admit I expected some of your smart-aleck criticism of the Legion convention, but not the scurrilous, lying attack upon the Legion which appeared in your issue of Oct. 4. ...
BERNARD M. SNYDER
Hudson, N. Y.
Sirs:
. . . Every time I see the dirty digs at World War veterans, I am tempted to cancel my subscription. But that action would be as childish as the policy of your magazine.
Anyway, why jump on the World War veterans ! Are they any worse than veterans of other wars or any other group of Americans when in Convention? . . .
You say 110,000 Legionnaires attended, including their families, with 30,000 paraders from Pennsylvania alone. Now, don't be absurd. There are 47 other States and with an average of a thousand to each State, which average is low, there were at least 77,000 in the parade alone. The Digest states 85,000 and the Pathfinder, 300,000, and any way you look at it, your figures on the attendance are wrong. I don't care whether one veteran or a million marched. What I am interested in is truthfulness and accuracy as far as is humanly possible. . . .
Even if you feel we deserve censure at times, why don't you give us a boost when we deserve it. Why don't you tell about our Child Welfare, which is recognized as outstanding. How about our Flood Relief last Spring? How about our law and order program and campaign against isms, contrary to the theory of our Government ? Who are the leaders in every community and States, entirely out of proportion to our numbers? . . .
All in all, your policy is unfair, untruthful, lacking in all the essential facts and is the symbol of a warped personal feeling. . . . WALTER H. E. SCOTT
Past Commander Carlisle Post, No. 101 Carlisle, Pa.
Until the American Legion 1937 Convention Corp. publishes authoritative figures, Mr. Scott and TIME must accept the estimates of statistical experts. Convention Director Richard C. Burritt says, "... the estimates made by other sources of 200,000 Legionnaires or 300,000 Legionnaires being in the city is absurd."--ED.
Once Again
Sirs:
Once again TIME is in top form. Even Foxy Grandpa and the Legionnaires should enjoy your comments about them.
J. B. SOUTHWORTH
Denver, Colo.
Sirs:
The best reporting of the American Legion parade in New York I find in TIME, Oct. 4, p. 12. It is to the point and unsurpassed. . . .
RALPH CHESTER Colorado Springs, Colo.
Sirs:
Your writeup concerning the American Legion's Annual Convention is more truthful than flattering, and I imagine will result in your getting a severe calling down from many Legionnaires. I have no criticism to make in regard to your report of the actions of some members whose conduct gave the whole body a black eye. . . .
J. H. CORWIN
Seattle, Wash.
Sirs:
The past few days, reading again in TIME and LITE the accounts of the annual American Legion Convention, I am moved to wonder (as I often have before) by what stretch of the imagination one could justify the cities where those brawls are held in allowing the roughnecks who attend these bawdy annual exhibitions in getting away with them!
What right does the fact that a man fought during the World War give him to break all the laws of decency, transgress on the equally important rights of other citizens, and act like a drunken hoodlum generally? And why do we allow this to happen each year ?
We hear our American Legion friends prate of ''100% Americanism." and we wonder if this annual demonstration is their idea of that elusive condition, which most of them would have some trouble in denning. I think nobody would deny that if I or you got out in Times Square and held up traffic . . . the sturdy minions of the law would quite promptly and forcibly throw us in the Bastille to think about the error of our ways. Every time I hear one of our self-appointed American Legion guardians of Americanism bragging about the organization's efforts in that direction, I ponder on these things, and am impelled to mentally emit a Bronx Cheer!
I am old enough to remember G. A. R. conventions in the days when the veterans were young and hearty--many of them--and there was a certain dignity and real patriotism exemplified in them that seems to be utterly lacking in the conventions of the American Legion. I have never been able to discover that even in the years immediately following the Civil War their conventions took this sort of a turn.
These Legionnaires are no longer boys, and it would appear that we could expect that they would put away childish things--or pay the penalty. A drunken bum sleeping it off in a hotel lobby or along the streets is still a drunken bum. . . .
If the American Legion wishes to command the respect of the great mass of law-abiding citizens, and the rising generation of young people to whom they wish to preach Americanism, it is time that they cleaned house among their members, demonstrated the principles of good citizenship at their annual conventions, and behaved less like a pack of cheap, booze-fighting roughnecks at their annual meetings. More than that, if they cannot and will not obey the laws of the country, and of common decency, how long are we going to let the regular law enforcement agencies sit back and condone their bawdy behavior? . . .
WALTER MACK
San Jose, Calif.
Fairness to Northwestern
Sirs:
Your writers have done a fine roundup of football broadcasting under the "Kickoff" heading on p. 39 of TIME, Oct. 4.
Unfortunately, the article states that the Kellogg Co. has contracted with Northwestern University for the 1937 ''Wildcat" broadcasts over WBBM. This statement is untrue and unfair to the trustees of Northwestern who, acting in accord with other Big Ten schools, have graciously permitted football broadcasting without charge by all stations, whether on a sustaining or a commercial basis.
WBBM first reported the N. U. gridiron schedule in 1928 and has enjoyed and respected this broadcasting privilege for many years. The station broadcasted all of the 1936 Northwestern games, and plans to follow the "Wildcats" throughout the 1937 season.
Last year WBBM sold its football broadcasts to the Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., and this year to the Kellogg Co. Never at any time has WBBM, Socony, or Kellogg paid Northwestern University for the rights to broadcast any sport.
In fairness to Northwestern's co-operative spirit in making the games available to alumni and other fans through radio facilities, TIME should correct the impression that Northwestern University has "succumbed to Kellogg's Corn Flakes."
H. C. BURNETT Director of Public Affairs
Station WBBM
Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc.
Chicago, III.
The money received by WBBM for its Northwestern game broadcasts is kept by WBBM.--ED.
Accident Facts
Sirs:
In TIME. Sept. 27, p. 38 appears this statement :
Most of the 1,000.000 yearly U. S. automobile accidents occur to experienced male drivers (over 25) going straight in passenger cars in good condition on dry roads in dear daylight. The National Safety Council in Accident Facts (1937 edition) says that two-thirds of the automobile deaths by accident occur by night; listen:
Twenty-six states reporting to the National Safety Council show that, whereas in the daytime only one in every forty-five motor vehicle injuries proves fatal, at night there is one death for every twenty-eight injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents. In other words, while only 48 per cent of all personal injury accidents occur at night, the average seriousness of night accidents is so great that 60 per cent of the deaths occur in that period. That the night accident problem is annually becoming greater and greater is shown in the reports of five states for the years 1930 and 1936. During that period the number of fatalities occurring during the day decreased by 11 per cent while night fatalities increased 28 per cent.
WALDEMAR KAEMPFFERT Science Editor New York Times New York City
TIME referred, not to the deathrate (which is higher at night), but to the accident-rate (which is higher in daylight). Of the 864,800 accidents in 1936, 52% occurred in clear daylight; 48% after dusk. Of the 33,55DEG nulldents resulting in fatalities, 41% occurred during the day; 59% at night. -ED.
Thermopolis to Map
Sirs:
TIME, Oct. 4, p. n, col. 3, is guilty of an omission. After leaving Casper, Wyo., en route to Yellowstone Park, the Presidential train stopped in Thermopolis, Wyo., for a short rear-platform personal appearance of the Nation's No. 1 Family.
Incidentally, Thermopolis, Wyo., is the site of the world's largest mineral hot spring. There has been considerable agitation to get for Thermopolis a Foundation such as F. D. R. has founded at Warm Springs, Ga. It was for this reason that the President paused in his westward journey. Will you please correct this omission and thereby aid in putting Thermopolis and its Big Spring on the National Map? Thank you.
M. MELVILLE JOHNSON
Thermopolis. Wyo.
Grand Forks to Map
Sirs:
THOUSANDS OF NORTH DAKOTANS RESENTFUL THAT TIME, OCT. 11 WAS AS FAITHLESS AS SOME NEWSPAPER DULLARDS ABOARD PRESIDENTIAL SPECIAL. ROOSEVELT ADDRESSED 40,000 PEOPLE AT GRAND FORKS, N. DAK OCT. 4 WHEN HE DEDICATED THE LARGEST WPA PROJECT UNDERTAKEN IN THIS STATE. WHILE HIS SPEECH MAY HAVE BEEN INNOCUOUS, THE FACT THAT THE PRESIDENT MADE A SCHEDULED SPEECH IN NORTH DAKOTA'S SECOND LARGEST CITY . . . OUGHT TO HAVE BEEN NEWSWORTHY. TIME AVIDLY COVERS EVERY TOOTH SISTIE AND BUZ-ZIE CUT BUT FAILS TO RECORD THE MAJOR APPEARANCE OF THEIR ILLUSTRIOUS GRANDFATHER. . . .
RONALD N. DAVIES
Grand Forks, N. Dak.
During his fortnight's Western tour, the President spoke 32 times, only five of which were formal occasions. In Thermopolis the address lasted two minutes. Let Readers Johnson & Davies take no slight that TIME did not report Mr. Roosevelt's remarks in full at each stop.--ED.
"Play With"
Sirs:
Many of your readers will probably be interested in a footnote to your article on ''Night Music" in the issue of Sept. 27.
In Germany this summer we discovered a new kind of phonograph record called "Spiel mil." These records of the best chamber music are prepared by good musicians with one part missing on the phonograph. The sheet music for the missing part is supplied with the record. The student by this method can play the record, hear first the sounding of a, then comes the beating of time for one measure, and, after a measure of silence, the music begins, making it possible for the student to join in with his own instrument.
About 100 records are listed in the leaflet which I have, the largest number being for first violin with piano, cello, viola and second violin following.
I was informed by a Jewish acquaintance in Berlin that the records have been prepared by a group of Jewish musicians who have turned to this method of supporting themselves after having lost their orchestra position because of their race. The artist responsible is Emil Herrmann, a violinist, and the records are prepared by the well-known radio record company, "Telefunken."
DONALD GREY BURNHOUSE
Philadelphia, Pa.
"Spiel mit," best chamber music accompaniment records, are not yet on sale in the U. S. Only similar records now available are Linguaphone Institute's (30 Rockefeller Plaza, Manhattan) 3; recordings, made by the Rothschild Quartet--one of whom drops out in each series--which include selections from Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert. For students of swing, British Decca Records of London has made 14 records of rhythm accompaniment to such standard hot pieces as Dinah, St. Louis Blues, Tiger Rag, Dardanella. U. S. Decca Records plans to place them on sale in the U. S. within two months.--ED.
One Particular
Sirs:
I have been traveling and had my attention called yesterday to the comment in TIME of Sept, 27 on my little book Scholarship and Democracy. In one particular only--just to keep the record straight--I wish to make a correction.
You include among my suggestions the proposal to combine the last two years of high school with the first two of college and give A.B.S at that point. That proposal is not mine but is put forward by President Hutchins [University of Chicago]. I am strongly opposed to it. I mentioned it in the book only to hold it up to scorn. After severely denouncing the present deplorable conditions in high schools, I said this plan would only add two more years to be conducted under the same conditions.
J. B. JOHNSTON
San Francisco, Calif.
TIME apologizes to Educator John Black Johnston, dean of Minnesota's Liberal Arts College, for attributing to him espousal of an educative theory which he was merely expounding.--ED.
Corking
Sirs:
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR CORKING HEMINGWAY ARTICLE [TIME, Oct. 18]. JUST AS YOUR EXITING COLOR REPRODUCTIONS IN LIFE ARE FURTHERING THE CAUSE OF MODERN AMERICAN ART YOUR TIME ARTICLES ON SUCH GREAT WRITERS AS DOS PASSOS AND HEMINGWAY ARE WAKING THIS COUNTRY TO THE FACT THAT OUR CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE IS SOMETHING OF WHICH EVERY AMERICAN CAN BE INTENSELY PROUD I HATE TO QUIBBLE BUT LAST TIME I WAS IN HEMINGWAY'S HOME IN KEY WEST I DEFINITELY SAW THREE SONS TRUE WE HAD TAKEN ON BOARD A QUANTITY OF HEMINGWAY'S SUPERB IRISH WHISKEY, BUT SURELY NOT ENOUGH TO RENDER ME INCAPABLE OF OUNTING UP TO THREE.
IRVING STONE
Vannuys, Calif.
Let Author Stone (Lust for Life) reead TIME, Oct. 18, note that TIME ave Ernest Hemingway his full quota of children.--ED.
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