Anniversary

With this issue TIME completes its 15th year. An account of TIME'S career to date appears under Press. But not until Nov. 10, 1939 will TIME'S Letters Department, inaugurated 20 months after the magazine first appeared, be 15 years old. The department was founded out of necessity. Almost from the magazine's inception, each issue evoked hundreds of pertinent communications, from which the Editors decided to print "excerpts . . . selected primarily for the information they contain either supplementary to, or corrective of, news previously published in TIME." In two essential respects the material printed in TIME'S new Letters Department differed from all previous letter columns: 1) no irrelevant personal pleadings were countenanced, 2) but no admissible and generally interesting point was left unanswered by the editors. TIME considered (and considers) its Letters Department its department of public relations, ready to right wrongs done its readers or itself, to deal with blame and praise alike.

The first Letters Department contained a protest from rich Reformer Roger Baldwin (then as now director of the American Civil Liberties Union), who advocated the overthrow of the Spanish monarchy; and an explanation from the Editors that by correcting a mistake Calvin Coolidge made about a baseball game, no slur was intended on the Chief Executive.

Recently TIME announced its impending anniversary to its subscribers. Some excerpts from some of the letters they wrote back: Sirs:

Pioneer and innovator in many ways of presenting the news, TIME through its first 15 years has shown a degree of originality that has been refreshing and oftentimes delightful. I wish the magazine a long life in serving the public by disseminating accurate information written in a manner to keep the reader from drowsing. . . .

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

TIME'S thanks to Reader Roosevelt. He was the 13th man to appear on TIME'S cover (John L. Lewis was 14th). The issue: May 28, 1923. At that time Mr. Roosevelt was making news as the new tsar of a building trades association. The association has not survived the years as notably as Mr. Roosevelt's ability to make news. He has appeared on TIME'S cover three times since. For news of the fifth member of his immediate family to be pictured on TIME'S cover see National Affairs.--ED.

Sirs:

I am glad to send you this word of congratulation in connection with the completion of 15 years of TIME. We recall with interest that Bankers Trust Co. was among the advertisers in your first issue on March 3, 1923.

GUY EMERSON

Vice President Bankers Trust Co. New York City

To Guy Emerson, TIME'S thanks; and thanks to the nine other advertisers (Babson's Statistical Organization; Doubleday, Doran & Co.--then Doubleday, Page; International Mercantile Marine; Western Electric; John Wanamaker; Durham Duplex; Allerton Club Residences; Alexander Hamilton Institute; Charles Scribner's Sons) who joined up the first year and have weathered a decade and a half with TIME.--ED.

Sirs:

. . . I remember the evening 15 years ago when the birth of TIME was announced. We were working away in the feature department of the old New York Herald. Charlie Lincoln--Mr. Lincoln to us--our managing editor, came into our room with a story he said was "must" for all editions. It was a story of the birth of TIME, and "must" it was from first to last. Now as TIME'S 15th birthday anniversary approaches it is interesting and gratifying to see how well justified was the Herald M.E.'s high appraisal of that piece of news. . . .

H. H. KINYON Columbia, Mo.

Sirs:

. . . It seems to me astonishing that only 147 college presidents are TIME subscribers. I, myself, find TIME quite indispensable and read it through from cover to cover every week. I should think there would be more of my over thousand colleagues who would find the publication as valuable as I do in keeping up to date on everything that happens in the world. . . .

JOHN S. NOLLEN

President Grinnell College Grinnell, Ia.

Sirs:

Congratulations on your 15th birthday. . . . To me, TIME is indispensable.

MARCIA FREVERT

Seward, Neb.

Sirs:

. . . Congratulations to me for having discovered you. . . .

HELEN W. EDWARDS

East Detroit, Mich.

Sirs:

All this is extraordinary--splendid. . . .

RENA B. HESTWOOD Denver, Colo.

Sirs:

I don't like your guts--you probably won't like mine. . . .

DICK JOLLO

New York City

Sirs:

. . . Your weakness, if it is a weakness, is one common also to big city newspapers. It is the way matters appear to big city people and is rather provincial. . . .

F. I. DREXLER

Mill Valley, Calif.

Sirs:

. . . I seldom have any criticism of TIME, and I hesitate even to make mention of one matter that came up last night when I received the last copy and saw the face of that man, John L. Lewis on the front cover. . . . No doubt he has friends among the labor unions. . . .

B. OGDEN CHISOLM

Ridgefield, Conn.

Sirs:

. . . Onions for the composition of TIME as it marches on. . . I find it difficult to get the kernel of each story without carefully reading every word from start to finish. As I haven't the time for such laborious reading, weeks and months slip by without my getting past the first three or four pages of each issue. . . . The foregoing criticism applies only to the longer yarns--I find the shorter squibs quite unobjectionable. . . .

HALE SPARKS

Berkeley, Calif.

TIME'S motto, after 15 years, is still curt, clear, complete.--ED.

Sirs:

... I would not even consider knowing any friends who did not subscribe to TIME. BRANSON DE COU

Hollywood, Calif.

TIME does not encourage intolerance.--ED.

Sirs:

. . . I really think that TIME has something that no other news organ has. Brief, succinct write-ups. Clarified international situations that the average person finds hard to grasp from sometimes conflicting newspaper reports. . . .

STANLEY GIBSON Montreal, Que.

Sirs:

On March 3, 1923 I was a charter-subscriber to the best weekly periodical printed in U. S. A. . . . Long may it wave! Now a damaged heart makes it of vital importance to me.

MRS. E. M. HENDERSON

Boise, Idaho

Sirs:

. . . I assure you that as long as I have eyes to see and money to pay with, I shall subscribe for TIME.

EMMA ACKERMAME

Fredericka Home Chula Vista, Calif.

Sirs:

. . . It is the only magazine read by me from cover to cover. . . .

JACK F. RABEY

Savannah, Ga. "Cover-to-cover" is the phrase TIME'S readers have used most frequently for 15 years.--ED.

Sirs:

. . . Having earned my living for nearly 40 years by writing and editing newspapers, weekly and daily, I do not hesitate to tell you that I believe the editors of TIME are the most competent the world has ever seen, not even excepting those who reported the life of the Savior for our Holy Bible. . . .

OTTO MCFEELY

Oak Park, Ill.

Sirs:

. . . The only department I consider has gone backward is the "letters from subscribers." At first they were vigorous, enthusiastic, fighting letters for or against TIME and sent me continually to hunt among my back numbers for the source of their quarrel. Now they, the letters, are just blah-printed so TIME may make some infinitesimal correction that nobody cares about but the letter writer and the policy on TIME'S editors' part seems to be--offend nobody--which isn't interesting.

MRS. F. B. TERRELL Warner Springs, Calif.

. . . You keep my mind fresh, alert and up to the minute on all world events.

And you are such a good sport. When you are wrong, which isn't very often, you admit it and take it on the chin; but when you aren't, you give the other fellow a clip, and he really knows it. . . .

E. D. VANCE Dayton, Ohio

Sirs:

. . . Do not believe you can make any improvements. For my part I do not want any improvements. Remember the old adage "Let well enough alone"? Will continue to subscribe until the present administration has me to the point where I cannot raise a five-spot.

HOWARD D. CLARK

Valparaiso, Ind.

TIME would not be worth Reader Clark's annual five-spot did it not hump itself to improve its product.--ED.

Sirs:

. . . All these years, we in our family circle have felt that utter satisfaction which comes only when one is sure and confident that the truth is being told. We quote TIME--We rely on TIME--We have an abiding faith that TIME will give us unbiased facts.

And so I want to be among the many friends of TIME who feel sincerely thankful, and who feel that this precious magazine could never be replaced. . . .

FLORENCE A. DRAPER

Duluth, Minn.

Sirs:

. . . Thank you for growing for I believe that my family and I have also grown with you and through you.

Five members of my rather small family have been TIME readers and subscribers for most of those 15 years. After each of us went our separate ways and established homes of our own, we continued to have our old friend with us in our new environment. We plan to have our growing babies enjoy it as do our husbands and wives. . . .

MRS. O. R. MACKEY

Yuma, Ariz.

Sirs:

. . . My children have been brought up on TIME (not borrowed) and may our grandchildren and great grandchildren also be blessed with TIME weekly. In other words, many happy returns of your birthday!

FLORENCE M. MORGAN

Lynnhaven, Ya.

Sirs:

I am a subscriber to TIME because it presents the news in a very concise and condensed form. It is easy for one who is busy to keep in touch with the events in this fast changing world. . . .

R. E. KENYON

Pawtucket, R. I.

Sirs:

. . . As a foreign-born resident of this country for five years (ready for his final citizenship papers) I have been reading TIME for the last three. You have helped me a long way towards becoming a good citizen through your impartial, intelligent, clever and witty magazine. . . .

HERBERT M. BURTON

Miami Beach, Fla.

Sirs:

. . . We know you will do a better job in the next 15 years. . . .

MRS. H. B. RUNYAN

Coldwater, Mich.

TIME, responsive to congratulation and criticism alike, pledges itself to do so.--ED.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.