Private Opinion & Public Duty
Sirs:
Your paragraphs about the "psychological front" of the U.S. Army [TIME, July 28] are interesting, in that the writer fears that the reported 50-50 isolationist-interventionist conversational standoff is important. It isn't. Americans will do their duty by the U.S. Government whether that Government seems to them as individuals to be mistaken or not. As one of the few generally educated peoples of the world, we do not have to be indoctrinated with interventionism to do a good job for America. I happen to be an isolationist of the "hemispheric defense" school of thought, but that does not mean that I, and others like me, are not willing to serve our country as the constituted authorities deem fit. Private political opinion is a healthy thing. The privilege of holding such opinion without fear is worth fighting for. Above all, we believe in and will fight for the U.S.--right or wrong.
F. H. BUCK JR.
Berkeley, Calif.
If This Is True . . .
Sirs:
In your issue of July 21, you gave a fine story of the progress made by the Department of Agriculture in gaining control of the farming element of the nation. You state in almost so many words that the Department expects soon to control all agricultural activities except the minor details. And further on in the article you suggest that through the control of agriculture, control of all business will be obtained. If this is true and I believe you are correct, it means that the Government will have the power of complete control over every individual life in the nation. If that is to come to pass in America why should we fight Hitler? . . .
J. S. COPPOC
McDonald, Kans.
Sirs:
Surely you have hit an all-time high in context, reporting and editing in your article on Agriculture in the issue of July 21. . . . Reprint this same article a million strong and see that every university in the land has copies, to enable every student to study this contribution to sound thinking for the future. It is excellent in every way, even to the deft sense of humor running through the description of the various men involved. . . .
J. MAXWELL KENNARD
New York City
Wedgwood
Sirs:
. . . You refer [TIME, July 28] to Colonel Josiah Wedgwood as a "china merchant" and "potter." In point of fact Colonel Wedgwood has never been actively connected with the family business. The reason is that the three brothers who owned the business between 1870 and 1890 drew up a partnership agreement which allowed each one to introduce only one son into the firm. Colonel Wedgwood's eldest brother was chosen for the honor, and the two younger sons were automatically excluded.
Colonel Wedgwood's career shows some of the extraordinary vesatility of his distinguished ancestor, and it would be correct, as a result, to refer to him as a naval architect, a gallant army officer, an able historian, a tax expert, or a skillful parliamentarian, but not "merchant" and not "potter." . . .
Incidentally, there is something wrong about your statement that 90% the Wedgwood sales go to the U.S., Canada and the West Indies. I have not seen recent figures, but even in the lush '20s, when this country was absorbing a great deal of Wedgwood ware, the proportion never came anywhere near 90% of the total sales. . . .
RALPH M. HOWER
Assistant Professor of Business History
Harvard University
Boston, Mass.
-- Let Professor Hower quarrel with "potter" but not with TIME'S figures, supplied by New York headquarters of Wedgwood itself. Since war, Wedgwood's normal 55% North American sales have jumped to 90% due to the British luxury tax (33%$>)> loss of Continental and Empire markets.--ED.
Supe v. Soup
Sirs:
I appeal for your potent help in rescuing a good word. When by supercharging and higher compression, internal combustion engines began to be "suped up," the phrase was born, of good and healthy stock, and has a good flavor.
Corrupted to "souped up" it has no significance in the world, and I begin to see even the airplane magazines yielding to it, just to go along.
JOHN K. HANNAY
Seattle, Wash.
-- Flavorous, if corrupted, "souped up" as used by fliers may have an older tradition than Reader Hannay believes. In pre-aviation days a doped race horse was also "souped up."--ED.
Christian Goodness
Sirs:
In commenting on A. J. Cronin's The Keys of the Kingdom in TIME of July 21, you state: "Chief difficulty in writing about Christian goodness is that almost nobody believes it is possible. Next difficulty is that few people find it exciting." That is a remarkable assertion, even for TIME, and interesting if true. It can't well be argued without the protagonists' defining what they mean by Christian goodness and that seems to allow a wide interpretation. Let me suggest, however, that there are individuals who are naive enough to associate Christian goodness with such statements as the credo of John D. Rockefeller Jr. published in the same issue of TIME, also with President Roosevelt's widely applauded four freedoms, also with the professed reasons of the Allies for fighting this war. . . .
HELEN PEAVY WASHBURN
Ithaca, N.Y.
Grin & Bear It
Sirs:
Just what kind of soldiers are they in the 44th? [TIME, July 28] Do they think they're the only ones that are grumbling? All of us are, but we aren't expressing our opinions to the public. My outfit, in particular, is located on a sandspit way out in Boston Harbor, appropriately called by an inspecting general, "one of the worst posts in the U.S. Army." Boats to the mainland are bad and athletic activities are at a minimum. Entertainment consists of old movies three times a week and a WPA show, which though appreciated is corny. No big time such as is enjoyed by members of large Army posts. Passes off the island every ten days is an improvement over every 21.
Yet with these adversities and many more, we have been honored time and again as one of the best Coast Artillery outfits in the U.S. Army in terms of morale and tactical efficiency.
This may sound as though we're blowing our own horn but we would just like to point out to the 44th that you have to grin & bear it. ...
--*
Boston, Mass.
News Front Man
Sirs:
Where a question of fact is involved I am sure TIME will be very eager to make a correction. In the Jemail story under Press [TiME, July 21] his column is credited with being "away out in front in the reader-interest race." Exception: the editorial cartoon drawn by me. My rating: 58%. Inquiring Photographer: 57%.
C. D. BATCHELOR
Editorial Cartoonist
The News
New York City
>-Congratulations!--ED.
Businessmen's Manners
Sirs:
There is apparently another fly-by-night analyst of our Latin American problems running loose in this part of the world--L. B. Mallison, whose letter from Buenos Aires was published in your June 23 edition.
As a representative of the "businessmen" whom Mr. Mallison takes to task, along with diplomatic representatives, for having failed so miserably in teaching our southern neighbors to like "north" Americans, it seems hardly necessary to refute the asinine charges made against us--in general. My experience has been limited to the past 15 years, but even that short period should better qualify me to condemn my fellow-countrymen down here than one with the ripe experience of one year's stay among Argentines and Brazilians. . . .
According to State Department reports there are slightly fewer than 8,000 Americans living in South American countries. [The U.S. State Department lists 17,787 Americans living in South America.--ED.] In my travels I have met many of them and can assure those at home that most of them are quite normal types whose behavior is far higher than the low rating accorded by Mr. Mallison. I really claim at least parity with the English on this score and am unwilling to grant citizens of the Axis countries the superiority indicated in his (Mallison's) letter--after all, aren't we all human, regardless of land of birth? . . -
MASON F. FORD
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sirs:
Every week a friend here passes on to me your air express edition, which I find most interesting. In your edition of June 23, however, I read a letter from Buenos Aires, signed by Mr. L. B. Mallison, under the heading "Battle of Diplomats," with which I cannot agree.
I have been living in the Amazon Valley for the past 40 years, and have known intimately quite a number of English and American people, all of them decent and very well-behaved, also esteemed by everybody.
It is true that Americans and Englishmen, generally, find difficulty in mastering foreign languages, but, even if they fail to acquire a perfect accent, or misspell an occasional word, this does not constitute an insult or offense to the natives of the country, as Mr. Mallison apparently considers. . . .
Mr. Mallison claims that the behavior of American and English people "in the shops, hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, etc." is very much inferior to that of the Nazis and Fascists, but that leads me to think that Mr. Mallison must be frequenting "Un Monde Special" and that his criticism is therefore somewhat biased.
J. GUNZBURGER
Manaos, Brazil
Sirs:
If all the "arrogant" business men in South America are not spending too much time "in the shops, hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and in all public places," I imagine that you will be deluged with letters in answer to the one written by L. B. Mallison. . . .
I am meeting my wife after office hours today and we intend to have dinner in a public restaurant where I presume we will conduct ourselves "a estilo Mallison." After dinner we are going to the beautiful Cine Metro, built and operated by misbehaved Americans, to see the Marx Brothers. After reading Mr. Mallison's letter, I believe that I am the only American in South America that would probably spend such a sane evening.
No doubt Mr. Mallison has learned a lot about South America in one year. I have been down here since 1928 and I am sure that, if Mr. Mallison will come up and see us sometime, he can help us all to improve our Portuguese. Also, if he has Emily Post's book on etiquette, he might bring it along, because I do not believe any American down here has ever heard of it. I am also afraid that Mr. Mallison's letter will prove to be a great shock to the American corporations when they learn about the type of men that are conducting their affairs in South America. ...
W. DE SCHRYVER
General Motors
Sao Paulo, Brazil
* Name omitted by request.
This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.