Hypacusics' Heroine

Sirs:

Speaking as one of the millions of hard-of-hearing folk in this land I wish that in your admirable review of Harriet Martineau's Retrospect of Western Travel (TIME, Nov. 2) the reviewer had played up more dramatically Harriet's really amazing achievement. This was not writing a lively and realistic description of our infant republic, but rather in spite of serious deafness collecting the facts for it. My lifelong interest in Harriet was inspired by her handicap, for I, too, have been seriously deaf all my life. . . .

I wish also you had printed the courageous paragraph from Society in America--the book reviewed was a by-product of that work--as an inspiration to us hypacusics. She said:

"I labored under only one peculiar disadvantage that I am aware of, but that one is incalculable. I mean my deafness. This does not endanger the accuracy of my information, I believe, as far as it goes, because I carry a trumpet of remarkable fidelity; an instrument moreover, which seems to exert some winning power, by which I gain more in tete-a-tete than is given to people who hear general conversation. Probably its charm consists in the new feeling of ease and privacy in conversing with a deaf person."

Her difficulties in conversation will strike a responsive chord in the cochlea of every hard-of-hearing person. She admired Malthus but could not understand him; he had a harelip and a cleft palate. Wordsworth took his teeth out after dinner, which made his most inspired words unintelligible to poor Harriet.

EARNEST ELMO CALKINS New York City

American Parallel

Sirs:

In line with your recent articles on Washington's apathetic response to wartime needs, may I suggest a parallel in American history.

President Lincoln faced similar troubles in the early days of the War between the States, permitting an under-equipped Confederate Army to march almost to the gates of Washington before the Federal forces received the leadership they needed.

Had Germany's Rommel been commanding the Southern army at Bull Run, it is likely that Washington would have been taken without too much trouble.

It seems that Lincoln found a job of house-cleaning necessary before unity of leadership was obtained. . . .

LYNNE BRANNEN JR. New York City

Fighting Age

Sirs:

... I believe that the U.S. errs in keeping a lot of old men in key Army positions in Washington and in the field. After 50 most men have lost their usefulness for high command.

Alexander was dead at 33. Hannibal was 29 when he crossed the Little St. Bernard Pass in the Alps; he was 31 at Cannae and was 45 at Zama. Julius Caesar was 45 in the Belgian campaign; 47 when he invaded Britain. . . .

Genghis Khan fought his last important campaign when he was 42. Gustavus Adolphus was 38 when he was killed at the battle of Luetzen. Eugene of Savoy was 34 when he beat the Turks at Zenta; he was 46 at Malplaquet; he was 53 at Peterwardein. Marlborough fought his last battle with Eugene, at 59.

Frederick the Great was 51 at the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763, and that ended his military career.

Napoleon lacked two months of being 46 at Waterloo. Wellington had then just passed his 46th birthday.

Turn to American history.

Washington was 49 at Yorktown, his war career done.

Andrew Jackson at 48 won at New Orleans. Scott at 28 closed the Niagara campaign. These were the only creditable campaigns of the War of 1812.

In the Civil War, Sherman opened the Atlanta Campaign at 44. ... Stonewall Jackson was 39 when fatally wounded at Chancellorville. . . . Grant was almost 43 at Appomattox. Lee, his opponent, superb in defense and not so good in the offensive campaigns of Antietam and Gettysburg, was 56. ...

Sheridan, best Northern cavalryman, was 34 at the end of the war. Nathan B. Forrest, whom General Sherman called "that devil Forrest," and doubtless the best Southern cavalryman, was 44 in 1865. . . .

Leaders of World War I ? All too old. . . . R. D. JOHNSTONE San Francisco

Mistaken Identity

Sirs:

I enjoyed reading your write-up of the promotion of my friend Jay Cooke which appeared on page 94 of the Oct. 26 issue of TIME, but would suggest that you republish it with Jay's picture instead of mine as some of his friends might want to save it.

WILLIAM S. HOUGHTON Lieut. Colonel, Infantry Leesville, La.

>Herewith TIME gladly reproduces a true likeness of Jay Cooke Ill.--ED.

Slow But Sure

Sirs:

In this controversy between professionals and amateurs as to the wisdom of an immediate second front, doesn't anyone give thought to the fact that the entire British war machine was built after Dunkirk, and while the nation was fighting for its life ? If the Few-to-Whom-so-Many-owe-so-Much had waited for the supplies and reinforcements that they needed at that moment, Great Britain wouldn't be singing There'll Always Be an England today.

We parallel that situation in the Pacific. If our Few had sat down and waited for the tools and help they so desperately needed, who would be in control of our West Coast today ?

Democracies have always built as they fought. Is the modern pattern to adjust the last pleat before inviting the neighbors into the new house? . . .

MOLLIE MARSON

Hollywood

The Big Money

Sirs:

What do you mean "higher prices reduce the demand for goods?" (TIME, Nov. 2).

It didn't during and after the last war. Foolish women paid $80 for $10.95 dresses; $18.50 for $4.50 shoes; $100 rent for $30 apartments; $3.95 for $1.25 hose; $2.95 for 50-c- cosmetics. The younger generation don't believe us when we tell them we realize we were fools to do it. They jingle big money in their pockets and coin purses, and look around for something expensive to buy, something they never felt they could afford before. We thought the big money came our way just because we were smart. So now the younger generation are so much smarter than we were 25 years ago that we can't tell them anything.

M. M. OVERSTREET Sedalia, Mo.

>But higher prices still do reduce the demand for goods, if for no other reason than that a woman with $80 can buy only one $80 dress instead of seven $10.95 dresses.--ED.

Horrible Example

Sirs:

Your article in the Oct. 26 issue of TIME, describing the dilemma of Economic Czar James F. Byrnes in attempting to balance his budget, is the best example I have seen of the necessity of immediately adopting the proposed Ruml "pay as you go" income-tax plan.

Faithful James F. Byrnes should have set aside, out of his $20,000 salary, while he was receiving it, funds with which to pay his income tax, so that he would not now be faced with the problem of paying the tax on a $20,000 income out of a $10,000, or even $15,000 salary.

How can an average human being be expected to budget his expenditures out of current income so as to have funds to meet tax liabilities, when even an "economic czar" apparently has been unable to do so? Also, how would the Government have collected Mr. Byrnes's tax, if it had not increased his salary ?

LLOYD H. MCDOUGALL Duluth

Dog's Life for a General

Sirs:

Just read your article concerning General Vandegrift (TIME, Nov. 2).

I was an engineering officer (Sr. 2nd Lieut.) on the transport that took General Vandegrift to the South Pacific.

Let me be one, also, to praise the modest General. I saw him many times on the 20-day trip.

At the usual high jinks that attend crossing the Equator, the General was not above being initiated into the royal order of the deep. For that matter, all of the officers were grand fellows and "good sports."

At its best, a transport is a cattle boat and the discomfort is sickening, especially when it is blistering hot for days at a time. Water is strictly rationed, and the troops must stand up to eat or sit on the deck any place there is room to sit. . . .

Those marines are a great crowd and I'm proud that I had a part in getting them down there. Next I want to take them to Tokyo!!

LOWELL FLOYD U.S. Merchant Marine Los Angeles, Calif.

Undignified

Sirs:

The caption of the photograph of the present Supreme Court [TIME, Oct. 26] is not quite up to par. Paraphrasing the old hymn, it might well have been--"Change and decay in all around I see," or with the addition of a few banjos and a very little black face the old minstrel show salutation--"Gentlemen, be seated" might be in order. . . .

W. W. TAYLOR Houston

Sirs:

Shocking to say the least was the photograph of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is a most august body, or should be. As individuals they are human and may behave informally as other men, yet even then have some consideration for the great offices they hold. But as a body they should never appear in any manner that might lower the very high degree of respect with which they should be honored by their fellow citizens. Chief Justice Stone looks down the line with evident disapproval.

W. F. BARBER Lawton, Okla.

War Songs

Sirs :

The music of Der Fuehrer's Face [TIME, Nov. 2] sounds to me like the song my German-born in-laws sang in the old country:

Einen Talmi Ring den hab ich ihr geschenkt,

Dass ihr Herze Feuer faengt,

Eine Brosche die beinah zwei Mark an Wert,

Dock das alles, alles hat sie nicht begehrtl Meaning in American:

A near-gold ring I bought my Heart's Desire,

To set her heart on fire,

To set her heart on fire.

And a pin that cost me nearly half a buck,

All no use, all no use, I'm out of luck!

Der Fuehrer's Face is excellent mockery; but we don't want too much of that. . . . Much better is religious fanaticism; at its grim best in defeat. John Brown's body lay amoldering, but his soul went marching on. Till we get another such real rouser, a song for men, and keep the Julia Ward Howe's lady fingers off it, the popular Praise the Lord, etc., will do to go on with.

THOMAS McMoRROW New York City

The Women

Sirs:

Your article entitled "The Women" under Press in the Oct. 26 issue is the most revolting "dark ages" type of propaganda I've had to stomach for a long time. It is an insult to every working newswoman in the country, to say nothing of those who are hatching on the half shell in journalism schools. . . .

Granted there are few women copy readers. An intelligent person would take them from women familiar with a newspaper set up. . . . Why doesn't he hire newswomen who do know that style is something besides what is talked about in a fashion magazine? . . .

HELEN EWING Hollywood

False Gospel

Sirs:

In your article, "The Power of Prayer in Kentucky," issue of Oct. 26, p. 78, you missed a chance to point out the fact that the passage so literally interpreted by the snake-handlers is Mark 16:18, which is a part of the well-known "false" ending to the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 16 verses 9 to 20 in the King James version. Nobody who looks at the facts could come to the conclusion that Jesus actually spoke these words, and the evidence that he did not is of the best and most objective kind, manuscript evidence.

The Second-Century Christian who added this "false ending" to Mark may have had in mind such passages as Luke 10:19 and Acts 28:3-6, but there is still no genuine word of Jesus which, literally interpreted, could encourage the snake-handlers.

F. W. GINGRICH Department of Greek and Religion Albright College Reading, Pa.

Crackdown Exception

Sirs:

On p. 90 of your issue for Oct. 26, you state: "The Treasury had asked Congress to crack down on all such outfits (mine and lumber operators) by eliminating all depletion allowances." This is entirely inaccurate.

The Treasury made no proposals at all as to lumber. As far as mines (and oil wells) are concerned, the Treasury has never suggested that they should not be allowed to deduct the actual depletion sustained on the cost of the properties. The Treasury has sought to eliminate the present unsound, unfair and insidious allowance for depletion on the basis of a percentage of the gross income. . . .

ERWIN N. GRISWOLD

Law School of Harvard University Cambridge, Mass.

>TIME erred. The Treasury proposed to eliminate only percentage depletion allowances for mines. Whether such allowances are insidious is a matter of opinion.--ED.

How to Influence the Japs

Sirs:

In your Oct. 12 issue, you presented "a sample of the U.S. propaganda spread . . .. among Japanese in Hawaii," in which an inscription in Japanese is supposed to say that the Emperor "wants ... to know where those planes came from that bombed Tokyo."

Whoever wrote this Japanese caption for the cartoon did not do a good job of it, for the text actually says: "For Our Birthday present, find out the name of the country that bombed Japan." Which makes it anything but a piece of effective propaganda, and sounds ridiculous, if I may say so, because every Japanese must know which country bombed Japan.

. . . The Japanese people, at home or abroad, will be very indifferent to, if not amused by, this type of propaganda, but will be profoundly stirred and disturbed when their sense of propriety, pride, and national honor are challenged in a manner and a language that they can not fail to understand. . . .

For years I have considered myself a refugee from my native country, Japan, and have endeavored to win the Japanese people to the cause of humanity and freedom. For the sake of my relatives still in Japan, I must ask you to withhold my identity.

Madison, Wis.

The Nine Others

Sirs:

On page 59 of TIME, Oct. 26: "La Prensa ... is one of the world's ten greatest papers." What, in your opinion, are the other nine? . . .

R. M. MARKHAM St. Petersburg, Fla.

>As a proposal: the London Times, Manchester Guardian, New York Times, New York Herald Tribune, Baltimore Sun, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Washington Post, Kansas City Star, and one more to be named by the reader.--ED.

TIME, November 16, 1942

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