Windbags Compared
Sirs:
. . . Hard to forgive is the implied comparison ... of the regrettable Benito with Mr. Toad (TIME, Aug. 9). I have known Toad for 25 years, and I resent the slur upon his good name. He is a windbag, no doubt, but generous and lovable, with no harm in him. . . .
H. W. RlCKETT White Plains, N. Y.
> TIME, going on 21, may not have known Toad as long as Reader Rickett, but considers that his soft verdict on that essentially incorrigible character does more credit to his heart than to his head.--ED.
Faith Re-Established
Sirs:
Enclosed find two letters that we have selected out of about fifty . . . received in regard to the article in TIME of Aug. 16. We feel both these letters show how the boys in the service feel about the ones that are left behind to carry on the war work. ....
CHARLES DAGGERT President
Tank & Body Builders Union Philadelphia
> I have just read the account of how you stopped a strike. ... As a citizen of the U.S. as well as a soldier in the U.S. Army, permit me to thank you. . . .
On the opposite page of TIME [was] the story of John Robbins Mohler, who waged an unceasing, little known war against animal diseases that could be transferred to human beings. . . .
Sir, there are millions of men in the armed forces in all parts of the world; TIME Magazine, with its miniature light weight overseas issues, reaches almost all of them. When they read the account of your action and when they read about John Robbins Mohler, their faith will be re-established in the Common Man. They will know there is loyalty, patriotism, living and vibrant in these United States. That this is a country worth fighting and dying for!
I doubt whether you two gentlemen can ever appreciate how much you contributed to the morale of the military forces of the United States! Be happy in the thought that we regard you as the salt of the earth !
CHESTER G. GRESHLER Lieutenant Camp Barkeley, Tex.
> I just came back from a nine-day bivouac. That means living in the field for nine days and nights. When I got back, there was a letter here waiting for me from my wife. In it was a clipping . . . telling about you and the Tank and Body Builders Union and what great work you were doing towards the war effort. I am damn proud to say that I am a member of such a Union as that.
I realize how much the fellows and girls at the plant want that raise. I want it too because after all I have a little money coming to me out of that too, but I am willing to skip that money if it means you have to go on strike to get it. . . .
When a soldier lives in the field, Charlie, he goes through a hell on earth. . . . You go to bed in a slit trench at 11:30 at night and you get up at 3:15 in the morning. When the bivouac is over and you come back to your barracks you are . . . mad at the whole damn world. Then you pick up the paper and read about some civilian war workers out on strike and that really makes you blow your top. . . .
You can imagine how good I felt to read about the way you boys stuck to your jobs. I was proud to show that clipping to all the men in my barracks and they were glad to see that at least some people weren't stabbing them in the back. ... I hope I live to see all of you again.
MARTY DOYLE
Camp Campbell, Ky.
That Sinatra Look
Sirs:
In your article titled "Symphonic Sinatra" (TIME, Aug. 23), you have left a very distasteful impression of Mr. Sinatra's appearance at the Bowl. Now, I am not one of the Sinatra Swooners, but ... I attended the concert. ... I was curious to see this so-called "bedroom" singer who had strangely become the idol of American girlhood in such a short time; and, then too, my girl friend insisted upon my going.
I was amazed. . . .
From his opening number, Dancing in the Dark, to his last encore, All or Nothing at All, Sinatra had the greater majority of his audience in the palm of his hand. . . .
I think that the main reason most of the men say they do not care for Sinatra's voice is that they are jealous of him. . . . When my girl looks at me with that "if you could only sing like Sinatra" look in her eyes, I know that I am. . . . Secretly, I've got to admit I think his voice is terrific, and I hand it to the guy. . . .
CHARLES PEARSON Los Angeles
Sirs:
. . . Here's hoping for bigger & better bowls for Sinatra to fill, and I do mean with appreciative audiences.
(PFC.) CARL W. GREEN Winston-Salem, N.C.
Sirs:
Sinatras may come and go; but Crosby goes on forever--thank God!
JEAN MCLAUGHLIN New York City
Repeat Performance
Sirs:
As a sequel to your brief "Harsh Lesson" (TIME, Aug. 9), which told of a platoon lost in the desert, the following may be of interest.
Recently, the men who came back from that unfortunate experience went to their Commanding General and asked to be allowed to repeat the six-day test, under the leadership of Lieut. Sanford L. Miller, who led the platoon on the ill-fated test.* Permission was granted and they all came through in fine shape, as thousands of others have done before them, and a thousands more will do... This repeat performance of men of the 85th Infantry Division is indicative of the spirit of men of other units at Desert Training Center. We are proud of them.
EDDIE L. HOWERY Captain Camp Young, Calif.
Churchgoing Artist
Sirs:
At last! Befitting recognition of our artist, E. H. Baker (TIME, Aug. 23). Ask him to do one of himself, please.
I wonder if he has the little pocket notebook that he carried as a boy in the First Baptist Church in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. In this book were pencil sketches of the minister and most of the others of us, some in rather uncomplimentary poses. . . .
V. M. RUBERT Pittsburgh
> Artist Baker swears that he has given up sketching in church. But he can still sketch--ED.
Billiards at Chapel Hill
Sirs:
You aren't quite accurate when you say in the Aug. 16 issue, "Only once in his [Billiards Maestro Charlie Peterson's] long career has an audience walked out on him." There was another time.
He gave an exhibition in Chapel Hill, N.C., in 1938 in the billiard room of Graham Memorial, the student club house. That afternoon all but one of the tables were removed. One was placed at the end of the room, and temporary bleachers set up.
Peterson started. He made a few simple shots without any difficulty. Then he went on to the tough ones--and ran into trouble.
He'd try the shot, and miss. "Once more," he'd say doggedly, and try three or four times more. Then, his cue ball head dripping with perspiration, he'd finally make it. ...
He went through every one of the shots mentioned in TIME . . . and he made every one of them--including the silver dollar shot. . . .
Only a handful of students was left [at] . . . the bitter end. . . .
Next morning ... we were discussing Peterson. Up spoke one guy (a football player, with a "scholarship"). "I don't know," he said . . . "whether this would have anything to do with it ... but when we moved the tables in the afternoon--I forgot to balance Peterson's table. . . ." Any billiard player who can make the shots Peterson did on a screwy table is okay for my money.
RUTH M. PARSONS New York City
Useful Rome
Sirs:
... If declaring a city open means that it is not to be defended, surely we can put this matter to the test. . . . Why not drop a few parachutists on Rome and seize the city? If these men were attacked, obviously the city would not be an open city, but if they were not attacked, I should imagine it would be very useful for us to be in possession of Rome. . . .
Why not?
GERALD R. WIGHT Trinidad, B.W.I.
> Why not?--ED.
Stimulated Readers Sirs: It is no news to you that people for divers and sundry reasons read TIME. ... I read it . . . because it often contains articles like the one . . . about Brian O'Nolan (TIME, Aug 23) of Eire, whom I don't know from Adam and--and this is precisely the point--about whom I'd still know nothing but for TIME.
The character and versatility and methods of this young Irish writer stimulate and interest me--to the extent I may (if possible now) subscribe to Dublin's Irish Times just to read the three of his six weekly articles that are in English. . . .
Selah! and may you live long and prosper.
RALPH HALE New York City
Sirs:
The spritely Keatsian reminiscences by Brian O'Nolan in your Aug. 23 issue recall that in his youth Keats took such a passionate interest in baseball he became regarded as a sage of the diamond, was often called upon to settle disputed matches.
On one notable occasion he was asked to investigate a home run made by his friend Chapman on what some spectators claimed was a foul ball and took leave of Byron, remarking, "Guess I'll be pretty busy looking into this homer of Chapman's." Byron affected deafness.
MARSHALL KIRBY Pasadena, Calif.
Basic English
Sirs:
Though well done, your story on Ivor Richards' new book (TIME, Aug. 16) is all too short to give TIME readers a well rounded picture of Basic English.
Although one may use only 850 basic words such use at times not only makes for greater clearness, but also for more forceful writing. This comes as a great surprise to people who are in love with words, and who commonly make use of many thousands of them in talking and writing.
For amusement, I sometimes put everyday writing into basic. . . .
A suggestion to TIME readers: take up the indoor amusement of putting into basic the political talks of your Washington representatives. It's harder than crosswords, but much more interesting.
(You will recognize the above language as basic.)
HENRY MAYERS Los Angeles
*Three men died, a fourth was reported missing.
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