Of Pullmans and Beaux
Sirs:
I thank you so much for the space and attention TIME (March 13) has given to my recent autobiography, You're Only Human Once . . . . There are, however, several points I should like to make:
1) The Pullman you spoke of me renting to go to Hollywood in 1931 was, in reality, a private car . . . and was rented and paid for by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.
2) Maurice Chevalier . . . was never my beau. He did fall in love most charmingly with several of my friends. I think I have been blessed with sufficient "true loves" without the addition of Chevalier, who must be having troubles of his own in France today.
3) You also mentioned the fact that four of my main roles in opera--Mimi, Tosca, Manon and Louise--have certainly been sung better by other people. Do you mean Melba as Mimi, Muzio as Tosca, Sibyl Sanderson as Manon, and Mary Garden as Louise? Some of those people never sang at the Metropolitan, but they did create the golden memories of the past.
Well, I am a part of the present day of trial and tribulation for the singing artist. I am happy to feel, however, that it is the public's opinion that has sustained my career and kept me a star for 20 years. I thank you again most profoundly for your review and, as long as I can go on creating "dramatic excitement merely by walking onto the stage," there will be reason for prolonging that inevitable day when the curtain must fall on my singing career.
New York City
GRACE MOORE
Orphaned Niece?
Sirs:
In TIME (Feb. 28) I find the following statement in connection with George Antheil, the composer: "During his expatriation, he concertized widely, married a niece of Austrian Playwright Arthur Schnitzler."
Being the son of Arthur Schnitzler, I should like to ask you where you got this information? As far as I know, my father's only niece lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. . . . I remember very well Mr. Antheil's stay in Vienna, where I had the opportunity of meeting him once or twice. However, I was rather surprised to learn from TIME that I should regard Mr. Antheil as a relative of mine. Of course, it might be possible that I don't know my own family. At any rate, you will understand my curiosity and forgive my bothering you with this question.
May I use this occasion to say how very much I have enjoyed being a subscriber of TIME for the last two years, and to thank you for reliable information, frequently brilliant writing, and often superior analysis of world events; in short, for all the features which distinguish your magazine from other and less gratifying manifestations of journalism.
HENRY SCHNITZLER
University of California Berkeley, Calif.
P: TIME, grateful for Reader Schnitzler's praise, suggests that he get in touch with Composer Antheil, who swears they are indeed related.--ED.
Abortion
TIME'S story on abortions (March 6) ended sadly, in midair. After shocking its readers quite justifiably about the estimated 1,000,000 abortions in the U.S. each year, then pointing out that police raids are no more a cure than they were for bootlegging, TIME sighs and says that no one has yet figured out the answer to such questions.
If TIME had leafed a few more pages in the late great Dr. Frederick J. Taussig's standard text on abortion . it would have found this statement: "Of all the measures suggested for the control of abortion none equals in importance the widespread establishment of clinics for contraceptive advice and provision for the free distribution of contraceptive materials among the poor. . . . By the prevention of the undesired or undesirable pregnancy we can reduce the number of cases requiring abortion to a relatively small number. . . ."
Seven states now include child spacing in their public-health programs for maternal care, for those who lack access to private physicians. When all states bring this service within the reach of all married couples who want and need it, the criminal abortionist will be out of business. . . .
D. KENNETH ROSE
National Director Planned Parenthood Federation of America,
Inc.
New York City
Sirs:
Your comments on abortion were excellent. However, in discussing ways to attack the problem, you omitted mention of the one step which would provide a simple, scientific, ethical solution: make birth-control information available to all married women through . . . established public health services. For the Catholics, this could be the rhythm method sanctioned by their church; but for all others, it would be the safe and reliable methods recommended by physicians.
HELEN W. GORE
Benton Harbor, Mich.
Puff!
Sirs:
You say that Commander Gene Tunney was led over an hour and 20 minutes of jungle trail to an advance post in Bougainville (TIME, Jan. 10). True. But Tunney was not taken up that difficult mountain trail to see how Marines were "taking it." . . . The Marines had been relieved by soldiers. You report also that on the way back the "45-year-old, 210-pound Tunney set the pace with a dogtrot, kept his followers puffing."
Gentlemen. ... It was all Tunney could manage to get down the trail at all, any old way, let alone trying to "dogtrot." You have to see the Bougainville terrain to appreciate how tortuous it is. Although he is in excellent condition, I think that he will be first to admit that the bulk of the "puffing" was done by none other than Gene Tunney himself. . . .
JACK M. TUCKER
1st Lieutenant Bougainville Island
P: Says Commander Tunney: "There were Marine scouts all around. As for the party having trouble keeping up, actually we had to wait 15 minutes for the Army photographer. Both parts of the criticism are wrong."--ED.
Soldiers' President?
Sirs:
I'm a member of a Seabee maintenance unit in the South Pacific. I'm writing to place myself as opposed to your views to the effect that Franklin D. Roosevelt "seemed to have become the soldiers' President" (TIME, Jan. 24). Further, I'm also opposed to the National Service Act-- for which "feelers" were sent out by the President in his message to Congress.
To my knowledge, no popularity poll has been conducted to substantiate your claim that Mr. Roosevelt has endeared himself to the soldier--or any other branch of service. I should think the only real basis for such an opinion could come from the results of the overseas ballot in November (if we ever get it)--which is eight months hence.
With a War Manpower Commission functioning to coordinate production and labor . . . a Selective Service Act (God forgive responsibility for that one) to determine workers' fitness and need in industry, an OPA, and innumerable agricultural boards and commissions . . . can there possibly be any phase of industrial or agricultural activity not covered by one or more of these agencies?
Can there, then, be any justification for the creation of another "Act," which to all appearances will not eliminate any of the above but presumably will run along parallel with them? I think not.
What the people of the U.S. at home and overseas want--and desperately need--is a positive and constructive plan, properly developed and administered, without interruption or confusion, toward the achievement of our mutual aim--the speedy and successful winning of the war and peace. . . .
(SF2/c) JOHN KEATING
San Francisco
How're You Voting?
Sirs:
The following is offered as a footnote to all discussions of the forthcoming election: Three sailors and two marines are in a local tavern and it is the third round of beer. Says one sailor: "How're you guys going to vote?" Says a second: "Me, I'm for Roosevelt." Sums up a marine: "Hell, yes; we don't want none of those damned politicians at a time like this."
(U.S. NAVY LIEUTENANT)
Santa Cruz, Calif.
The Rest of America
Sirs:
I was very pleased to see the article in TIME (March 13) berating wartime Miami. . . . I think the tale of a very young soldier I met there deserves retelling.
I started talking to a rather downcast sergeant at the bar of a Miami nightclub who told me he had been a tail gunner in a B17. He also said that two months before he had been shot down over Occupied France. For 50 days he had hidden in haystacks and had finally escaped with the help of the French underground. "You know," he said, indicating the well-tanned patrons crowding the bar for 85-c- drinks, the unescorted female drink-moochers, the $2-a-crack fortune teller, "You know, if the rest of America is like this, I hope to God they send me back to England."
LESLIE W. ECKLUND
Ensign, U.S.N.R.
Glynco, Ga.
Boots
Sirs:
Would TIME care to state its opinion as to which issues of TIME Omar Khayyam had in mind when he wrote his famous critique that begins:
"Ah . . . what boots it to repeat
How Time is slipping. ... ."
GORDON B. SLITER
Melrose, Minn.
P: The Editor prefers to brood over the unidentified author of "Those who try to kill time will discover that time can stand the racket longer than they can" (A New Dictionary of Quotations, H. L. Mencken, p. 1,200).--ED.
Magnificent
Sirs:
March 6 issue of TIME just arrived. . . . I note President Hutchins of Chicago "U" is to investigate "freedom of the press" under a grant of funds from TIME, LIFE and FORTUNE.
Magnificent! Wonderful! In my humble opinion the basis of our democracy of the future will rest on freedom of the press. By bringing all the facts to light now you will expose any antifreedom influences--if there are any--and render a service to our future freedom that simply can't be calculated.
JAMES SINNOTT
El Dorado, Ark.
The Spot
Sirs:
Your stand on Rankin and the letter you published [TIME, March 6] sure hit the spot. I have been waiting for you to get tough and assume your rightful place in shaping Democracy that speaks for all men. Don't lapse back now. Hit 'em often and hard.
JACK L. DONOVAN
Quincy, Mass.
Oops!
Sirs:
In view of the name of the building to which this letter is addressed, it's a bit amusing to see that DDT is a delousing powder whose real name is censored to TIME (March 6), but whose name was published by LIFE (Feb. 28).
ROBERT W. VIRTUE
Associate Professor of Chemistry
University of Colorado Denver
Sirs:
. . . Was LIFE'S censor out to lunch?
ROBERT VAN NORMAN
Marshall, Tex.
Sirs:
. . . Doesn't your Medicine editor read Life? . . .
WILLIAM W. BECK
Wilmington
P: He will from now on.--ED.
Sirs:
May I suggest that the U.S. Army's new DDT delousing powder be applied liberally to relieve the "censorship itch" afflicting the person who deleted DDT's "real name?" . . .
F. D. MARTIN
Lafayette, Ind.
P: Application should be made to the head of the U.S. Army censor in Algiers who snipped dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane from TIME'S correspondent's dispatch.--ED.
Sirs:
. . . I shall refrain from obvious comment.
ARTHUR J. BENSON
Rahway, N.J.
P: Thanks--ED.
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