On my desk are two books I have just finished going through. They might be titled "How to Keep Errors Out of TIME" ... and "The Errors We Have Made Anyway."

One is a big red book which TIME researchers call their "bible." It catalogues sources of information on almost every possible news subject, and every one of TIME'S 55 researchers has a copy. Of course the researchers supplement this book with many other procedures to "block that boner" (for example, they are required to pencil a dot over every word in every article to show they have checked it)--and in addition, six or more writers and editors work on every story.

You would think this set-up would be pretty error-tight--but it isn't quite, and mistakes do happen. That's where the second book comes in. It's called "The Black Book," and it records all the errors which have crept into TIME. When you write us about them, we list them in the book and try to print your letter and the correction in "Letters." But some are so hard to spot that none of you ever call us on them. We list these anyway--for our own disciplining.

Sometimes our boners are on the light side, like these:

Jan. 15, 1945--Miscellany. Correct spelling of Welsh town is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllandysiliogogogoch. (Checker got confused.)

Feb. 19, 1945--Art. TIME described the picture as "water bugs contending for three black beans." Should have read "two black beans."

Feb. 26, 1945--Foreign News. There is no such thing as a wooden monolith. ("Lith" means stone.)

June 4, 1945--Education. Harvard did not close down during the Revolution. It only adjourned to Concord for the 1775-1776 term.

But unfortunately there are also errors like these:

June 25, 1945--International. TIME referred to Truman as "a Missouri lawyer." Truman never received a law degree.

Sept. 24, 1945--Business. TIME said General Motors was "the biggest U.S. corporation." Should have said "biggest producer for war." Also said General Motors had paid out some $2,700,000 in dividends. Should have read $2,700,000,000. (Billions!)

June 18, 1945--U.S. at War. TIME spoke of the four wound chevrons on General Patton's left sleeve. These are overseas service chevrons from World War I.

July 30, 1945--International. Referred to Attlee as "Laborite Deputy Prime Minister." He and other Labor members had resigned from the Churchill cabinet and took no part in the interim government, so we should have said "ex-Deputy Prime Minister" or "Leader of the Opposition."

Gravely aware that such small things as an "ex" omitted or a cipher added can misinform millions, TIME researchers will continue putting black marks against themselves in "The Black Book"--TIME will keep on printing your corrections in Letters--and TIME editors, writers, management will do all they can to make the filter ever finer. With your help and with constant vigilance here, someday we may be able to whittle TIME'S boners down to near zero.

Cordially,

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