Man's Estate

Sirs:

To the parents of Lieutenant Ben Toland [TIME, Feb. 11], whose death on Iwo Jima seems a heartbreaking waste of fine human material, I would like to say this: their son may have accomplished more for his country, and for the good life, in the simple will which that death has made public, than might have been achieved in a lifetime of service.

No one can read these hasty sentences without a pang, a momentary searching of his own heart. . . . Lieutenant Toland left more than a $3,000 estate. He left his conscience, to a republic which needs it.

ALICE RUSSELL Philadelphia

Harmful Truths?

Sirs:

It has been more & more apparent, from reading daily newspapers and weekly news-mags like TIME, that an unhealthy distrust and fear of the Soviet Union has been growing in the minds of the American people and reflected by their elected representatives in Congress. . . .

My opinion is that the underlying cause is the free American press. There is a great deal of unhealthy propaganda emanating from many if not most of our newspapers--sometimes intentional, sometimes truly factual, sometimes biased opinions of columnists--but often harmful to international relations. Please don't get me wrong, I am not advocating the abolishment of a free press. My position is that the editors should carefully evaluate every article intended for print--decide if it is harmful, even though true, and omit it if it is. ...

GEORGE GORDIN JR. Iowa City, Iowa

P: Said Ben Franklin: "It is unreasonable what some assert, 'that printers ought not to print anything but what they approve'; since if all of that business should make such a resolution, and abide by it, an end would thereby be put to free writing, and the world would afterwards have nothing to read but what happened to be the opinions of printers."--ED.

Whose Baby?

Sirs:

That the "nature of modern Protestant thought" is ambiguous [TIME, Feb. 4] has yet to be proved. TIME editors have not given any concrete support of their contention in the article, "Protestant Babies."

... Is it ambiguous to strive for more children from those families of good mental and physical health, and of good principles, and at the same time seek to curb those from irresponsible families who neglect their children? Or would TIME recommend that morons, sex perverts, and the like be given a bonus to bring more children into the world? I think not.

(SERVICEMAN'S NAME WITHHELD) Chanute Field, Ill.

Sirs:

. . . There is nothing ambiguous in that quotation whatsoever. Your magazine cannot be too strongly criticised for making a statement of that type. But it is an excellent way for losing the support and good will of your Protestant constituents.

GEORGE B. MANGOLD Professor of Sociology and Social Work University of Southern California Los Angeles

Sirs:

Your magazine's quip at Protestants' ambiguity is typical of TIME'S pro-Catholic prejudice. It is becoming tiresome. . . .

When Protestants would encourage the begetting of as many good babies as possible, o the exclusion of the defective, TIME characeristically fails to see the sense and sneers: Ambiguous". . . .

T. V. KELLY

Arlington, Va.

P: "Ambiguous"was ambiguous.TIME'S point: how to determine who has "good v principles" and should have children, and who is "irresponsible" and should not.--ED.

Who'll Hold the Line?

Sirs:

In reference to Mr. Silberman's full-page advertisement [TIME, Feb. 4], 'I would like to make a plea to a "Bewildered Small Business Man."

When you say, "Government--Trust us-don't regulate us. We'll hold the line--Voluntarily," then you are really off the beam!

. . . .Drop the OPA and watch such scarce items as men's suits, topcoats and dress shirts skyrocket in price. You say that competition--not Government regulation--is a factor in preventing inflation. The mentioned apparel is so scarce that it would be asinine to believe that competitors would immediately slash prices when they know they can all get and maintain higher prices. True, after a period of time, supply equaling demand, prices will take care of themselves without regulation. But in the interim the consumer would take a sound beating.

ALBERT ZIFF

Philipsburg, Pa.

Sailors, not Soda Jerks!

Sirs:

With regard to your article on the new uniforms, in the Jan. 14 issue of TIME, I would like to add a few words if I may. . . .

The only sailors who want the change in uniform are those shore-duty jerks who are not sailors in the first place and reserves who are waiting for their points to come up so they can get back to Winsocki and tell all about how they won the war. . . .

I also wonder how those ice-cream whites would look after a washing without being able to press them or iron them. Besides the dress uniform will never be as practical as the present blues because after a hectic liberty all you have to do is take them off, turn inside out, fold neatly and stow them away in your locker. Then next liberty take them out, brush them off and they look just like new. . . .

(EM I/C) JOHN E. HOGAN c/o Fleet Post Office San Francisco

Sirs:

. . . We are reservists, not regular Navy men. Your article brought across to the reader that there is only one certain class of men in the Navy who disapprove of the new-type Navy uniform suggested, and these are the "sour old regulars." Gentlemen, we believe that well over 70% of the reserves agree with us when we say that there isn't a sharper looking uniform in the service for enlisted men than that which the Navy has today. ... So don't hurry to throw that old sea bag to the deep six.

(SM 3/C) EDWIN PALMGREN (RM 2/C) WILLIAM A. SCHLEIMER c/o Fleet Post Office San Francisco

Sirs:

. . . All sailors are and want to continue to look like U.S. Naval sailors. We do not want to be soda jerks or streetcar conductors !

(GM 3/C) DALIO MONACO (AND 26 OTHER NAVAL PERSONNEL) Naval Ammunition Depot Hawthorne, Nev.

Beating the Rap

Sirs:

YOU USED AN UNFORTUNATE EXPRESSION WHEN YOU SAID [TIME, FEB. Il] ... THAT CARLTON COLE MAGEE BEAT THE HOMICIDE RAP. HIS TRIAL CLEARED HIM COMPLETELY AND NO CLOUD SHOULD BE SUGGESTED OR IMPLIED NOW WHEN HE CAN NO LONGER TALK BACK. CARL MAGEE WAS A COURAGEOUS CRUSADER FOR RIGHT. . . .

CLYDE TINGLEY

Ex-Governor of New Mexico Albuquerque, N.Mex.

P: Peace to the shade of Crusader Magee, and to Reader Tingley. TIME summoned up no cloud.--ED.

General Morgan v. the Press

Sirs:

. . . Your Press department [TIME, Jan. 21 ] recalled the appropriate line from Tristram Shandy ("They should have wiped it up," said my Uncle Toby, "and said no more about it"), and proceeded to wipe up the press and say more about it [the reporting of Lieut. General Sir Frederick Morgan's remarks on Jewish refugees].

. . . Although I did point out in one of my dispatches from Germany that observers there were certain he was not anti-Semitic and that I was sure he did not wish his statements to be interpreted as a reflection on either world Jewry or Polish Jews ... I do not think it was the function of the correspondents to report that unfortunately General Freddie had his foot in his mouth the day of the fateful conference. . . .

It is true that had the correspondents had unlimited space they probably could have pulled the good-natured General out of the soup the first day. They could have reported for instance that when I asked him if he blamed the Jews for trying to get out of Poland, he answered: "Absolutely not. If I were a Jew I would try to get out too.". . .

CARL LEVIN Herald Tribune New York City

P: TIME still thinks Uncle Toby had the right of it.--ED.

For Alma Mater

Sirs:

We have read with amazement your article about Rollins College, entitled "Fight for a Fortune" [TIME, Feb. 4]. ... On our own initiative, we have taken this opportunity to explain the true character of Rollins. . . .

The Rollins attitude is far from revolutionary. . . . Both the Platonic idea and that of Collins stress the simultaneous development of the mental, the physical, and the spiritual in integrating a growing personality. . . .

The leaders of Rollins have always worked for world peace and for the welfare of our fellow men. We have all been encouraged to work toward these objectives through the altruistic spirit of Rollins. Our Chapel is unique in its application of the basic principles of Christianity. Undenominational in form of worship, it is, with its student services, an integral part of us. ...

The Conference Plan, the friendly relationship between students and professors--some of the finest and most learned men in the educational world--the classroom, the athletic field, the Chapel: these to us are Rollins. We hope . . . you will come to understand and appreciate it....

ANN L. WHITE President, Student Council Rollins College Winter Park, Fla.

Sirs:

I don't know a thing about the legal niceties of the Rollins-North Carolina art museum dispute. But I do know a few things about Rollins and its president, Hamilton Holt. . . .

More than anything else, Hamilton Holt is a fine person, a lovable man. His tireless work has made college possible for many needy students. In the five years prior to this war, at least one-third of the Rollins student body received some form of financial aid. Rollins (and peace) have been his life work. Few men have labored so selflessly.

PHILIP RICHARD KELLY New York City

P: For the enthusiasm and loyalty of Readers White and Kelly, a respectful cheer.--ED.

Doubtful Diagnosis

Sirs:

. . . The actual proximate reason for the recent decline in British coal production is the withdrawal of miners from the coalface to the fighting ranks. . . . When those who survived war's dangers return to the mines, production per man and total overall production will return to prewar levels.

It should be noted that the British miner's "loathing" of his work [TIME, Feb. 11] is not because of its nature but "because of its owners." Despite the loud cry of "stinking fish," the British coal miner [has] more faith in the future of coal mining than his leaders give him credit for.

F. W. GRAY

Member, Institution of Mining Engineers (London) Victoria, B.C.

P: Reader Gray takes the tail for the elephant. From 1924-45 Britain's annual coal output dropped 193,000,000 tons; from 1923-37, mine payrolls dropped 374,000. And will the change in owners (and not working conditions) satisfy the miners?--ED.

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