Uncle Henry's Revenge
Sirs:
You may have wondered what we all made of the visitation of Henry Wallace. We took it calmly. But I must confess that there were moments when I had a feeling that this was part of the script of a yet-to-be-produced satirical play called The Forty-Ninth State. Conceive the theme. Henry Wallace, the shrewdest and most far-visioned American political leader of his age, anticipates that the absorption of Britain by the U.S. is inevitable. So he gets out ahead of all possible rivals and corrals the votes of the 49th state. Kingsley Martin; what a Campaign Manager! Dick Grossman; what a Publicity Adviser! Soon we shall be seeing the campaign life of Uncle Henry on the bookstalls under the title: From Log Cabin to Bloomsbury.
Imagine the great Election night when it is discovered that the 48 states are deadlocked in a sort of Hayes-Tilden stalemate. It is the 49th State of the Union which holds the decisive balance. How feverish the crowds in Times Square grow as the slow returns pour in! "Seven districts in Hammersmith give Wallace a plurality of 54," with James A. Garfield and Aaron Burr trailing badly. Then the grand finale in Trafalgar Square, with Landseer's lions magically changed to eagles at the touch of Henry's wand, and all the fountains playing pure Coca-Cola. What a revenge for 1776! . . .
ROBIN CRUIKSHANK
London
The Quick & the Dead
Sirs:
. . . The idea of sending hundreds of men all over the face of the earth to bring back dead bodies to this country [TIME, April 14] seems to me not only wantonly wasteful but unchristian as well. Do the sweethearts, wives and mothers of these dead have to have their loved ones' bodies in Forest Lawn or Mineola cemetery in order to preserve their memory? Better to spend the money and effort in extending help to the still living in the war-ravished countries, as a living memorial to those men, and thus make future wars such as they died in less probable. . ..
IVA MAY WARNER
Alhambra, Calif.
The Flagstad Case
Sirs:
TIME'S [April 14] presentation of the Flagstad case is a superb example of unbiased journalism. I might be wrong, but it was my impression that World War II ended two years ago. And didn't we defeat Naziism at that time? Or are we so insecure in our victory that we feel compelled to grab at the flimsy evidence wrapped around one of the . . . greatest Wagnerian sopranos of all time, and persecute her?
So-called believers in democracy and liberalism say that the fact that Madam Flagstad returned to her quisling husband during the war proves the case against her. It is my contention that true love between husband and wife surpasses all else. . . .
She has returned to our country with her magnificent voice, wanting to become an American citizen. . . .
Let the FBI investigate her if it must, but let us Americans cast off the robes of bigotry.
F. HALL ROE
Chicago
Sirs:
. . . From impressions gathered solely from the American press, I conclude that Kirsten Flagstad did what any wife would do for any husband: she stood by him in a time of trouble. Alongside this human reaction we have the facts that she did not sing for the Germans or the quislings. Her guilt seems to have been that she lived comfortably while her compatriots did not. That, to our moral ideal, was a sin, but millions committed it during the war who will never be shamed by it. . . .
LOUISE SMITH
Columbia, Mo.
Amo, Amas, Amat
Sirs:
If Latin is "in the ash can" [TIME, April 14], that is where it belongs. . . .
I studied Latin for six years, but I did not know what the Latin words quoted in your article meant. . . . The chief fault in studying Latin is that it wastes valuable time which might be devoted to something worth while--if I had studied plumbing, for example, or welding, I might be able to do something which would fill a real need of my fellow citizens. . . .
DAVID D. MORRIS, M.A.
Spokane, Wash.
Sirs:
. . . If we are really interested in the English of our young people, the foundation must be laid long before Latin can affect the situation. Let us look to the English of the elementary school teacher, radio, cinema, comics.
R.UHAMAH SCHEINFELD FRANK
Charlottetown, P.E.I., Canada
Proud Losers
Sirs:
. . . A few lines to remind TIME readers that a majority of Japanese opinion disagrees with Yoko Fukushima's letter [TIME, March 24], when she thinks 25-30 years occupation by U.S. does much good to Japan. Everybody, including Japanese, admires the great works done by General MacArthur. His directives and orders are carried out to a letter by law-abiding Japanese, and no serious incidents . . . hampered his occupation policy. We are behaving ourselves like a "good loser," and are proud of it.
But, to an independent people, if we still are, the shorter the occupation term is, the happier we are. Fortunately, General MacArthur favors an early withdrawal of occupation troops to the disheartening of Miss Yoko's un-Japanese feeling.
R. MURATA
Tokyo
The Lip
Sirs:
TIME'S valiant effort to take us through the crowd at Ebbets Field and into the Dodger dugout so we could "see" the game and get a close-up of the Brooklyn manager was an amiable gesture [TIME, April 14].
Slugger TIME really timed the story perfectly, and belted it out of the park into Bedford Ave.
Suggest you submit a copy of this edition to the one & only "Happy" Chandler in defense of Leo Durocher, and also as proof of the Commissioner's ridiculous decision! . . .
HAROLD WOLOWITZ
The Bronx
Sirs:
Hats off to professional baseball's czar for removing Brooklyn's "Mote" from the Public Eye.
. . . It is to men like Durocher, unfortunately, that our youth look for ideals--and what do they see?
A man whose personal credo is strikingly like the late Adolph Hitler's: "You've got to win--how you do it isn't important."
Nowhere have I been able to find profanity, gambling, assault & battery, and generally obnoxious public behavior listed among the virtues demanded of a "baseball immortal". . . .
JAMES E. COLE
Johnstown, N.Y.
Sirs:
Your article on "The Lip" was great, and for us on the West Coast, who don't get much chance to see the Dodgers in action, it was very educational.
After absorbing the information, I am inclined to believe Leo is getting a raw deal.... The Lip is a tough guy on the field because he wants to win. He's being paid to have a winning ball club and he earns his salary. The kids think him a great guy because he's the type of a fellow who can let important things wait in order to answer questions or help some kid with his baseball problem. . . .
JACK M. RIORDAN
Monterey, Calif.
Sirs:
Thanks for such a timely article on Leo Durocher. The suspension of the Dodgers' manager for the entire baseball season was for the good of baseball.
Before I read your article I was under the impression that "The Lip" received a raw deal, but now, Commissioner Chandler was I right in his judgment.
BENJAMIN POPE JR.
Indianapolis
Sirs:
At first glance, TIME had come up with the biggest scoop in magazine history.
At second glance, TIME'S jinx operated faster than ever before.
R. W. RYMER
Bryn Mawr, Pa.
P: Add the first and second glance, and divide by two.--ED.
B.C.D.
Sirs:
It was indeed refreshing to read the frank and factful letter by Ivan Freely [TIME, April 14] anent "bad conduct" discharges from the Armed Forces.
It is only through acquiescence to untold humiliation and indignities, weak surrender of self-respect, and conventional fear of the old bugaboo, public opinion, that thousands upon thousands of servicemen received "honorable" discharges. In the face of hypocritical military caste, pseudo-respect demanded by threat of court-martial, and obedience to hopelessly incompetent commissioned officers, it is small wonder that men of sterling virtue and wonderful character received "bad conduct" discharges
ROBERT M. SOHN
Gladstone, Mich.
Sirs:
. . . Mr. Freely appears to be attempting to cover up the stigma attached to a bad conduct discharge by an ostentatious pretension of having "guts." It takes more guts to carry out orders from a commissioned snob, Mr. Freely, than it does to refuse them. . . .
JOHN E. MCAULEY
U.S. Naval Receiving Station
Brooklyn
Give Greece a Chance
Sirs:
. . . There can be no doubt whatsoever that the present Greek Government and the armed forces are honeycombed with the worst type of collaborators and financial crooks. ... In their determination to crush their opponents in the suburbs of Athens and the dockyards of Salonika and Peiraeus, they have made up their minds that a new war is necessary. . . .
The President had to scare Congress to make them take the momentous step he was asking them to take. But once that result is achieved, for God's sake stop talking about checking Russia, and talk about rehabilitating Greece and giving every Greek a fair chance. If you don't do this, every loafer and crook in Greece will consider himself the ally of the American General Staff--to be fed and kept in style by. the American taxpayer. . . . See to it that the money is used for the reconstruction of [Greece] and does not get into the hands of the Athens maffia. . . "
I am sure that we can win this great ideological battle if we can convince people everywhere that we are fighting for human rights against the police state. We are just as sure to lose if we think that the "human rights" argument is to be used only when strategic interests are at stake. You simply cannot argue that Tito's regime is odious whereas Zervas is a Jeffersonian Democrat.
H. PANIGUIAN London
Typical Wives
Sirs:
Your article on Fertile Valley and the ''Spartan Wives" [TIME, April 14] really made me shudder at the intellectual laziness of American women. Is it possible they really find mental stimulation in the type of adult education outlined in your article, or are they seeking merely mental soporifics and time-killers? Might I suggest they add "Flower Arrangements" and "How to Collect Antiques" to their program. . . .
If this group wishes to prove that "Not all the education at East Lansing goes on in the classrooms," it should alter its club program at once. Lest they bore their husbands to death, let them study (at college level) science, philosophy, economics and sociology. Let them learn to love great literature, art and music. They should cultivate the lost art of intelligent conversation, and throw away the bridge tables.
The "Spartan Wives" are not unusual. Unfortunately, they are too, too, typical of millions of other American women.
PATRICIA V. FORTH
Clearwater Beach, Fla.
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