Man of the Half-Century
Sir:
Your choice of Churchill as Man of the Half-Century [TIME, Jan. 2] is preposterous.
FRED RICE Saranac Lake, N.Y.
Sir:
Why, you damned Tories!
S. H. SILVER, M.D. Los Angeles, Calif.
Sir:
. . . You damn fools.
J. GARDNER Sir:
Indianapolis, Ind.
Sir:
. . . He may have lived in the 20th Century, fought in the 20th Century, and had a lot of bloody words to say about it, but his political and social philosophy definitely belonged to the 19th.
MARTIN E. KRANICK Bandon, Ore.
Sir:
CHURCHILL'S COVER PICTURE IS THE MOST
REPUBLICAN-TORY TRICK OF THE HALF-CENTURY.
A. S. BELL JR. Woodland Hills, Calif.
Sir:
Your choice . . . still has me in anger and disbelief . . . When my subscription expires in a few weeks I shall not renew--and with deep pleasure . . .
MRS. MARY STUART
North Bergen, NJ.
Sir:
YOUR CHOICE OF WINSTON CHURCHILL . ... IS A MOST FITTING AND HISTORIC SELECTION.
WARREN RICHARDSON Captain, U.S.A. Bremerhaven, Germany
Sir:
Congratulations . . . The one man who symbolizes Anglo-American unity, without which the whole world would slide (or plummet) back into the Eastern darkness of the antiChrist.
WINSLOW H. CASE
New York City
Sir:
. . . Would that Churchill were an American ! We need him in Washington! . . .
RUTH HELEN PATES
San Francisco, Calif.
Sir:
In selecting Winston Churchill as Man of the Half-Century, TIME'S vision is matched by its viscera; for, mark you, the fanatical followers of FDR will shower you with brickbats and dead cats . . .
T. HARRY THOMPSON Philadelphia, Pa.
. . . Liberals and common people all over the world will always resent your ignoring of the true Man of the Half-Century--Franklin D. Roosevelt.
JOHN VALENTINE
Glendale, Calif.
Sir:
Are you saving Roosevelt for Man of the Millennium? . . .
-TT. GEORGE R. STORCH
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Sir:
It may have been Churchill's task to launch the lifeboats, but TIME'S editorial staff must certainly have missed the boat, or at least been adrift in one, when it selected the cherubic bulldog as the "Man of the Half-Century." Could it be that your ever-apparent bias toward Franklin D. Roosevelt eliminated him as the only obvious choice--or does TIME require more time to see things in their true perspective?
ALBERT WALTER SMITH
Los Angeles, Calif.
Sir:
. . . THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS WHO PROVIDED AND "WHO ARE STILL PAYING FOR THE LIFEBOATS ARE THE MEN & WOMEN OF THE HALF-CENTURY.
REINHARD KRAUSE Pastor
St. John's Evangelical and Reform Church Dover, Ohio
Sir:
. . . There are [several] men who will outlive the memory of Churchill. On this list, to name only a few, will be Albert Schweitzer, Albert Einstein, Mohandas Gandhi and Woodrow Wilson. These men not only "launched lifeboats" but became part of the crew.
LLOYD A. PARKER JR. Onancock, Va.
P:Churchill was the clear choice of TIME readers who sent in Man of the Half-Century nominations; runner-up was Roosevelt, with Gandhi at his heels; then Einstein and Schweitzer.--ED.
Sir:
Your brilliantly written summary of world events, "The Half-Century," is a masterpiece of historical analysis. It will be reread in the year 2000 with something of the same abated breath that characterized its reading in this present time. You deserve the unstinted gratitude of intelligent people everywhere.
FRANK C. RIDEOUT Newton Center, Mass.
Sir:
I want to congratulate you on what, in my humble judgment, is the finest piece of magazine work I have ever seen . . .
To those of us who have lived most of this period, but been too close to it to see the meaning of history in perspective, this is a keen and fair analysis of our world during the past 50 years that should be required reading for all who would appreciate these times in which we live . . .
RALPH D. EVANS Minister First Presbyterian Church Hutchinson, Kans.
Sir:
Your "Half-Century" supplement is the best historical resume I have ever read. I might almost say it is the best that could be written.
KENNETH BROWN Charlottesville, Va.
Sir:
. . . [It] takes its place among the heirlooms to be left to my children . . .
JEAN WHITTIER Marblehead, Mass.
Sir:
Congratulations!
The article should be a supplementary text to every high-school history course, if nothing more than to bring the children up to date.
An orchid, too, for your gaze into the future!
ROBERT J. TUCKER Fresno, Calif.
... A masterpiece of historical analysis and a terrifying prophecy. It should be read by millions of Americans . . .
EDWIN O. GROVER
Winter Park, Fla.
Sir:
Bravo, bravo and again bravo . . .
Just as 1950 marks the quantitative Half-Century milestone, your supplement marks a qualitative milestone in journalistic achievement.
GASTON BENEDICT
Lausanne, Switzerland
Sir:
Your summation of the Half-Century was a masterpiece except for one thing. For better or for worse, there were other men who have left a greater impact on the world than Churchill did.
There is much controversy as to when this century reaches quinquagenarity. I suggest you try again in December 1950.
WALTER LONNER
Washington, D.C.
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