Storm over South Africa

Sir: Your article on South Africa in TIME, May 5, was a choice morsel of truth. Thanks for publishing it. I have recently spent some four years in the Union, and I wish to congratulate you for both candidness and restraint.

Nothing is in excess . . .

DR. H. L. RASMUSSEN Associate Professor Emmanuel Missionary College Berrien Springs, Mich.

Sir . . . It's at times like this that I apologize to Ralph Bunche and all the other fine mem bers of his race for having been born white.

MARGARET C. ELWELL Kenosha, Wis.

Sir: . . . We do not tell you how to handle the Negro. Well, do not criticize us. Dr. Malan knew perfectly well what he did when he started his apartheid policy. It is the only way to save South Africa.

H. DE BLIJ Johannesburg

Sir: "Honi soil qui Malan pense . . ." EDWIN R. KORTH New York City

Sir: . . . I went to South Africa to settle, saw the storm coming, and wishing to have no part in it, left job, future and friends. And I have never regretted it. Yours was a fine description, penetrating, comprehensive and so brutally true.

MARK F. LEVESLEY Montreal

Sir: Goebbels' ghost must be green with envy to see how TIME has perfected the technique of The Big Lie. I counted nine examples of straightforward lying, eight inaccuracies, 22 distortions, false representations or half-truths, with an odd assortment of fabrications and some ornery nastiness aimed at the Leader of the Opposition. The sum equals The Big Lie . . .

H. H. H. BIERMANN Director of Information South Africa House London

Sir: Jacob Malan is not even a Christian, much less a man with a divine calling. He . . . is making a burlesque of Christianity . . .

LARRY R. WILLIAMS Paris

Sir: I am, by birth, a British South African, and take the stump on behalf of the much-maligned Prime Minister . . . I have recently returned from an air trip to South Africa after an absence of 24 years . . .

In all, I saw nothing but good being done by the fanatical Daniel Franc,ois Malan's down-the-middle government. They are trying to to make South Africa not a "Boer Republic" but a home land for all white South Africans and a homeland for all non-Europeans in South Africa -- even the definitely foreign Indians. All power to heroic Dr. Malan, a fanatic with his head screwed on so rightly that even the Communists cannot gain a foothold . . .

ARTHUR TREVENNING HARRIS North Hollywood, Calif.

A Man & His Enemies

Sir: . . . You have done an excellent public service in publishing the details of the filthy smear campaign against General Eisenhower [TIME, May 5]. This will gain for the general even more votes . . . If one can judge a man by the enemies he has made, it does high honor to General Eisenhower that his include this scum . . .

SALLY ANN WEST Newton, Mass.

Sir: The fur-lined spittoon to you for coming out frankly and advising your readers who the authors of the poison pen attack on Ike are . . .

BURTON H. R. RANDALL Pennsburg, Pa.

Sir: I noted with dismay that TIME engages in a mud-slinging campaign without any attempt whatsoever to refute any of the facts about General Eisenhower brought out by those patriotic Americans whom you so smear.

I would like to suggest that the facts are not refuted because they cannot be refuted . . .

Your smear of Joseph P. Kamp was particularly vicious and uncalled for. A more patriotic American could never be found . . .

MRS. JOHN E. BEAUMONT Cambridge, Mass.

Sir: . . . You state: "The inkwells of bigotry are far removed from any responsible political headquarters." I have in my possession [some of the "smear" propaganda which was] sent to me directly from the office of a U.S. Congressman in Washington, who is one of Senator Taft's Southern campaign managers . . .

FREDERICK G. HASTINGS Chicago

For the Kiddies

Sir: Deliver me ! I, for one parent and ex-teacher, want no part of the "awesome" Center for Children's Books [TIME, May 5 report on what books children should read. Horse feathers ! In this day and age of television, comic books, second-rate murder mysteries, etc., I should think any book would be a healthy change for most children . . .

JOANNE D. DORSEY Brentwood, Mo.

Sir: That thing you said about Huckleberry Finn was not true. I am in third grade and I can read Huckleberry Finn. When I was even younger I saw the movie of Hamlet. I liked Huckleberry Finn very much . . . Hamlet is very nice too. I am eight and a half. I am reading Robinson Coruso, now, I don't no weather Huckleberry Finn or Robinson Coruso are best, but I'll soon find out. After I finesh Robinson Coruso I am going to read Hans Brinker. It will proply be good too.

LANS TRAVERSE Philadelphia

The Hustings

Sir: Almost everyone feels that the presidency is too difficult and wearing a job now for one man. It seems an ideal time to make the position of Vice President a more responsible one. How about President Eisenhower to handle international affairs, Vice President Warren to take care of domestic issues? I would like two brains for the price of one vote.

HELEN LICHWELL West Roxbury, Mass.

Sir: . . . To my mind, [Kefauver] is as spineless as a fishing worm, with no personal conviction and ready to adopt anything that promises him votes . . .

M. M. CULLOM, M.D. Nashville, Tenn.

Interfaith Cooperation

Sir: The article on Rabbi Philip S. Bernstein and Catholic-Protestant relations [TIME, May 5] is the best I have yet read. I cut the article out and am showing it to both Catholics and Protestants I know -- but mostly Catholics.

EVE BURKE Cleveland

Sir: Apparently Rabbi Bernstein does not realize that the practice of artificial birth control is not a sin for Catholics because forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church, but rather is forbidden by the church because it is wrong for all people . . .

JEANNE M. STEHR Jersey City

Creeping Censorship

Sir: . . . Your cutting "creeping censorship" story [TIME, May 5] fails to point out that reporters, often anxious to stay "on the good side" of some punk politician . . . have perhaps unwittingly and unethically abetted the new trend. Additionally, some publishers whet their pet ax on the "cant' we kill that story" these. Perhaps ours is the oldest profession after all.

DEAN G. FAIRCHILD Binghamton Sun Binghamton, N.Y.

Sir: . . . Your article says: "In Providence, it took the Journal & the Bulletin four years and seven court actions to force tax officials to open their records of tax abatements." This statement is unfair to Providence city officials whose tax records are open to any and all citizens. It was in nearby Pawtucket (pop. 81,000) that city officials used every legal and physical roadblock (including a uniformed policeman to bar reporters from city hall offices) in their attempt to block reporters from access to records . . .

JOSEPH A. KELLY Manager Pawtucket Bureau Providence Journal-Bulletin Providence, R.I.

P: TIME apologizes to wide-open Providence, as its researcher creeps to nearly, inadvertently misplaced, Pawtucket. -- ED.

Philosopher's Fif?

Sir: It was interesting to see your May 5 article on Professor Stace's contribution to current irrationalism. Unfortunately, he is not alone in claiming that knowledge of the existence of God must come through a "fif" (funny internal feeling), rather than through reason. There are many today, however, for whom fifs are not enough . . .

JOHN S. SIEGER Pittsburgh

Sir: 0 Philosopher Stace, please tell me, Sir,

of man, that lowly creature;

of time and space; of Lucifer;

of all those things you feature.

But first of all, of man, Sir,

whose mind you do deride,

who can arrive at God, Sir,

but not at Him inside.

I must admit you daunt me, Sir,

and you certainly give me pause.

But that is not what taunts me

Sir, it's this: effect and Cause.

JOSEPH M. SHANNON JR. Notre Dame, Ind.

Pity, Not Censure

Sir: Re Rev. Roy L. Laurin's remarks in TIME, May 5, * relative to TIME'S recent article on Bishop Fulton Sheen. I fail to comprehend how one man can contain within himself so much bigotry and hatred as does the Rev. Roy Laurin, and he a minister of Christ's gospel . . . I also wonder how much of this hatred and bigotry he has instilled in the minds and hearts of his flock . . .

JOSEPH C. FITZGERALD Whittier, Calif.

Sir: . . . I am sure the Rev. Roy Laurin has really embarrassed the great majority of his and all other Protestant churches . . .

HUBERT E. FEICHTLBAUER St. Louis

*"... [You cannot] represent the unpretentious and democratic Christ by the priestly symbolism of a modern Roman Catholic bishop, arrayed in purple and supported by a totalitarian system of religion, which wallows in luxury, pageantry and power . . ."

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