Abdication v. Dedication

Sir:

Relative to your article, "Abdication on the Hill" [Nov. 29], wherein you state that Senate Majority Leader Knowland "Displays no obligation toward the President or the party as a whole," may I inquire if it has ever occurred to you that Senator Knowland just might place our country, and his obligation to the people, above party? . . .

(MRS.) GLADYS S. SHEPPARD San Diego

Sir:

You must have nodded in your ivory tower when, for Nov. 29, in discussing Senator Knowland's warning of the dangers of coexistence, you said: "He blatantly disregarded the fact that he is not 'any Senator.' He is the majority leader, who is supposed to represent the Administration on Capitol Hill."

This is an erroneous statement. Historically, the Senate's majority leader is not the spokesman for the Administration, but primarily the Senate majority's spokesman and, as such, something of a liaison officer between the President and Senate . . . Mr. Barkley was the first majority leader in the Senate's annals who regarded himself, and was regarded, as the representative of the White House . . .

Again quoting your story, "In 1944, long-suffering Alben Barkley rose in the Senate to castigate Franklin Roosevelt's veto of the tax bill. He resigned as majority leader before he sat down. Knowland is unlikely to follow or even understand this example." The afternoon the veto reached the Senate, my brother, the late Senator Bennett Champ Clark, and his deskmate and close friend, Senator Byrd, called upon Senator Barkley . . . When Senator Barkley arose in the Senate to make the speech that ended with his resignation, he had already been assured by Senators Byrd and Clark that they had pledges sufficient to re-elect him. Accordingly, he was re-elected by the Democratic caucus next morning . . .

Senator Knowland is a grey horse of another color . . . Upon Senator Taft's death he bluntly announced that he was a candidate for the leadership against all comers. Despite the thought that the Administration lacked enthusiasm for him, Senator Knowland was elected by his colleagues. And he has performed his duties, not following in the footsteps of Alben Barkley, but in the tradition of the Senate. Moreover, it is ex tremely doubtful that the Administration could defeat him if it tried.

GENEVIEVE CLARK THOMSON Gaylord, Va.

Sir:

Your article on Republicans . . . was courageous and true . . .

Californians will take many a year to explain Nixon and Knowland to their children.

GEORGE WOLFF San Francisco

The Lieutenant's Discipline

Sir:

If a self-made man like Lieut. Charles C, Anderson (TIME, Nov. 29) is to be dismissed from the service because he did his very best to make a company of undisciplined men into an honor company then I have to wonder what kind of Army we are going to have in the future. Having spent seven years in the R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve in World War II, I can honestly say that British discipline (which is even tougher) made a man out of me.

R. L. C. J. BAUMGART-PSAYLA Dumont, NJ.

Sir:

For Lieut. Anderson, my heartfelt sympathy and sincere admiration. For the Gutless Wonders who sat in judgment of him at his court-martial, one sentence will suffice: "Cowardice in the face of adverse publicity." JOHN P. CANNAVEN JR.

Chicago

Sir:

Without commenting on Lieut. Anderson ... I feel obliged, and reasonably qualified, as an ex-Marine Corps top kick, to have a say on overall discipline in the U.S. armed forces today.

Frankly, there isn't any ! Berated by mothers and politicians, plagued by a new code of military justice, infested with over-specialization, watering of NCO and officer prestige and responsibility, we are turning out parodies of what should be servicemen. With honest bias, I don't include marines, but they've been hurt too in recent years . . .

TOE BUFFER Philadelphia

Sir:

. . . Tough battle training has absolutely nothing to do with the disgusting methods this "officer and gentleman" used on his men. Hanging men from their heels to get them indoctrinated into discipline is a great idea: why not hang them from their necks? If they survive that, they certainly will be battle-toughened.

(SERVICEMAN'S NAME WITHHELD) Monterey, Calif.

Man of the Year (Contd.)

Sir:

For Man of the Year: Thurgood Marshall, who perhaps more than any man was responsible for fighting through to victory one of the greatest Supreme Court decisions of pur age--the abolishing of racial segregation in our public schools.

HOWARD J. SANDERS Jackson Heights, N.Y.

Sir:

Be brave. Put that Senator from Wisconsin on your cover as Man of the Year--and never mind the canceled subscriptions.

DOROTHY BRENNAN Boston

Sir: John Foster Dulles by nine lengths.

WINBORNE JENKINS Yorktown, Va.

Sir:

Who else, but the most-discussed, most controversial, and best political salesman: Pierre Mendes-France.

C. CONE A Montreal

Children & Dr. Lindner

Sir:

Re "Rebels or Psychopaths?" [Dec. 6], good cess to Dr. Lindner for knowing the difference between normal mischief and psychopathy; and better cess that he recognizes that it is not just parents--too much abused --but a general cultural milieu of psychopathy that is the key trouble

The Cult of the Mass has come in as the standard: mass production, mass education, mass markets for the commercial press, for literature, for art, movies and everything. Lower and lower, by mathematical inexorability, sank all standards . .

... If God's Executive Officer, natural law, loved mass quantity, rats, bluefish, spiders, ants, or microbes would rule here on earth. The only reason man does, insofar as he does, is because of Quality. Wherefore, insofar as we degrade natural and divine law, we shall be degraded. And are being.

JACK M. WEBSTER New York City

Sir:

As a practicing psychologist (i.e., a highly competitive businessman), I will go far with Dr. Lindner, but not as far as agreeing that conformity to a religion may produce a rot in the individual . . .

It is significant that there are still places in the Orient with a standard of living far lower than that in any Western city where it is safer to walk than in New York City. My opinion is that religion (and the East is religious, whether we agree with it or not) prevents the production of the enrage--the man who has no place anywhere, and hates society "on principle." And so hates this world.

For if man has not an abiding place in the Bosom of Abraham, or in Nirvana, or in the Paradise of Allah or among the Blessed Company of the Saints, what can he do but hate?

DERRICK L. ROSSITER Brooklyn

Sir:

... I am a mother of four children, three teenagers, and all through their growing up I have rebelled at the pressure our children today are exposed to. We have too little respect for each child as an individual. Instead of watching a quiet child who wants, or even needs, to be alone, there is pressure on the child to participate. We criticize an introvert child for not being outgoing enough ... Of course, to an extent there must be a limit to dreaming, but would anyone pull out a flower to see if it grows right?

ELLA H. PARR New York City

Local Pride & the Lions

Sir:

. . . Your article on Bobby Layne and the Detroit Lions [Nov. 29] is either scandalously libelous to all the pro teams and pro players or else is the most scathing indictment of American sportsmanship that has ever been printed.

JOSEPH G. NASON

Worcester, Mass.

Sir:

Off the field, professional-football champions are described as not "unduly sober citizens," who "belt the bottle or some barroom companions"; on the field, they endeavor to dismember opponents, pile on the runner, and commit various forms of mayhem. What an inspiration to American youth !

WILFRED H. CROWLEY

Santa Clara, Calif.

Sir:

While I played enough college football to receive a ruptured spleen and to know that it is seldom played as a game outside of high school, I'm still old-fashioned enough to think that blocking and tackling contribute more to the great player than kicking and slugging . . .

JOHN TAYLOR BRADY Kansas City, Mo.

Sir:

That your country can produce tough men I know to be true, but as an active devotee of our British Rugby football, I can't help but wonder [about! American football . . .

Why replacements? Why pads? ... I grant you that a few decadent types over here are to be seen wearing shinguards, and some tie up their big ears with light leather or cotton. Beyond this we do not go.

PETER C. DOUGLAS Glasgow, Scotland

Sir:

Evidently you have never watched Norm Van Brocklin of the Rams . . . You also refer to Don Paul as the dirtiest player in the league. How about changing this title to the roughest player, since this does not carry the connotation of one who plays outside the rules, which Don does not do.

WILLIAM J. ZIMMERMAN

Los Angeles

Sir:

. . . Doak Walker has had more to do with making the Lions the team they are than anyone else.

OTIS MOORE New York City

Did Artist Giro forget to put eleven men on the defensive team, or does he believe that football is played like hockey, with men being sent to the penalty box?

JOHN GRUNDT Chicago

Two defensive backs (as well as the flanker out to the right of the Lions' line) are hidden behind the broad shoulders of Lions Quarterback Layne/--ED.

Everybody Happy?

Sir:

All masters are utterly wet weeds, but "Bumblie" [Nov. 29], as are all boys, is brave, super and noble--cheers, cheers, cheers. Britain's future is assured! Anxiously awaiting further word of this rising young statesman.

M. M. McGuiNNESS

S. J. BELLMORE R. D. NELSON G. A. BROWN

La Jolla, Calif. tj Reports Bumblie's headmaster, Gerald Miller, no wet weed: "If such a wonderful hoax had happened up at university, it would have gone down as a great university prank. Some people thought it was terrible and required discipline, others that it was deucedly clever and should be laughed off. I decided the latter, so he has had no punishment and will get none." Added the Head, who is also getting mail about Bumblie: "I hope your readers are happy about it."--ED.

In Defense of Banks

Sir:

In the article "New Money Merchants: Savings & Loan Men Teach Bankers Lesson" of Nov. 29, the writer speaks glowingly of the dividend rate paid by the savings and loan associations, and of their rapid growth in recent years. However, a careful reading of the article fails to reveal what we believe is the real reason for the relatively high dividend rate paid by the savings and loan associations and, as a consequence, their rapid growth: the fact that most savings and loan associations pay little or no federal income tax, whereas the commercial banks of the nation pay the regular corporate income-tax rates, which run from about 30% to 52% of the net taxable income.

To us it is like asking one man to run one mile while another runs three-quarters of a mile, and then criticizing the man who ran the full distance for not winning and praising the man who runs only three-quarters of a mile for finishing a few steps ahead. v . , MELVIN L. MORGAN

Ketchum, Okla.

Sir:

... I quote the subheading of the article in your magazine: "Savings & Loan Men Teach Bankers Lesson." One might just as well subhead an article with the catch phrase, "Plumbers Teach Carpenters a Lesson" . . . There is not a single thing which has been done by S & L men which could not have been done by bankers if banks were free to invest all of their savings deposits in mortgages, and if they were [as] free from the payment of income taxes . . .

F. R. STEYERT South Orange, N.J.

Adjustment

SIR:

WOULD APPRECIATE CORRECTION OF AN ERROR IN DEC. 6 ISSUE, WHICH STATED: "EVEN ON THE DAY LAST WEEK WHEN THE DOW-JONES AVERAGE ROSE THE MOST, ALMOST HALF OF THE 1,271 STOCKS TRADED SHOWED LOSSES, AND A FEW, E.G., BELL AIRCRAFT . . . REGISTERED LOWS FOR THE YEAR." YOU MISSED THE FACT THAT BELL AIRCRAFT CORPORATION SPLIT ITS STOCK TWO-FOR-ONE ON NOV. 3, AND THE LOW FOR THE YEAR, ADJUSTED FOR THE STOCK

SPLIT, WAS 11 1/2 ...

LESTON P. FANETJF

GENERAL MANAGFR BELL AIRCRAFT CORP.

NEW YORK CITY

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