France v. France

Sir:

Why be overly concerned about France? France ceased to be a world power when it became the center of the world of fashion.

LEONARD W. ARCHER

Curasao, N.W.I.

Sir:

How any country that cannot even govern itself can lay claim to governing another (Algeria) is beyond comprehension.

P. D. TUTTLE

Massena, N.Y.

Sir:

In view of France's crazy-quilt regime, shouldn't the "Big Three" now be called the "Big Two-and-a-Half"?

ELLIS O. JONES

Washington, D.C.

SIR:

WE SAW YOUR COVER OF DE GAULLE AND COULD NOT WAIT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT HE IS NOT DE GAULLE AT ALL. HE IS SERGEANT BILKO'S COLONEL HALL.

DON QUINN

LOS ANGELES

Nixon & the Neighbors

Sir:

I join with the overwhelming majority of Venezuelans today in sincerely regretting the violent attacks against the Hon. Richard M. Nixon. Such reprehensible acts do not in any manner express the feeling of the Venezuelan people, because they were carried out by hoodlums and irresponsible teenagers, mostly juvenile delinquents, who have taken abusive advantage of the climate of freedom of expression and reunion that has marked all the acts of the provisional government of this country. I am deeply saddened.

RUBEN E. HERNANDEZ G.

Caracas

Regretfully

Sir:

In its June 2 issue, TIME printed a letter from Milwaukee over the signature Willis Scholl, attacking Vice President Nixon. I regretfully report that this letter was a fraud. Willis Scholl, executive vice president of the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co., who lives at the address given on the letter, did not write it and most certainly does not agree with the views it expressed. Since the person who signed Mr. Scholl's name to this letter is guilty of an offense against the Federal Code, the whole matter has been turned over to federal authorities.

ESSIE LEE

Letters Editor

TIME

New York City

Asymmetry

Sir:

I was struck with the asymmetry between Brigitte Bardot's stance (May 12) and that of Sculptor Emilio Greco's Grand Bather (same issue). Of the two gals in bikinis, I'll take the bronze.

RAPHAEL McKAY

Portland, Ore.

Sex at Sunday School

Sir:

Your May 26 account of a young and inexperienced pastor getting his vestments singed is revealing. Sex is what you make it. For his students' parents, sex apparently is still a bestial pleasure, more lucid in the dark than in the vernacular.

WM. BLASK

Appleton, Wisc.

Sir:

How can parents be ashamed of the process through which they received the children of whom they are so proud? The subject of sex is too important to be ignored by parents, schools and churches. Is it not far better to receive intelligent instruction on the topic? No information--or worse, unreliable information--can lead only to unhappiness and misfortune for myself and other teenagers.

LINDA GARFINKLE

Brooklyn

Fallout & Freedom

Sir:

Congratulations to those readers who opposed the supporters of the Sane Nuclear Policy declaration [May 5]. As an escapee from Czechoslovakia, I was shocked to learn about people who are against nuclear tests; possibly these people prefer Soviet slavery? In an atomic war, one has the chance of victory--which, no doubt, will be yours--but if the Communists win, nobody will be able to escape to a free country any more. What would be left then? Suicide?

GEORGE GRUENBERG

New York City

Sir:

TIME [May 12] said "Three senior scientists at Columbia's Lament Geological Observatory wrote that most of carbon 14 is soaked up by the ocean, that Pauling's estimate of the increase of carbon 14 in the atmosphere was 50 times too high. Pauling's figure: 10%; the Columbia figure: .2%." TIME is wrong. See AEC Commissioner Libby's statements of March 27, 1958. Libby also says that the "carbon 14 rise might be as high as 3% per year as appears to have been observed."

LINUS PAULING

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, Calif.

P: Dr. Pauling said that the earth's content of carbon 14 had gone up 10%, missing the point that AECommissioner Willard Libby was talking about the percentage increase in the total atmosphere. Hence the observation of the Lament geologists that Chemist Pauling's calculations were based on an "erroneous premise."--ED.

Cleansed Cup

Sir:

If the Kansas State Board of Health thinks the "common" cup is dangerous to health [May 19], then why the longevity of priests who must consume the remainder of the wine after the people have finished communicating, thus taking most of the "danger" upon themselves? Priests are notoriously long-lived. The Holy Spirit is immune to bacteria. Christianity can, has, and will beat a sanitarian.

CHARLES L. TAYLOR The Church of the Epiphany (Episcopal)

Newton, N.C.

Prosit!

Sir:

Your May 26 story on Pabst's 100 millionth barrel celebration in Mettenheim, Germany, presented an interesting point of view on the value of corporate celebrations that involve the press. There is, as I'm sure you're aware, another side to the story.

These celebrations serve a very useful purpose to both the corporation and the press. They give newsmen and the public generally an opportunity they might not otherwise have to get to know the makeup of many of the companies and industries which contribute so much to our competitive economy.

In our own case, sending our 100 millionth barrel back to the German birthplace of our founder was a natural gesture of good will and a recognition of our heritage. In a week when anti-Americanism was being manifested around the world from Lebanon to Caracas, the warmth with which we were received by 5,000 people in the Rhine valley was a small, but pleasant, contrast.

H. PERLSTEIN

Chairman and President

Pabst Brewing Co.

Chicago

Trinkets from Trujillo

Sir:

If Playboy Trujillo Jr.'s fancy gift-giving keeps up, the Dominican Republic will have to change its motto to "Over the Trujillo to the Poorhouse"--with the U.S. taxpayer paving, and paying, the way.

SAM SESSKIN

Hempstead, N.Y.

Sir:

I suggest Internal Revenue Service determine whether automobiles, minks and diamonds rate as gifts or taxable earned income.

R. H. DALLAS Los Angeles

Sir:

"Millions for defense but not one cent for a Mercedes-Benz"?

FRANK MAPENGO

New Haven, Conn.

Van the Man

Sir:

It would be fitting to say that Van Cliburn's talent was discovered in June 1952, when, at the age of 17, he received the Chopin Scholarship of $1,000 from the Kosciuszko Foundation. This will surely gladden the hearts of the captive people of Poland and of all U.S. citizens of Polish descent.

KATHERINE R. MIZWA

The Kosciuszko Foundation

New York City

Sir:

I have heard only favorable comments on the article from people "in the know."

ROSALIE J. LEVENTRITT New York City

Sir:

If only we had more young people like Van Cliburn, and fewer like Presley.

MARY MARGARET Cox Gainesville, Fla.

Sir:

Why orchids for Van and onions for Elvis?

KELLY BROOKS

El Cerrito, Calif.

The Terrific Turk

Sir:

Hurrah for the "uncertified" teacher, Turkish-born Tanju Ergil [May 19]. His status points up the idiocy of some of the certification standards set up by U.S. educationists. May my children be fortunate enough to be taught by an uncertified teacher who knows and loves his subject.

RITA ROTH SPILLANE

Park Forest, Ill.

Sir:

TIME has again demonstrated its brilliant grasp of public school problems. The obvious conclusion to be drawn from your presentation is to substitute courses in wrestling for the professional courses now required.

(MRS.) CHARMAIN MOSIER

Bremen, Ind.

Sir:

If Ergil had been my math teacher, I'd have eaten my homework just to provoke a wrestling match.

MAGGIE STEADMAN

Tacoma, Wash.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.