"What Your Country Wants Done"

Sir:

"You may not be sure that what your country is doing is right in the long run," says William Ogle, scientific director of U.S. atomic tests in your April 20 issue, "but nevertheless you do what your country wants done."

This statement is both perplexing and appalling. The word "country" is an evasion to say the least, if not an absolute enigma.

What is the "country"? Is it President Kennedy, the AEC, the American people, the Democratic majority, or what? I am part of this country, and I do not think testing is right. I think all the money, manpower and effort directed toward achieving bigger and better bombs should be expended instead toward achieving peace. I also think that war is useless, besides being an abomination, and now, in this nuclear age, suicidal as well.

I believe the choice to be not between Communism and democracy, but between survival and annihilation of human life.

CAROL SPENARD LARUSSO

Cleveland

Sir:

If the U.S. had more men like Ogle, the Russians would always be a few steps behind us.

ROGER KING

Los Angeles

Barth's Theology

Sir:

Three cheers for your Religion Editor.

His report on Professor Barth [April 20] is a masterpiece, and for those of us who know and love Earth, he has assuredly succeeded, in spite of the complexity of Earth's many images, in drawing clearly a portrait of Earth as a Christian man whose religious personality leaves one of the finest memories of utter charm and humanity.

No wonder that Earth is intoxicated with Christ, for Earth's personality draws its secret from his and our master.

C.B. ASHANIN Chairman

Department of Philosophy and Religion Allen University Columbia, S.C.

Sir:

Barth may be a philosopher but not a Christian theologian.

When he rejects the infallibility of the Bible and caricatures those who do not as honoring "a paper Pope," he has forsaken the historic Christian faith. Van Til does not speak for us. Barth is an enemy of Christianity.

(THE REV.) CARL MCINTIRE President

International Council of Christian Churches Collingswood, NJ.

Sir:

Karl Barth must believe in universal salvation if he thinks John Calvin is in Heaven after Calvin's somewhat un-Christian sentencing of Michael Servetus to be burned alive in 1553.

HERMAN KENDALL Lexington, Ky.

Sir:

The best summary I've heard of Karl Barth's theology: "God is everything, man is nothing, and you're an idiot."

(THE REV.) HAROLD E. SCHROEDER The Ford Road American Lutheran Church Dearborn, Mich.

Sir:

The most interesting thing about your story on Theologian Karl Barth is the fact that in the latter half of the 20th century a magazine like TIME should consider it important to publish the superstitions of this sincere but mistaken man regarding such matters as heaven, prayer, Holy Scriptures and Resurrection.

Even with efforts at modern packaging by Barth, these are still items of cultural rubbish handed down from primitive man.

I.N. GRAHAM

Geneva

Sir:

With such scholarly theologians as Reinhold Niebuhr disagreeing with Dr. Karl Barth and calling him irresponsible, is it any wonder that we poor religious ignoramuses find it difficult to find truth in religion?

RICHARD A. SULLIVAN

Camden, NJ.

Sir:

A world that can produce a Barth has paid for its existence for a few more years. STAN MEALS Waco, Texas

Sir:

Every previous appreciation of Karl Barth (and they proliferate) has dissuaded me from reading him. Now, for the first time, I look forward to it with a degree of excitement. Thank you.

(THE REV.) T. C. AKELEY Pembroke College Cambridge, England

Reconciliation & Cabbage

Sir:

The letter from Peter Rabbitt Jr. [April 20] prompts me to write one too. For the 15 years of my married life I have had the name MacGregor. It has caused a look of apprehension in the eyes of countless children who want to know if my husband is "Farmer McGregor, the mean old man who chased Peter Rabbit from his garden." It gets difficult to deny any relationship when my husband is around with eyebrows bristling and mustache twitching.

Come the millennium, the Rabbitts and MacGregors of this world will come together in one grand love feast of reconciliation and cabbage.

(MRS.) JULIA C. MACGREGOR

Silver Spring, Md.

Still Steel

Sir:

Here is one 1960 Kennedy supporter who has had his eyes opened by recent events.

I am proud of my country's efforts in aiding developing countries. I am willing, even happy, to add, at President Kennedy's suggestion, my meager income tax from a missionary's salary to the national reservoir. But when he browbeats business, any business, as he has recently U.S. Steel, he has lost my confidence completely. I am proud to be a private ambassador from a country that shows its success by all sorts of freedom, including free enterprise.

CHARLES H. TIDWELL Spicer Memorial College Poona, India

Sir:

Your latest issue says that Kennedy intended to bear no grudge "against business."

I understand that India bears no grudge against Goa either.

WARREN SNYDER Evanston, Ill.

Sir:

You state, "Any organization or group or person that thwarts him [our President] can bring down upon itself the overwhelming might of the Federal Government."

Why not? Lucky America, to have elected a President who knows how and when to strike, and has the guts to do so.

RUBYN LYONS

North Fork, Calif.

Sir:

One letter praising the President's stand on the steel price rise and eight letters against it [April 27]. I'll bet you a bottle of good Scotch that the letters you actually received on this matter ran at least two to one in favor of the President, in spite of your slanted article on the FBI's treatment of some obscure reporters.

T. A. BYRD SR. Kansas City, Mo.

>> The drinks are on Reader Byrd. The letters ran more than five to one against President Kennedy's action.--ED.

Sir:

Inland sells its steel mill products at its published price. The sole exception is reinforcing bars, for which its published price was withdrawn June 15, 1961.

ROBERT M. BUDDINGTON Vice President, Sales Inland Steel Co. Chicago

Sir:

By his action in regard to U.S. Steel, the President has undone the work of many years. Our students now know that it is not how you play the game, but that to win in any way you can is most important.

CLIFFORD SCHMIDT Harry M. Bailey Junior High School West Haven, Conn.

How High?

Sir:

I liked your article on the Seattle world's fair [April 27], but that 608-ft. Space Needle is far from the tallest structure west of the Mississippi.

We recently completed the world's tallest man-made structure, a 1,676-ft. TV tower at Cape Girardeau, Mo. It, too, has a passenger elevator. Care to take a ride?

S. E. WILSON

Dresser-Ideco Co.

Columbus The Shah & the Empress Sir: Regarding the visit to Washington of the Shah and Empress of Iran [April 20]: Blazing with diamonds, Lime-sized emeralds, Caviar flown from the Caspian Seat-Persian fountains, French-type pheasant--We use tuna from the A. & P.! And they need our tax dollars?

FRANK HRUBY

Cleveland

Sir:

By what authority did TIME refer to the wife of the Shah of Iran as "Empress"?

R. R. BILLINGS

Philadelphia

>> Iran's monarch is both Shah (king), and Shahanshah (emperor), making Farah an empress as well as a queen.--ED.

Sir:

Some of us peasants may be struck dumb by the opulent goings-on at the White House, but are we so dull-witted that we don't resent hearing this same big spender cry out to the masses, "Sacrifice, sacrifice"?

CLAIRE FITZPATRICK Venice, Fla.

Whole Hog

Sir:

How could you? In your cinema review of State Fair [April 27], you referred to Pa Frake's hog as George. He is billed as Blue Boy, and throughout the entire film is repeatedly spoken to as Blue Boy. I thought TIME never goofed, but thanks for the nice review anyway.

BEBE ALLAN

Secretary to Jose Ferrer 20th Century-Fox Beverly Hills, Calif.

>> But off camera the pig is known as George, which is a better name for a black and white hog than Blue Boy.--ED.

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