Lyndon's Lady

Sir: Your cover story on our First Lady [Aug. 28] should be required reading for all prospective brides. Men date popular girls, but they marry, and stay married to, the Claudia Taylors of this country. She is all any man could want in a wife, and her faults seem like virtues in the vast majority of American womanhood, 1964. RICHARD P. PETTY Plainview, Minn.

Sir: Mrs. L.B.J. is representative of a new breed of American women of dignity and intelligence who combine the roles of wife, mother and business woman with stunning success. To those who criticize her for wearing her clothes more than once, I would say that most of us do. ELIZABETH G. MONROE Andover. Mass.

Sir: Re Lady Bird Johnson's "twanging drawl," a so-called Southern "accent" (there are several) need not be less acceptable than the speech characteristics of other regions. One of my West Tennessee relatives once twanged to a sharp-accented critic: "Don't forget that you sound just as funny to me as I do to you." TOM FLAKE Nashville, Tenn.

Sir: The remark attributed to Mme. Al-phand, "I suppose that now we will all have to learn to do zee bar-bee-cue," indicates a lesson in manners is needed, if not in elementary diplomacy. T. MURPHY New York City

Sir: Your story on Mrs. Johnson was so scathing and catlike that I was amazed. I strongly protest the fact that your publication could taunt a First Lady who has demonstrated such an unselfish interest in the welfare of her country. Her statelady-like qualities may not excite cynical sophisticates and the foreign press, but thank heavens most Americans are not quite so shallow. Down with Lady Bird's Stalkers! LUCINDA McCONNEL WATSON Detroit

Sir: Your cover portrait of Lady Bird is an insult. Artzybasheff has given her as much warmth as one of the gadgets he draws so well for your covers. A. NART New York City

Sir: Artist Artzybasheff captured a wonderful likeness of Lady Bird Johnson. Even our three-year-old daughter recognized her instantly. MRS. LEO M. SCHROEDER Minneapolis

Sir: I object to your suggestion that the people of this country were originally disappointed with Lady Bird after Jacqueline Kennedy. Here is one Harvard man who liked Mrs. Johnson from the start. JOHN MILLER Milwaukee

Razor-Sharp Readiness

Sir: Your cover story on the Pacific Command [Aug. 14] and the role of our men in the Tonkin Gulf crisis was a tribute to the many--both behind the scenes and on the line--who once again demonstrated so well their razor-sharp readiness to defend the American flag. Indeed there could be no greater pride than mine in the privilege of leading the soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen of the Pacific Command. Having topflight reporter Keith Johnson with us that week was a pleasure for me and my staff. His personable manner and professional approach made a most pleasant association out of what otherwise could have been a difficult task. U.S.G. SHARP Commander in Chief Pacific San Francisco

Rural Rider

Sir: The vote of the House to halt court action on redistricting [Aug. 21] is too important to joke about. The present favoring of rural representation in every state in this country is becoming an increasing problem. Taxation without representation was an issue in our American Revolution. It is rapidly becoming one with regard to poor city schools and roads, farm subsidies and the poor quality of state governments. Even congressional seniority that ties up so much legislation is ultimately a result of poor apportionment. Those 218 Congressmen have forgotten about separation of powers and federal supremacy. DANIEL NEUBOURG Staten Island, N.Y.

Current Catholicism

Sir: As a "right-wing," anti-ecumenical Protestant clergyman, I tried to read your article on Richard Cardinal Gushing [Aug. 21] with proper disgust, but nostalgia got the best of me. Any Bostonian worth his salt cod has to be proud of this grand old man and his antics. Like our glorious Tea Party, he will always be part of my Boston. (THE REV.) R. W. NICKERSON Lisbon, N.Y.

Sir: If the picture you paint of that great guy Cardinal Gushing had been presented before the day of wonderful Pope John, we Protestants would have expected to see him excommunicated. Would that we had known of his clear insights, his impatience with outlived trappings and "legalism in the church," his attendance at non-Roman services, his wit and good humor, when he was so often publicized during Kennedy's White House years. What a man! What a human being! ELIZABETH R. STEWART Vancouver, Wash.

Sir: We who in childhood were spoonfed the catechism answers as the be-all and end-all of religion and now occasionally, when the thought of religion occurs to us, wonder why we feel hollow and quite uncaring about the whole subject, are delighted with the era of the "good Pope John" and welcome with joy and enthusiasm his outspoken and good-humored disciple, Cardinal Gushing. The day of the tightly compartmented, oh so comfortably barricaded minds of the born-and-bred bead-sayers has passed. TERRY STORMS La Place, La.

Misery in Mozambique

Sir: More than eight centuries of Portuguese history make your own history appear as a pitifully short one, which might explain, but hardly excuse, the lack of political and spiritual maturity plainly demonstrated by the insertion of such a venomous outburst of hatred as your article on Mozambique [Aug. 14]. Your evaluation of Portuguese Africa is a futile effort to divert public attention from U.S. racial problems, which are the most shameful in the world. LUIS CARDOSO DE MENEZES Lisbon

Dane at the Helm

Sir: There is no "German representative" involved in the management of IBM in Denmark [Aug. 21]. The operations of IBM Denmark are the responsibility of a Danish-born general manager who, with general managers for IBM in Finland, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, reports to an area executive in London. J. T. CARTY Director of Communications IBM World Trade Corp. New York City

Meningitis at Fort Ord

Sir: I would like to compliment TIME on the objective and factual article dealing with meningitis at Fort Ord [Aug. 14]. The story's timeliness, accuracy and fairness were in journalism's best tradition. The restrictions discussed in the article are still in effect, and the command continues to take every preventive action against the disease. ALFRED B. FRAZIN Lieutenant Colonel Information Officer U.S. Army Training Center Fort Ord, Calif.

Privacy Pleas

Sir: Hooray for Morey McDaniel [Aug. 28] and his fight against telephone hucksters! Although we victims still possess the ultimate weapon--the option of hanging up the receiver--before we can exercise this option we will have already left a trail of wet footprints to the phone or helplessly watched the soup boil over. I'll take asterisks. MRS. ROY H. COFER Berkeley, Calif.

Sir: Eighty-three percent of my business originates over good old Michigan Bell, and I support a family of ten children. For every McDaniel I've talked to, I have had a dozen happy, satisfied customers who are glad I called. BUZZ STUCH Benton Harbor, Mich.

Cruelty Prevented

Sir: Re your little practical joke of not showing two of Les Girls [Aug. 21], let's have the pictures of Dahlia Lavi and Catherine Spaak, or else I'll write to the S.P.C.T.S.L.G. (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Some of Les Girls). S. KARNI Albuquerque, N. Mex.

> Don't write; look.--ED.

The Challenger

Sir: Peter Scott, skipper of the Sovereign [Aug. 21], is also a "leading ornithologist," a noted and remarkably talented painter, specializing in the most realistic waterfowl portraits. As a sailor, he is following in the footsteps of his heroic father, Robert Falcon Scott, the man who reached the South Pole only to find that Raoul Amundsen had reached there shortly before.

Robert Scott's incredible hardships and the death of the entire party on the return from the Pole are known by heart by every English schoolboy. If the America's Cup is ever to be relinquished by this country, we could wish for no finer successful challenger than Peter Scott. KENNETH A. LABAND Lompoc, Calif.

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