The Monkey-Wrench Man

Sir: I nominate Daniel Ellsberg for Man of the Year for throwing the monkey wrench into that perpetual-motion machine, Viet Nam.

M.T. IVES Philadelphia

Sir: The age-old conflict between the laws of God and the laws of man was obviously warring within Daniel Ellsberg. By following the dictates of his conscience, he has performed an invaluable service to the citizens of this country. The exposure of the unbelievably inept handling of an inexcusable war can have only positive long-term effects.

JILL WESTCOTT Harper Woods, Mich.

Sir: You report that Daniel Ellsberg "is particularly scornful of the [Viet Nam] war's apologists, such as Arthur Schlesinger and Richard Goodwin."

"Apologists" seems a curious word in view of the fact that both Mr. Goodwin and I published books exposing and condemning escalation in Viet Nam (Triumph or Tragedy: Reflections on Vietnam and The Bitter Heritage: Vietnam and American Democracy) at a time when Mr. Ellsberg was in there helping the war machine. I am glad that he has come over to our side, but his alleged scorn for those who saw the point long before he did seems singularly ungracious.

ARTHUR SCHLESINGER JR. New York City

Sir: You said that Henry Kissinger was more brilliant than Walt Rostow or McGeorge Bundy. What we have learned from the publication of the papers is the futility of intellectual brilliance in government, its assistance to stupidity. Neither through systems analysis nor social or technological science can we manipulate a world of men. As George Ball's testimony indicates, what is necessary is more human understanding, which transcends intelligence--an understanding permeated with self-scrutiny and humility.

MARY K. VAUGHAN Mexico City

Sir: Why call it the "secret" war? The traditions, cultures, economics and politics of Southeast Asia were on record long before the U.S. became involved there.

Our military and the State Department should have been expected to misrepresent their intentions, but the public has nevertheless been well-informed of events over the past ten years. How can we claim ignorance as our excuse?

MADELINE PARKS Waianae, Hawaii

Sir: The Constitution makes no guarantee that the free press will always be right --only that it will always be free.

PHILIP SCHACCA West Hempstead, N.Y.

Sir: If the New York Times has the right to accept stolen secret Government material and make the decision to print it, then will we progress to government by the New York Times rather than by elected officials?

I would prefer to trust the judgment of elected officials. We can vote for a new President, for new Congressmen. How do we vote to get new management for the New York Times? No one can have freedom without responsibility.

JIM ETHRIDGE Houston

Fever and Flavor

Sir: TIME caught the fever and the flavor. The story on the Jesus revolution [June 21] was exciting, and some of us who are past the age of the Now Generation have been swept along too. First century Christianity is being revived--right here in secular city.

CAROLE CARLSON Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Sir: "The New Rebel Cry: Jesus Is Coming!" is an excellent summary of a most significant religious movement.

I hope we of the Establishment do not turn our backs on this movement and the opportunity it presents.

(THE VERY REV.) BENJAMIN V. LAVEY Dean of the Episcopal Cathedral Kalamazoo, Mich.

Sir: Your article chronicles very skillfully the fact that the most basic needs of man simply are not met by the counterfeit mechanisms which he substitutes for the cloth. You have made a distinct contribution to the effort to understand what's happening now in the American spirit.

WALLACE B. HENLEY Fairfax, Va.

Sir: The new movement apparently has little to offer those devastated by poverty and the victims of oppression and racism beyond an ecstatic trip. If it continues to rely on emotionalism and catch phrases while avoiding the demands of compassion and involvement, the whole enterprise will run out of steam and a raison d'etre. This will leave the converts drained and embittered when they discover that a promised shortcut to meaning only led to a dead end.

T.M. BENSON Colorado Springs, Colo.

Sir: "Would Jesus carry a draft card?" Carry the thought a little further: Would Jesus chew bubble gum?

ROLAND K. McCORMICK Shelburne County, N.S.

Liberty, Death and Punctuality

Sir: I think Gerald Clarke's Essay, "In (Slight) Praise of Tardiness" [June 28], should not be misunderstood. The subject of tardiness should be treated humorously not seriously.

Try thinking of a world without time. How could speed records be tabulated if it were not for split-second timing? Where would a navigator be without an accurate chronometer? As for me, give me liberty or give me death, but give me punctuality, not tardiness.

KARL F. LUEDER Chapala, Mexico

Sir: In his novel The Life of Klim Samgin, Maxim Gorky says about his hero: "He arrived always with the punctuality of an unemployed idler."

SIMON WEINBERG Tel Aviv

Sir: The early bird may catch the worm, Or so we've all been taught; If thisbe so, it follows that The early worm gets caught.

FREDERICK TOMKINS JR. Highlands, N.J.

Sir: In Mexico, it is a common use to interpret p.m. not as post meridiem but rather as puntualidad Mexicana, which means one or two hours after the stated time.

NEY VILLAMIL Mexico City

Better Off Extinct

Sir: After reading your saddening article concerning the inhuman visitors to the Detroit Zoo [June 28] I can't help but think that most species of animals, birds and fish might just be better off extinct. No matter how fierce or deadly they are, their ferocity and deadliness will never approach that of humans. On second thought, perhaps it would be better if mankind were extinct.

JACQUELINE SHEINFELD Framingham, Mass.

Leaning Over Backward

Sir: Jackie's act of leaning over backward to put on a good front [June 28] appears to have fallen flat.

(MRS.) MARION G. KRUESI Signal Mountain, Tenn.

Sir: The poor choice of dress by Jacqueline Onassis was equally matched by your bad taste in choosing to publish it. TIME seems to have lost sight of the distinction between the public's right to know and its need to know.

HARVEY E. GOLDFINE San Francisco

Between Things

Sir: Reader Dr. Gruskin should know [June 28] that you don't differentiate among things, however many there are; you differentiate between them, taking two at a time.

Your essayist's usage of between in "Down with Media" [June 7] was of course correct.

MARTIN MITCHELL New York City

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