The Economy

Sir: Isn't it ironic that Phase II now requires the placing of controls and policing of an entire economy by a Republican Administration, traditionally committed to free enterprise.

Nixon many times pointed out that wage and price controls do not work. Now, presumably for political expediency, he is faced with the task of seeking vainly, like King Canute, to beat back the waves of inflation by a mixture of useless and impossibly confusing measures.

HENRY SCHINDALL

Pompano Beach, Fla.

Sir: It is exciting to see the direction given to the U.S. by the leadership of President Nixon as evidenced by new monetary policies, the call for largely voluntary restraints on prices and waves.

Realignment of world trade and currencies is undoubtedly overdue, and America will find that just changes in this area will be accepted by the major trading nations. But it is to be hoped that America does not press for too hasty or even unjust changes in world trade.

A.C. HAYLEN

South Yarra, Australia

Sir: I have but one question to ask TIME's Board of Economists: If constant annual growth of the G.N.P. is so vital to the welfare of nations, what happens when 1) our nonrenewable resources are exhausted and 2) we run out of space to expand into? Surely this is the ultimate legacy of the constant-growth syndrome. It appears that we are sacrificing tomorrow in order to solve the problems of today.

RICHARD H. RUSSELL

Edmonton, Alta.

Sir: Our descendants will laugh at us for having used gold as a basis for a monetary system just as we laugh at our ancestors for having used fish as money. I fail to see how the world's brilliant Finance Ministers can place such importance on gold, which in the past few decades has only doubled in supply, while world trade has increased tenfold.

John Connally is definitely right--gold makes great jewelry.

SAMUEL B. GARBER

Greensboro, N.C.

Deserved Embarrassment

Sir: Your writer uses a form of the word embarrass no fewer than four times in describing Cardinal Mindszenty [Oct. 11]. Perhaps the cardinal has become a diplomatic anachronism. But if we can smugly call a man who endured 23 years of confinement for his convictions an "embarrassment," perhaps we really deserve to be embarrassed more often.

ELIZABETH C. RAMSEY

Lexington, Va.

Sir: Cardinal Mindszenty's exile was certainly not "a wasteful expense of spirit." He served as a source of strength all over the world. The writer of your article must be a lily-livered, milk-toast egghead who would have cracked after the first day at the hands of the Communists.

HARRY A.M. RUSH JR.

East Millinocket, Me.

Sir: Cardinal Mindszenty will ever remain a symbol of truth and freedom. But those who sacrifice inalienable principles must endure subtle embarrassment--or impute it with empathy.

(THE REV.) JULIUS H. LANG

Naples, Fla.

Malcolm X as Witness

Sir: Re your Essay "Styles in Martyrdom" [Oct. 11]: far from being a man of "uncertain faith or none at all," Malcolm X was a witness to the oneness (not trinity) of the Creator and to the oneness of all mankind. He was killed because he rejected the racism of a creed that was the product of a racist society. He demanded that his people strive for their God-given "human" rather than "civil" rights. We as Muslims consider that our brother El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X) was martyred because of his faith in God and his rejection of racism and injustice.

ABBAS F. AL-JAMALI

WARIS COWLAS

HISHAM ALTALIB

West Lafayette, Ind.

Seventh Army's Problem

Sir: While General Davison's efforts to improve conditions in the Seventh Army are to be applauded [Oct. 4], they are nonetheless doomed to failure. What ails the Seventh Army cannot be cured by money or sympathetic leadership; the problem lies much deeper. After eight years of frustration in Viet Nam, can you really expect a sane man to participate in a land war anywhere?

GREGORY A. BROWN

Wuerzburg, West Germany

Sir: At least 90% of the people here have developed a "mox nix" attitude. We have our "hashaholics," who can see no sense in what they are doing. We have our alcoholics, who don't know what they are doing. And we have our straight people, who just don't care what they are doing.

For these reasons, we seriously doubt the combat readiness of the "advance guard" of M Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

MICHAEL SULLIVAN

Amberg, West Germany

Sir: From 10 January, 1968 until 21 July, 1970, I served as a personnel management specialist with the 575th Personnel Services Company, Darmstadt, Germany.

The Army during my stay in Germany was far from a Utopia. Nevertheless, in my visits to many of the units in the 1st Support Brigade and the 57th Ordnance Brigade, I never saw a billet as unkempt or abused as the ones you depicted in your article.

I doubt that these were in actual use as billets for troops. There would have been little excuse for the unpainted walls mentioned in your story or even for the broken windows.

General policy a year ago was that these things were repaired by the troops on duty time. Granted, the buildings were old and the plumbing at times needed repair. But American troops are not living as you have reported.

ANTHONY F. CAMPAGNA

Warwick, R.I.

Sir: The cause of the problem lies in a relaxation of discipline, not only at unit level but right up the line to the men deciding on paper what the soldier will do in the field. I am not suggesting a return to the old "brown boot" Army, but only to an army where each man knows who is who, does his job and has respect not only for his superiors and peers but for himself and his job.

Men like General Davison are the ones who can do the job of making an army out of a collection of men wearing green clothes. But they need the support of the men themselves, and the question is, can they get it?

SP4 J.R. GILBERT

Wiesbaden, West Germany

Polygamy as a Practical Matter

Sir: In all fairness to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [Oct. 11], it should be pointed out that the great majority of Mormons today neither practice nor support polygamy.

The belief of the Mormons was and still is that marriage is a vital step in attaining the fullness of purpose in life. The practice of polygamy was begun as a practical matter. Because of the great number of women and small number of men during the early days of the church's restoration, the pioneer Mormon men took several wives so all women would have a chance to marry. This practice was discontinued before Utah became a state.

(MRS.) JAN BODINE

New York City

Sir: In this day of overpopulation and pollution, polygamy is the last thing we need. Furthermore, no man can sexually satisfy more than one woman, while one woman can sexually satisfy several men. Things should be reversed--one woman with several husbands. The advantages would be obvious: there would be a big reduction in the number of births; the plural husbands would be able to support one wife in real style; the children would have more protection; and the wife and husbands would be sexually satisfied.

(MRS.) JOAN SELLEY

Maitland, Fla.

Sir: While living with three wives is not my idea of an ideal life, it seems to me that this is a matter of manners and morals that should be left strictly to the individual. As for the children, I'm sure their lot would be no worse than in most monogamous marriages.

WILLIAM GAMBLE

South Laguna, Calif.

Wash, Rake and Sweep

Sir: Your article "Squeezing the Schools" [Oct. 4] reports how money problems have forced cutbacks in programs, maintenance, sports, etc. Isn't it time that the public system learned something from the private schools?

A number of private schools for years have been letting the students, rather than paid janitors, sweep the floors, take care of the grounds and carry out other routine maintenance. Teachers are expensive, but so are other services and supplies. Vocational classes might do well to keep up the heating and plumbing systems, the brickwork, the paint, and replace broken windows or burned-out bulbs.

Perhaps repairing the windows they break would teach youngsters more respect for items that cost money. And why shouldn't a football player pay for damage to his equipment?

RICHARD T. WOJCIECHOWSKI

Hampton, Va.

More Than Crunching

Sir: Please, no more quotes from guys like the Rams' Deacon Jones: "I hope to end Archie Manning's career the next time we meet" [Oct. 11]. I love football. I believe it's more than goons crunching each other. Don't spoil it for me.

JAY TAYLOR

Tucson, Ariz.

Japanese Idiom

Sir: My Japanese friends and I were surprised and amused by your translation of Ten-chan, the nickname of the young Japanese for their Emperor, as "Heavenly Boy." The phrase is impossible to translate, however, so your version is perhaps understandable. Ten is a shortened form of tenno heika, which the Japanese use when referring to their Emperor. Literally, ten means "heaven," no means "king," and heika means "his majesty." But the phrase Ten-chan is idiomatic. When I asked one friend how he would render it into English, he unhesitatingly replied: "Emp."

PATRICIA DEARING

Tachikawa, Japan

Words from On High

Sir: I maintain that it is the tall man who is a victim of discrimination [Oct. 4]. Standing 6 ft. 3 1/4 in. tall, I shudder whenever I enter a clothing store and the oft repeated apology rings in my ears: "Sorry, but you tall guys are less than 10% of the customers, so there's no profit in stocking up on long sizes."

Everything is geared to the average size of people 50 years ago. Look at the height of the average kitchen or bathroom sink, doorknob, table and the like. It is even difficult to find enough room in the front seat of many cars.

But people are growing taller. The average height for a full-grown male under age 30 is 5 ft. 10 1/3 in. Yes, Mr. Feldman, time is on our side.

ALBERT GENE ROBERTO

Buffalo

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