To the Editors:

The only good thing about the flight [July 21] is that Americans are shaking hands with Russians in space, but they could do the same on earth.

Kurt Sitterly Johns Island, S.C.

The cover illustrates very well that the Russians have got us.

D. Vincent O'Connor North Adams, Mass.

Millions for handshakes in space. Billions for confrontation on earth.

Harry Hess Bangor, Pa.

Critics of the mission who have complained that the Soyuz spacecraft is too "primitive" to bother docking with should realize that if it weren't for the launching of that spacecraft, we would not be launching an Apollo for any reason. The Soyuz program, however primitive it may be, is still advancing steadily. By contrast, Apollo and Skylab are dead. When viewed in this light, it is actually the Soviets who are condescending to dock with us. Soyuz is just coming into its own, while Apollo is putting on its encore performance.

The space program the U.S. needs now is one that advances steadily and keeps the highly trained space team together. If this can be done with Russian cooperation, so much the better. But it still should be done.

Leigh Catchepaugh Agawam, Mass.

The historic Apollo-Soyuz handshake in space constitutes a dramatic repudiation of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's unmistakable efforts to sow hatred in the hearts of Americans. In a Rasputin-like manner, he unmasked himself when he implied that America should have fought against the Russians instead of with them against the Nazis.

Karl Zerk Los Angeles

Mr. Solzhenitsyn may well differ with Mr. Kissinger simply because he knows more about Russia.

Gordon M. Jones Holland, Mich.

Ford's Stand

Where does Gerald Ford stand on the environment [July 14]? He stands on a strip-mined ravaged mountain breathing dirty air.

If the Federal Government would implement a national coal policy, states like West Virginia that have huge reserves of high-quality low sulfur coal, most of which is mined underground, might be able to compete with the Arab states. More important, they could provide our nation with clean air, a favorable balance of payments, higher employment and greater economic and energy independence.

Kendrick King War, W. Va.

Teddy and Truth

I was amused by the article "Legislate the Truth?" [July 21], wherein you reported that the staff of Senator Edward Kennedy is drafting a bill to declare it a crime for any Government official knowingly to mislead or lie to the public.

Wouldn't it be ironic if he became the first victim of his own bill by being indicted, prosecuted and convicted for his televised explanation to the American public of what really happened that night at Chappaquiddick!

Richard N. McKee New Castle, Pa.

The Rustin Way

The conclusion of TIME'S survey of modern capitalism [July 14] is that "there is no alternative that credibly promises both wealth and liberty." Nonsense. Defenders of capitalism (TIME included) naturally propose Communism as the only alternative, since nobody wants that oppressive system. The real alternative to both systems is democratic socialism, which can be achieved through reform and evolution--precisely what has been happening in America. As socialists work to modify the system toward even greater democracy and equality, the specter of authoritarianism will be raised. Yet America has been moving toward socialism for four decades, and our system provides greater liberty today than ever before.

Bayard Rustin, National Chairman Social Democrats, U.S.A. New York City

TIME noted correctly that capitalist societies have, by and large, met the economic needs of their citizens, while collective societies have failed miserably. I was pleased also that TIME noted the inextricable link between economic and political freedom.

I must quarrel with one point. John Maynard Keynes may "often" have been called the "savior of capitalism" but not by those familiar with free market economics. Keynes preached government interventionism, which is antithetical to the doctrines of Adam Smith. "In the long run we are all dead," Keynes said in dismissing the long-term consequences of his tampering with the free market. Well, Keynes is dead but we are not, and the chickens he hatched are coming home to roost.

John Tower U.S. Senator, Texas Washington, D.C.

The Inscrutable West

I couldn't help laughing as I read "Mao `a la Mode" [July 21]. No real Chinese looks that ridiculous. Even a coolie would crack up looking at those pictures. If I were wearing those stupid clothes, I'd be too embarrassed to leave my rice paddy.

Rose Chu Coshocton, Ohio

Isn't that just swell? After all the helpful suggestions on how to make my Chinese hair, Chinese eyes, Chinese nose, Chinese mouth and round face look more Western, I am now told that the Chinese Look is current chic. Oh, those inscrutable Westerners.

Maylun Buck-Lew Providence

No Frolicking

In your article about Gay Talese's book on sex [July 21], the erotic connotation of your words "frolicking in nudist camps" offends us. We invited Mr. Talese to visit our resort so that he could see our facilities and experience nude sunbathing in what we feel is a wholesome family atmosphere.

The only "frolicking" Mr. Talese did here was on the tennis court, where he exhibited a strong backhand.

James L. Hadley, Owner Cypress Cove Family Nudist Resort Kissimmee, Fla.

Mailer Objects

R.Z. Sheppard is entitled to his opinion of my book [July 21], although I don't know what he knows about boxing, but I am obliged to object to his characterization of my remarks about Don King and George Plimpton. Unlike Mr. Sheppard, I find it impressive when a man is reading difficult authors whose names he cannot pronounce, as was the case with Don King, and anyone who would read my remarks about George Plimpton in context would recognize that I was applauding Mr. Plimpton for the depth of his competitive impulses rather than mocking him.

Norman Mailer New York City

Throwing Away the Key

Melvin Belli declares [July 21] that "psychiatry and psychology have progressed far enough so that we are able to tell those who should never be let out ... We might even be able to do this before they run afoul of the law. Some people because of serious mental problems have ... a constitutional right to be kept in custody." In plain English, Belli advocates locking up innocent Americans in insane asylums and throwing away the key.

Thomas S. Szasz, M.D. Upstate Medical Center Syracuse

What Is Enough?

Your Essay on the Postal Service [July 7] was extremely well done but inaccurate in one respect. Thousands, not hundreds, of daily and weekly newspapers depend on the mails for delivery. Actually, about 18 million weekly and 15 million daily newspaper copies are delivered by mail each week. Also, more than half the weeklies and at least 300 dailies have significant mail volume --enough so that a denial of access to the mails by exorbitant pricing could seriously damage their ability to serve present readers.

The Postal Service's proposed rates are high enough. For example, a western Pennsylvania daily newspaper with 12,000 copies in the mail each day would pay $147,000 in second-class postage annually, instead of the $80,400 under present rates. But even that is not enough for Judge Wenner, who wants that newspaper to have to pay $330,000 annually, leading to an annual subscription price of $80.

The newspapers that can will find other means of delivery, thus shortchanging the Postal Service of revenues it presently receives for doing very little work, as many newspapers are pre-sorted and delivered by publishers' employees directly to mail carriers and nearby post offices.

William G. Mullen General Counsel, National Newspaper Association. Washington, D.C.

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