Pig Sticker
Sirs:
My subscription is expiring but I shall not inject any financial adrenalin to keep it alive for, while I have found much of interest in each issue, I have put each one down with a bad taste in my mouth left by some short article, usually under MISCELLANY.
Why print such articles as those about horses killed in making a German movie, or the little Negro children playing funeral, or the drowning of a Russian Jew at Coney Island? They are surely not of national interest and to me they smack strongly of the sensationalism of Hearst. They are merely gruesome incidents that disclose the morbid mind of a pig sticker delighting in his superb ability to portray the horrible.
R. B. ERICSSON
Arcadia, Calif.
Failed to Observe
Sirs:
You remark [TIME, Aug. 30, p. 8] that Judge Clarke, running antiWorld Court for the United States Senate in California, was once pro-World Court. You fail to observe that Mr. Shortridge, running pro- international against Judge Clarke, got to Washington by promising to the anti-international one hundred per cent. Each man is a convert. The real question is:
Which has got converted in the right direction ?
WILLIAM HARD
Washington, D. C.
Failed to Grasp
Sirs:
Under the title of EDUCATION and the subtitle of "Vegetable" a rather lengthy discourse on Lydia Pinkham and her Compound is presented by TIME for Sept. 20 [p. 20]. I fail to gather the connection to Education and as to the Vegetable, I refer you to the series of articles by Samuel Hopkins Adams in Collier's under the title of "The Great American Fraud." Also to the booklet entitled "Female Weakness Cures" as published by The American Medical Assn.
Your statement as to the editorial in the Atlanta Journal is unbelievable as it is beyond my imagination to visualize an editor so rash as to publish an advertising "Blurb" in his editorials. The same paraphrase has been appearing in some of the small local papers of this vicinity for some months past and as a paid advertisement of the Pinkham Co. I might also say that it has appeared in the joke department of the Journal of the A. M. A.
I fail to grasp if you intend to be satirical, funny, or serious. However, I enjoy TIME beyond anything I have had the pleasure of reading as it keeps one in touch with so much without voluminous newspaper reading.
H. J. MCLAREN, M. D.
New Brighton, Pa.
Ignorant Bigotry
Sirs:
Cancel my subscription to TIME. After reading the article on the Jewish Holy days in TIME [Sept. 13, p. 19], I feel that I do not care to subscribe to a paper whose editors show such deep-rooted and narrow-minded prejudice.
May I suggest to ignorant bigotry that candles lighted by Jews obey the same natural laws as do those lighted by people of other sects? That Jewish noses are not necessarily rheumy noses? That though a Jew be prosperous, he can yet celebrate his Holy Day without incongruity?
Enclosed find 15-c- for the current issue of your paper.
MRS. JAY S. GOODMAN
Signal Mountain, Tenn.
The description happens to have been written by a devout Jew and read for accuracy by a Rabbi.--ED.
That Many
You may cancel my subscription. The reason is your article of Sept. 20, wherein you demean one of our greatest fraternal orders [p. 7]. In addition you make misstatements regarding the number in the Washington parade. I know, because I was there--even the Ass. Press said 75,000. There was that many I know.
C. M. HARVEY
Webb City, Mo.
The fraternal order allegedly demeaned by TIME was the Ku Klux Klan.--ED.
French News
. . . Your French news tersely and interestingly written was as French as the news itself. In France your news of Quai d'Orsay never jarred, carried with it the esprit of the event itself. . . .
ELLES W. KRIECKHAUS
Bankers Trust Co. Paris
Complete?
Sirs:
Keep TIME coming to me. Tell me when I owe you for more TIME.
TIME is "Curt, Clear," but not "Complete"--for me. If TIME were twice its present size it would not be complete so far as I am concerned.
I am glad that TIME stripped these assassins--Kemal Pasha, Mussolini, De Rivera --of their official PURPLE into clothing of plain murderer. One Thomas Mott Osborne is worth more than all the dictators living.
C. R. DANNELLS
Portland, Ore.
Do other subscribers feel TIME should be longer, fatter; hence more complete in the sense of extensive?--ED.
Encyclopaedic Ferber
Sirs:
In TIME, Sept. 20, [p. 21] writes Mr. Chace:
"Miss Ferber appears not to have included 'Hinky Dink' McKenna with 'Bath House' John Coughlin in the stage setting of Chicago under Mayor Carter Harrison. . . ." Let Mr. Chace look in Show Boat, page 330: "The garrulous Coughlin, known as The Bath, and the silent little Hinky Dink Mike Kenna were Chicago's First Ward aldermen and her favorite naughty sons."
Thus vanishes the incompleteness complained of.
ALBERT E. MEDER, JR.
Westfield, N. J.
Many another TIME-Ferber reader has recalled page 330.--ED.
Cliff's Edge
Sirs:
Who, pray, is your Book Editor to take the philosophical measurement of Author H. G. Wells [TIME, Sept. 20], foreseer of commonsense propagation (which I understand he has practised himself), of a germless world (which surely all would welcome ), of speechless communication (what, a blessing it would be, and already immlnent in Thought-Transference), of No-More-War (for which there are countless societies, in which Mr. Wells is inactive only because he can accomplish so much to their end singlehanded) ? Who, I again pray you, is your Book Editor to declare this really great social philosopher of the practising-what-he-preaches variety, "a gentle little man gesturing wildly on the edge of a cliff over which he lacks either wit or courage to leap alone" ?
ABNER WILLIAMS
New York, N. Y.
Critics
Sirs:
TIME [Aug. 30, p. 31] contains a list of literary critics which does not contain the name of Mr. John Macy. Perhaps your staff have not heard of Mr. Macy, author of The Story of World Literature, The Spirit of American Literature and The Critical Game. Mr. Macy's erudition, aristocratic taste, sane appraisement and matchless writing entitle him to a place on your list.
SYDNA ELLEN PRITCHARD
Brockton, Mass.
Sirs:
In TIME, Aug. 30, p. 31, you close the obituary of Stuart Sherman by naming American critics "left" to us. An omission of note is the name of Van Wyck Brooks. . . .
TALBOT PATRICK
New Canaan, Conn.
Famed John Albert Macy of Manhattan and Van Wyck Brooks of Westport, Conn., qualify eminently as leading literary critics of the U. S.; were omitted from the list published in connection with the death of Critic Stuart Pratt Sherman (TIME, Aug. 30, BOOKS) because TIME had prime reference to magazine and newspaper practitioners. Onetime associate editor of Youth's Companion (1901-09), onetime literary editor of the Boston Herald (1913-14), and of the Nation (1922-23), Critic Macy now devotes most of his efforts to writing books. Likewise Critic Brooks, since his brief editorial career (1920-24) on the late, illustrious Freeman.--ED.
Reds
Sirs:
I bought a copy of your magazine today in St. Louis and what you say about Indians (TIME, Sept. 27, p. 6) strikes me as foolish. You even quote Burke* as saying "Indians are assets." Of course Indians are assets--to him! Where would his job be without Indians? You might just as well have quoted a wop peanut roaster saying "Peanuts are assets."
In my opinion peaunts are assets to this country a lot more than Indians are. In North Carolina, where you say the Indians have increased 34% in a decade, peanuts are grown more than anywhere else in the U. S. I leave it to any North Carolina business man whether he wouldn't rather have more peanuts than more Indians!
I fail to see why we should pamper these "reds" just because it is their skins that are red. Of course their forefathers owned our country. But it is the whole principle of our inheritance tax that it is wrong for children to inherit property beyond one or two generations. As long as that is so why are we so careful to give to these red Indians what our own white children cannot get? Let's have no more "reds" of any kind in our country!
HERMAN ROSENBERG
The Southwestern Limited, En Route
Dial No Blease
Sirs:
In TIME, Sept. 13, [p. 6] you refer to the senatorial campaign in South Carolina in a way which seems to indicate an erroneous viewpoint as to the political appeal of Senator Blease and ex-Senator Dial. You used the adjective "blatherskite" to describe both Blease and Dial. You also linked the words, "the old-style ranters of the Dial-Blease ilk rave, rage," etc.
The writer supported Dial in 1924 but supported Smith this year. In justice to Mr. Dial, however, we will state that while in this campaign he apparently hoped for some support from the Blease following, his normal appeal and his usual strength (which is small) comes from the conservative, business class of folk. On the stump, he cannot, to any degree, approach the campaign style of either of his opponents this year nor of his opponents two years ago.
Your comment on the South Carolina political system is interesting but the expenses of the campaign meetings are not exactly allotted between the candidates on a pro-rata basis. Each campaign year, the State Democratic Committee fixes a certain assessment which varies for each State and district office and every candidate for the respective office must pay this fee. It is, of course, so arranged as to bring the income up to the estimated expense of the voting expenses, such as printing the ballots, paying the managers, etc. As far as the writer has known, there has never been any expense connected with the meetings of the candidates which are usually held in the Court Houses of the various counties.
HENRY R. SIMS
Orangeburg, S. C.
Sand Sharks
Sirs:
The article "Off Catalina" under the heading SPORT in your issue of Sept. 13 [p. 34], is a very pretty piece of writing, but may convey a wrong impression as to sharks in Catalina Channel. I am informed that the few sand sharks out there are not regarded as any peril by the swimmers in those waters.
A much greater obstacle to a single swimmer being able to accomplish the distance is the low temperature of the water and the tides and currents. . . .
S. C. STEWART
General Eastern Agent Catalina Island Line Chicago, Ill.
Twice
Sirs:
If President Grant was christened Hiram Ulysses or Ulysses Hiram by a religious ceremony [TIME, Aug. 16] he was christened twice, for when thought to be dying, he was christened by Dr. (afterwards Bishop) Newman, who said: "Ulysses Simpson Grant, I baptize thee," etc. Grant replied: "I thank you. I intended to speak to you about this."
DRYDEN W. PHELPS
New Haven, Conn.
Journalism
Sirs:
Your circular letter addressed to me fell into my hand recently. And supposing that the Magazine would be some of use to the journalism, I and Mr. Kissen Kobayashi, our Managing Editor, decided to receive your offer for the 30 issues for testing.
If it were satisfactory, of course, we will extend the subscription. Please send the copy to the following address:
Mr. Kissen Kobayashi
No. 33, 1-chome, Shindeki-machi
Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Japan
Mr. James M. Hamano
No. 37 Takami, Chikusa-cho
Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Japan
As I am taking charge of the Book Review Dept., I will gladly introduce your magazine on our paper.
JAMES M. HAMANO
The Nagoya Shimbun
"The Greatest Daily in the Central Japan"
Hariya-cho, Nagoya, Japan
Ten Dailies
Sirs:
. . . In no less than ten important dailies have I seen the word "famed" several times in the last six months. I have been reading these dailies fairly steady for several years and if they were using the word previously would have seen it. Two reporters employed by these dailies have told me they first saw the word in your columns. So, if Miss Emily Post continues to cancel subscriptions to papers using that adjective [TIME, Sept. 6] she might find her current news library getting restricted. . . .
RICHARD N. ("DICK") CHESNUTT
Nashville, Tenn.
Outrageous
Sirs:
You have struck a popular chord, but your price is outrageous. Put it at $2 and you would soon have millions of subscribers and would leave no room for imitators at a lower price.
ALBERT CAIN
Coronado Beach, Fla.
*Charles H. Burke, Commissioner of Indian Affairs in the U. S.--ED.