Moody on Shooting
Sirs:
Great respect have we for the number and character of TIME'S readers, and for the tremendous influence exerted by TIME'S words.
In the enclosed clipping from your issue of May 19, I give you due credit for the use of the words: ''reported to have telegraphed," but still feel the power of suggestion created by the story was all on the negative side for Texas and her Governor.
The true facts are that a newspaper reporter failed to verify a report, falsely circulated with deliberate intent to spur on the crowd.
The Associated Press was absolved from blame by the court of inquiry yet was glad to publish an explanation.
In as much as Texas suffered enough from the regrettable incident; in as much as Mr. Moody has always stood pre-eminently for law enforcement, and for extreme measures when necessary against the lawless mob, I hope TIME will see fit to publish the true story of the order, "don't shoot."
MILDRED PAXTON MOODY (Mrs. Dan)
Executive Mansion Austin, Texas
The full "don't shoot" story: a newshawk heard two women talking, who thought they had heard some one else talking about a telegram from Governor Moody telling Capt. Frank Hamer of the Texas Rangers to protect Negro George Hughes, but not to fire on the would-be lynchers. The court of inquiry "is convinced that this report was instigated by a person in Sherman for the purpose of stirring up the mob." The court blamed the newshawk for lack of diligence in verifying the rumor, which Associated Press and other agencies circulated widely. TIME'S story clearly stated Governor Moody's denial of any "don't shoot" telegram, a denial substantiated by a search of telegraph company files. TIME was accurate also in reporting Capt. Hamer's remark upon hearing the false rumor: "That means they'll get the Negro"--which they did.--ED.
Parents in Nebraska Sirs:
The assertions quoted from Mr. Heinrich on p. 60 of your magazine on May 12, to the effect that there is no such thing in reality as the problem "Parent" is not supported by him with any data or proof whatsoever. It seems to be one more wild statement by an irresponsible individual.
Some years ago as superintendent of the city schools of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Y. M. C. A. director took over the entire problem of welfare and truancy in the schools. A careful detailed and recorded study was made of delinquent pupils. We found that something more than 97% of school delinquencies had a corresponding specific home trouble of some kind. The percentage is not always as high as this of course. An experience here in Omaha Central High School of 15 years suggests that there would be a co-relation of not less than 80% of delinquencies and trouble in the home.
His further statement that "children now spend a large part of their waking hours in school or with schoolmates" is entirely beside the point for the schools have neither direct nor continued influence on "these schoolmates" when away from the building. Anyone who is at all familiar with hours of school knows that the school actually has the children for only a smaller part of their waking hours.
His further statement that women who are not married by the time they are 30 years of age should be eliminated because they are ineffective in school work is so absurd and foolish as not to merit consideration. . . .
I am wondering very much just how much real constructive work Mr. Heinrich really does in rebuilding or recentering the lives of boys and girls who go through his care. . . . J. G. MASTERS,
Principal
Central High School, Omaha, Neb.
Vermonters, Virginians
Sirs:
Are your readers to infer from the article on China in your issue of May 19, p. 24, that Vermonters are "tall, sturdy, slow-but-sure," while Virginians are "small, nimble, slick."
Is not the author confused in his use of the word "slick" to describe a characteristic of Virginians? On the contrary has not the term "slick Yankee" been applied to New Englanders ever since they invented the wooden nutmeg?
BENNETT HUNTER
Franklin, Tenn.
Croly's Audience
Sirs:
Your article re death of Herbert Croly, pages 66 & 68, May 26, should not pass without comment. You say, "A nation nervously, suddenly quickened" rejected the New Republic to listen to Mencken et al. And you charge the decline in authority and circulation in the main to the magazine itself.
The attitude of the nation after the World War was by no means "quickened." Such an apathy developed as made American patriots ashamed of our land before the world. Such depression in the past decade, scarcely less than the depression under which we are now suffering. America passed into the hands of the incompetent after the Wilson administration, nor are we yet in the hands of the competent.
Against the advice of Wilson we indulged ourselves in the delusion that government may concern itself in moral matters properly the concern of other social institutions, i.e. drink: in the delusion that internationally we should live by ourselves; in the delusion that domestic enterprises prosper best when cultivated by tariff laws and that foreign trade is to be scorned as a means of prosperity; and in various other delusions.
The New Republic beyond any other periodical has published original, worthwhile, intelligent and important articles upon neglected themes of social and public moment. For this the philosophy of Herbert Croly is responsible.
If his audience failed him, so much the worse for his audience, deluded by noises of the marketplace.
WILLIAM E. CHANCELLOR
Norwood, Ohio
Baptist Property Unshaken Sift:
The artist's drawing of Gandhi Land on p. 21 of the May 19 issue, designates Pegu and Rangoon with an arrow as the scene of a Quake and Tidal wave and further quotes: "Pagan temples rocked. Baptist property worth millions unshaken." I think that statement needs qualifying.
It is either meaningless, or it is untrue or it is attributable to the modern, first-class erection of the Baptist property or the age-decaying of the pagan temples.
The artist's inference predicates a supernatural or Almighty protection of the Baptist property, which is simply ridiculous in this 1930 age.
Oh, well, maybe your artist is a "good" Baptist. In that case it is excusable, otherwise, probably he will be delighted to tell me about the magic, ephemeral omnipotence.
WARREN WHEELER
Midway, Ky.
TIME reported the phenomenon at face value, undertakes no explanation.--ED.
Peter (concierge)
Sirs: In common doubtless with many other of his former students I appreciated your record of Dr. Welch's 80th birthday party (TIME, April 14), but your otherwise excellent account was marred by one misleading statement, that which classed his European prototypes as follows: "Paul Ehrlich (discoverer of salvarsan); Koch (discoverer of the bacilli of anthrax, tuberculosis, cholera): Pasteur (vaccines)." If I may be forgiven a seeming irreverence, this is much as though you had classified the founders of a great religion somewhat as follows:
Peter (concierge)
Paul (corresponding secretary)
Jesus Christ (parables)
To anyone versed in the history of medicine it is known that Pasteur was the discoverer of germs and their part in the production of disease, and thus founded the science of bacteriology and established the basis of modern medicine and surgery. Pasteur, strange to say, was himself not a physician but a chemist and was studying fermentations when he made his monumental discovery. Thus it was left for one of his followers, Koch, a medical man. to identify certain disease germs. Considerably later Ehrlich, working with colors as an index of the susceptibility of micro-organisms to drugs, succeeded in formulating one invaluable remedy. These investigators deserve full credit for their contributions to our knowledge of pathogenic organisms, but neither is to be compared with the great scientist who originated the conception. . . .
FREDERIC M. LAWRENCE
Paris, France
Minister McIlvaine Sirs:
You call the Presbyterian Church of East Liberty, Pa. the Mellon Church (TIME, April 28). In quite another sense, it is my grandfather's church. He was its first pastor and preached there for 40 years. The "call" came when he was 22 and scarcely a year out of Princeton. In his journal, he calls the venture a "missionary tour to Pittsburgh." He traveled alone across Pennsylvania on horseback and the trip took 15 days (June 10 to June 25, 1829). His journal, kept on the way. is a masterpiece of detail--the price of horse feed--he drank a glass of milk at Harrisburg--a friend of his father's kissed him after a sermon he had offered in return for a night's hospitality. He felt himself to be a pioneer of sorts and never forgot he was a man--although a very young man--of God. He stayed in Pittsburgh for over 40 years-- until 1870. He became a root of the growing town, both as a preacher and landowner. He shrewdly bought up land in East Liberty and subdivided it and sold the lots at auction. I have two of these early real estate plats showing the land owned by "the Rev. William Brown McIlvaine." He knew the Mellon family from the first, perhaps his closest friends being the old Judge and his wife. A daughter Sophia married into the Negley family, a member of whom you identify as the founder of the East Liberty Church. Mr. Negley was an uncle of James, Richard and Andrew Mellon.
The church has been rebuilt since he left it to go to Peoria, Ill., to found another church. On one wall, however, is a bronze tablet erected by the Mellon family in his memory. They call him "a faithful minister of the Lord." ELIZABETH McILVAINE REPLOGLE
Chicago Heights, Ill.
Minister Mcllvaine, graduate of Dickinson College and Princeton Seminary (1828), after subdividing and selling his Pittsburgh land (five acres) and moving to Peoria, founded no church there but preached occasionally.--ED.
Lomond Low Road
Sirs:
Permit congratulation. You are well served. In your issue of May 12, p. 21 you refer to the old Scottish, (not "Scotch" please), ballad "Loch Lomond."
"But me an' my true love will never meet again." But your correspondent omitted to tell us WHY. I can enlighten him: the lover in the song, an ancestor of the same Duke of Montrose of whom you give a charming vignette, was about to be executed for participation in the abortive Jacobite rising of 1715 and he felt that, his spirit would reach his beloved Scotland traveling this "high road" before his sweetheart could. The proper wording is therefore: "O, I'll tak the high road,
An' ye'll tak the low road, An' I'll be in Scotland afore ye:" etc.
May I ask why under the vignette appears "He took the low road?"
IAN COLTART
San Diego, Calif.
The "low road" taken by the present Duke of Montrose was economic. He had to put up at auction his family's historic mountain, Ben Lomond, on account of high taxes.--ED.
Helser & Smoke
Sirs: Referring to your list of undertakers--"Doom Brothers," "Laughter Undertaking Co.," Slaughter Brothers" et at, I might say that if service is lacking from these, one might be told to go to "Helser & Smoke." This concern operates at Thornville, Ohio. . . . H. R. YOST Buffalo, N. Y.
Armco, Mo.
Sirs:
Apropos TIME, May 26 issue, p. 52, caption "Armco In Kansas" should this not be properly captioned as "Armco in Missouri"?
Sheffield Steel Corporation, all holdings, offices, plant-developments, activities, production, etc. are located in Kansas City, Missouri and that city's width removed from Kansas City, Kansas corporate limits. . . .
L. D. PROBES
Kansas City, Mo.
TIME will more diligently differentiate the Kansas Cities.--ED.
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