Kentucky Weathervane

Sirs:

The recent gubernatorial elections in Kentucky [TIME, Nov. 18 et ante] may well lift the Blue Grass State to a new role in National Politics.

For nearly a century political experts, real and imaginary, have awarded the State of Maine a place of honor as a barometer in forecasting the probable results of Presidential elections. This is due to the fact that State general elections in Maine are held in September of the even numbered years, instead of November as the case in most of the States. However, the students of politics seem to have entirely overlooked a real live proposition in the case of Kentucky.

. . . General elections to choose State officers in Kentucky . . . are held in the odd numbered years before the year in which a President of the U. S. is chosen. . . .

With a single exception the gubernatorial elections in Kentucky since 1907 have served as an unfailing forecast of the results of the Presidential election to be held a year later. . . .

The recent election resulted in an overwhelming victory for the Democratic candidate and as National issues were vigorously discussed pro and con, President Roosevelt and his advisers have every reason to feel elated and to have renewed confidence in next year's results. . .

RUSSELL F. WOLTERS

Houston, Tex.

Cheating Whites

Sirs:

My hat comes off to Joe Louis the dark skinned fighter who ordered his mother to refund to Detroit welfare authorities $269 received during 1927-28 (TIME, Nov. 4). For cheating while on relief and living in ease on others who work you've got to be white.

WOLFRAM HILL

St. Paul, Minn.

Subscriber Hill does rank injustice to Heavyweight Champion James J. Braddock and many another white whose sense of honesty prompted him to repay relief monev.--ED.

Williamsburg Tidings

Sirs:

. . . Broad Street railway station in Richmond, Va. is several city miles from the Main Street station. Recently a group of six persons with ten pieces of luggage took a taxi ride between stations and on arriving in answer to a question of fares, the taxi driver said "A quarter, Sir." "Twenty-five cents?" said the gentleman spokesman of the party, glancing at the others of his party grouped hopefully about him, and at the ten pieces of luggage arranged neatly about their feet. "Twenty-five dollars" might have sounded more familiar, but the taxi man stuck bravely to his first answer. So the gentleman handed him 50-c- and their trip was resumed by train to Williamsburg. The group consisted of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Jr., their daughter and her husband, Mrs. Rockefeller's son Mr. Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller and Mrs. Rockefeller on their way to view the Williamsburg Restoration's progress. Mr. and Mrs. Julian Street were in Williamsburg last week. To the Richmond News Leader he said he was "looking for a cheap and warm and comfortable place to write a humorous novel of California." . . . At William & Mary College homecoming of alumni last week, the colored Henry Billups, bell-ringer of the college for 48 years, was given a gold watch and chain and bell fob, a new broom and a Bible. An early Christmas for Henry this year.

SUSAN A. PRICE, M. D.

Williamsburg, Va.

To Reader Price, a plume for able news-hawking.--ED.

Ethyl Defended

Sirs:

With only an amateur's "appreciation of the subtleties of modern advertising" I have compared the Ethyl Gasoline Corp.'s advertisement in TIME, Oct. 21 with the letter of Mr. George M. Rascoe, TIME, Nov. 11, p. 72. From the latter I quote: "His dogs are a springer spaniel . . . and some sort of a fox hound. . . . For either birds or rabbits the two dogs would be as ridiculous as the riding boots. . . . And now the old pappy-guy with the red mittens. An extended rabbit may be that long but that gesture would never describe any sort of an American game bird. . . . Personally, I'm going to stick to plain gasoline."

With a hunter's "appreciation of the subtleties" of a springer spaniel, I have never thought my springer "ridiculous" as I followed him through the fields and watched his clever work on both rabbits and pheasants. And incidentally most of the tail feathers of the pheasants I have shot over him were longer than the old pappy-guy's gesture.

When a man's life and sport are ruled by dogmatic hunting conventionalities to the extent of influencing his choice of automotive fuels, it would seem that the "plain gasoline" he uses might have been blended with sour grapes.

WILLIAM H. YOUNG JR.

Paterson, N. J.

Sirs:

. . . Whoever can tell a 12-gauge shotgun from a 10 or 16-gauge gun at that distance is indeed an expert. The riding boots are of course ridiculous--but hunting is not always a matter of walking a great distance. To limit "up the trail" hunting to rabbits and birds is as presumptive as calling the hound a fox hound. More likely, it is a rabbit hound which many eastern hunters find quite indispensable. The red-mittencd gentleman's gesture might fit in many a hunting yarn.

BERNARD J. SHERET

Meshoppen, Pa.

Appreciative Lutheran

Sirs:

I would thank you most sincerely for the splendid article you published in TIME, Oct. 28 with reference to the World Convention of the Lutheran Church. It is bright and attractive; yet, at the same time bringing out the distinctive qualities of that gathering.

With deep appreciation and every good wish. . . .

SAMUEL TREXLER

New York City

To Reader Trexler, president of the New York Lutheran Ministers' Association, thanks for good words.--ED.

Devil's Best

Sirs:

. . . Your reference (TIME, Oct. 21), to National Commander ''Ray" Murphy as "corpulent" was a piece of disgusting flippancy so characteristic of your treatment of Legion leaders.

Your ideas of accuracy and fairness make you the devil's best mortal messenger.

FRANK MILES

Editor

Iowa Legionaire

Des Moines, Iowa

Legionary Murphy scales 235 lb.--ED.

Bugatti from France

Sirs:

In the Nov. 11 issue TIME has gone the way of many flesh in the U. S. by saying "Italy sent a Bugatti racer." As every foreign car enthusiast and owner should know, the Italian-named Bugattis are the product of Ettore Bugatti, Molsheim, France.

PHILIP L. TAYLOR

Windsor, Vt.

Reo's Business

Sirs:

Your Nov. 4 story on the motor industry's independents is interesting but inaccurate as far as Reo's 1934 production is concerned. We did much more business than you said. Reo's 1934 production was 5,160 passenger cars and 10,644 trucks. Orders now in our hands for 1936 model passenger cars indicate Reo will enjoy one of the best years in our company's history. This goes for trucks too.

W. G. EVERSMAN

Manager, Advertising & Sales Promotion

Reo Motor Car Co.

Lansing. Mich.

Ford's Business

Sirs:

. . . How does TIME explain discrepancies in its reports of Ford production this year? If production was only 662,204 for the first nine months (TIME, Nov. 4, p. 70), is the statement that more than a million cars had been built through the first ten months by Ford (TIME, Nov. n, p. 9) true? Excluding Lincolns and Zephyrs, can those Ford factories turn out 10,000 cars a day? . . .

MELVIN M. SPRUIELL

Columbus, Ohio

All credit to Reo for higher production than TIME indicated. Quoting Sales figures, TIME incorrectly said that Reo had "turned out" only that many cars & trucks. But let Reader Spruiell reread TIME'S reports on Ford. The figure 662,204 represented not Fords built but Fords sold.--ED.

Boeing Aftermath

Sirs:

IN VIEW OF COMMENTS ON THE BOMBER ACCIDENT STORY IN TIME, NOV. 11 WE FEEL CONFIDENT THAT TIME WILL FOLLOW WITH THE OFFICIAL AIR CORPS REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION.

BOEING AIRCRAFT CO.

Seattle, Wash.

TIME gladly brings up-to-date the record of the Boeing bomber that crashed in tests at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio. An Army investigating board last week concluded that the pilot, Major Ployer P. Hill, who was killed in the crash, had taken off without unlocking the controls; that the ship's structural bill of health was apparently clean.--ED.

Nazi Scenes

Sirs:

I wonder if you could help me settle an argument? After seeing the latest edition of "The March of Time" showing scenes of Nazi activities in Germany, my friend and I had an argument as to whether or not the interior shots were authentic. It is my contention that the interior shots were posed in a studio by paid actors. Am I right or wrong?

I. R. BLUMENTHAL

New York City

To Contender Blumenthal, the argument. Finding it impossible to export from Germany many actual scenes of Nazi Jew-baiting, "The March of Time" filmed carefully documented re-enactments. Precisely half of the 84 ft. of Jew-baiting scenes are such re-enactment.--ED.

So Much For That

Sirs:

I have been reliably informed that you never print a letter wrote in long hand, since being sponsors of Remington & Rand.

My opinion of you is just so much tripe. You cater to the highbrow, by using clipped phrases, misused adjectives, etc., thinking this shows a mark of great intelligeance. Your editions are full of mistatements, and you never was known to quote any one correctly. You probably never was a hundred miles away from your door step, yet you set your self as an athority. . . .

I am a dirt farmer and if all your readers were of my type, you and your staff would be out earning a livelihood with a pick & shovel. So much for that.

Yours Truly

B. L. DAVIS

Willows, Calif.

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