Washington's Sousa
Sirs:
In the June 1 issue of TIME, under Letters, one of your correspondents speaks of J. Edgar Hoover as the only man of distinction born in Washington, D. C. What about the internationally known John Philip Sousa?
For years I have been endeavoring to correct, through the columns of The Etude, the ridiculous stories that Spusa's name was not Sousa, that he was born in Italy and his name was John Philipso and that when he came to the U. S. he added the initials U. S. A. to the initials S. O. and thereby derived the name of Sousa; or that he was born in Germany and his name was Siegfried Ochs S. O. and when he emigrated added U. S. A. and thereby acquired the name of Sousa. All of this is nonsense.
John Philip Sousa was born in Washington, D. C., Nov. 6, 1854. His father was a Spaniard of Portuguese descent who served in the U. S. Navy. His mother was born in the U. S. of Bavarian parents. Sousa was a most patriotic American. I knew him from the time I was 13 years of age until the day of his death, when he was a guest at my home. . . .
JAMES FRANCIS COOKE
Editor
The Etude
Philadelphia, Pa.
Sirs:
. . . Hoover has helped put the Nation's Capital on the front page, but how about Robert V. Fleming, a sand lot boy of the District that reached the top in the banking world, president of Washington's largest bank, also president of the American Bankers Association? . . .
HOLLY STOVER
Chicago, Ill.
Curley's D.O.
Sirs:
Under Education, TIME, June 8, I note the name of one James Michael Curley as the recipient, from the Staley College of the Spoken Word, Inc., of the degree ''D.O." I am not familiar with this degree. Is it, perhaps, Doctor of Obliquity?
R. L. BARTLETT
Natick, Mass.
The honorary degree awarded to Massachusetts' Governor was Doctor of Oratory. It was awarded just after Governor Curley had signed a bill authorizing Staley College to grant Masters' degrees in Oratory.--ED.
Telegraph's Phillips
I would be glad if you would correct the statement made on p. 19 in TIME, June 8, in which you describe Sir Percival Phillips, the well-known British journalist, as the correspondent of the London Daily Mail.
Sir Percival Phillips is on the staff of the London Daily Telegraph and has been for some time. It was for this paper, which I represent in the U. S., that he reported the maiden trip of the Queen Mary and it is on behalf of the Daily Telegraph that he is attending the Republican and Democratic Conventions at Cleveland and Philadelphia respectively.
DOUGLAS WILLIAMS
American Correspondent
The Daily Telegraph of London
New York City
TIME'S Foreign News Editor was well aware that Sir Percival Phillips' paper was no longer the Daily Mail. But to a TIME Foreign News fact-checker, no discredit for associating Sir Percival with the Daily Mail, which he left more than a year ago, since he has neglected to note his new job in the best standard British references.--ED.
Jack Rabbit Chase
Sirs:
All Texas should feel proud of the spirited article on our beloved State in this issue of TIME (June 8). Certainly the Centennial board, the City of Dallas, the City of Fort Worth and Jimmy Allred should send orchids.
Naturally, some of our more particular citizens are going to cause you to "chase a jack rabbit" for some of the more obvious errors such as misspelling the name of Justice Robert Lee Bobbitt; placing Lubbock (the Hub of the Plains) below the caprock on the map and failing to show, on the map, that Texas Technological College (third in enrollment in Texas) is at Lubbock; failing to mention El Paso's "garden valley." . . .
ANDERSON V. WEAVER JR.
Attorney at Law
Lubbock, Tex.
Sirs:
In the June 8 issue of TIME, in your article on the Texas Centennial, in giving credit to the men responsible for the Texas Centennial you either purposely omit the name of one of the most outstanding men so vitally responsible for the Texas Centennial or does the Editor of TIME justly intend devoting a full article in TIME'S next issue to this man who deserves so much credit for his accomplishments? I refer to Mr. Fred F. (for Farrel) Florence, president of the Texas Centennial. Mr. Florence, president of the Republic National Bank & Trust Co. and one of the country's leading bankers, has devoted a great deal of his time working untiringly and without any compensation to make the Centennial a reality. ...
L. F. BERVEL
Dallas, Tex.
Sirs:
. . . The University was doubtless flattered with having been called one of the best State universities in the country, but equally doubtless chagrined with having been called the richest.
The University is so rich it is poor. Like a little boy who has inherited a fortune, but who, because of the bigotry of his parents, can spend it on kiddy cars and patent leather slippers, but not on licorice and other things that would make a better man of him, the University is prohibited from spending anything but the interest derived from her oil and grazing lands, and that only on physical improvement.
The upshot of this has been that the University has crowded many pieces of architecture on a well be-shrubbed 40 acres, has mortgaged its available fund to amortize loans for their construction, and is now turning hand springs in an attempt to convince the Legislature and the people from whom it derives all power (?) of the University's poverty.
This is made plainer by the fact that while the enrollment of the University has increased over 50% since 1926, its total expenditure has increased barely 2%. There are 20% more students per teacher here than at the average, not to say the best, State university. Our professorial salary scale is pitifully far below that of the leading State and endowed universities. The cost per student here is about $212, while at the leading State universities it is frequently above $400.
Otherwise, we are rolling in wealth.
JOE STORM
Editor expired
The Daily Texan
The University of Texas
Austin, Tex.
Sirs:
In that very fine article on Texas and the Texas Centennial you had something nice to say about every city in the State and about many of the smaller towns, but for some reason you gave Galveston a dirty dig. The effect of your comment on Galveston was that it was a sleepy old town whose only shipping business was derived from the intracoastal canal, Houston having taken all the deep sea business.
While Galveston has not made the rapid growth in population in the past 20 years as has Houston, Dallas and a number of other Texas cities still it is a live wide-awake town of 58,000 inhabitants and going strong.
Had you investigated you would have learned that during the cotton year 1934-35 Galveston again became the largest cotton port in the world; that thus far during the present year Galveston has received 1,700,000 bales of cotton, just slightly under Houston's receipts, and that by the end of the season on July 31 will surpass Houston's receipts for the second successive year.
That Galveston is now and has been for a number of years the world's largest sulphur port.
That the medical department of the University of Texas is located at Galveston and that this school in connection with the John Scaly Hospital under the patronage of the Sealy-Smith Foundation is the leading medical centre of the Southwest.
That Galveston is recognized as the most beautiful city in Texas. . . .
A. J. LEONARD
Galveston, Tex.
Sirs:
We have read in TIME an article in which the State of Texas is given some very splendid publicity. Many of our cities are described in a most favorable light.
We regret to note, however, that El Paso is referred to as being the largest border city "crowded with Mexicans, tourists and consumptives." We feel this is a most unfair statement. It is true that El Paso is the largest city on the Mexican border. It is also true that many thousands of tourists visit El Paso and enjoy the splendid hospitality that prevails at all times. El Paso is located across the river from Juarez, the largest Mexican City on the border, and has as high a type of citizenship as can be found in any city in the U. S., many of them being of Spanish American descent. We have culture, refinement and all of those elements which go into the making of a fine civilization. It is true that many people who are so unfortunate as to contract respiratory troubles in the sections of this country where the climate is conducive to such diseases, come to El Paso because we are located in a section where the sun shines 80% of the time and where thousands have been restored to health; but the very large majority of our people are healthy and vigorous. . . .
A. B. POE
President
L. P. BLOODWORTH
General Manager
Chamber of Commerce
El Paso, Tex.
Sirs:
City not only overcrowded with Mexicans and consumptives but three large hospitals overcrowded with sufferers of apoplexy, appendicitis and alcoholism. Mexicans dying of malnutrition. Red Cross unable to cope with situation. Immediate cash donation care of the writer urgently requested.
A. Y. GIBB
El Paso, Tex.
Popeye Park
Sirs:
In TIME, June 8, honoring the Texas Centennial Celebration, you show a map of Texas locating various points of interest. On this map you show the largest spinach farm in the world, giving as its location Carrizo Springs, Tex. To put you straight the spinach capital of the world is located at Crystal City, Tex. which is not even in the same county as Carrizo Springs. Popeye Park, where the statue (accounts of which you no doubt have read) will be erected, is in Crystal City and the largest spinach farm in the world is north of this city. We could pardon your error if we had not recently had our Mayor in New York meeting Mr. Segar, who created Popeye, and presenting him with Crystal City spinach and a deed to Popeye Park. You missed the largest spinach farm by a county and some 40 miles. It is in Zavala County, north of Crystal City, the spinach capital of the world.
FRED LECRONE
Zavala County Agent
Crystal City, Tex.
Arkansas Melon
Sirs:
Arkansawyers have been so content in accepting merely the crumbs of the Texas Centennial trade that their former Governor, George W. Donaghey, himself a former Texan, rightfully has criticized them for their tendency to "hitchhike" on the Lone Star celebration. Far behind Texas in foresight, finances, manpower, initiative and even imagination, Arkansas merits little attention for her own half-baked efforts in 1936 --Arkansas' centennial year as well as Texas'. However, President Roosevelt's scheduled visit will help, and Bazookaman Bob Burns has done his part.
As a former resident of Texarkana, a town which lies in a great State as well as one which is not so great, I enjoyed the excellent Texas article in TIME, June 8. But your reference to the Texas "world's record watermelon (183 lb.)"; was a bit out of date. Last fall a farmer near Hope, Ark. raised a melon at least ten pounds heavier than Texas' 183, and I believe it weighed 196. Let Texas have all the rest of the glory, but give my native Arkansas county of Hempstead the record she has regained. Arkansas needs it.
JIM MONTGOMERY
Fort Smith, Ark.
Winner's Gas
Sirs:
In the June 8 issue of TIME is a report to the effect that Louis Meyer had just one pint of gas in his tank at the finish of the Indianapolis race. The June 6 issue of Automotive Abstracts reported four and one-half gallons remaining in his tank.
Since this represents a discrepancy of 3,500% in the two reports, I am wondering which is correct. I am more inclined to believe the Automotive Abstract statement, although yours does make the better story.
J. W. FOSTER
Easton, Pa.
In his tank, Winner Meyer had .557 gal. of gas. In his pit 2.406 gal. of his allowance still remained.--Ed.
Handles' Home
Sirs:
I have the honor to advise you that in regard to your "Handles," spoken of in TIME, June 8, they may have, as you say, only recently taken hold on a nationwide proposition, but I can distinctly remember during first-semester final exams at Wilson Teachers College, this city (occurring just prior to Feb. 1 of this year) we amused ourselves during the awful interims (between exams) by inventing new ones.
It comes as sort of a blow to find the "Moon Over My-arm-i" one is credited somewhere in Missouri. I was under the impression that I invented it myself. . . .
I just thought you might be interested in it and maybe you've heard the one about the cash register--I don't know where it came from --anyway, you poke each cheek in, crank your ear and stick out your tongue. Try it some time.
ARTHUR G. STEWART
Washington, D. C.
Sirs:
This particular section of the sometimes "backwoods" South seems to be about six weeks ahead of the rest of the country. With no name whatsoever, we were already at that time proficient in the game you call "Handles.'' Better than your "Moon Over My-arm-i" is our "Moon Over Palm Beach," to express which the moon (made with one hand) is placed over the upturned palm of the other hand. Another good one: Fix hands like a hitchhiker's then move hands from side to side with criss-cross motion--the hobo who doesn't give a damn! . . .
JOHN NEWFIELD
Birmingham, Ala.
Sirs:
"Handles" allegedly grew out of a similar game played on paper, in which one dot was the cross section of a toothbrush, a straight line was the bristle itself, two dots represented a ghost looking over a wall. This game, sprung on a group of the 700 sorority rushees quartered in the Tiger Hotel, Columbia, during the University of Missouri's rush week last fall by one of their number, led to one of them making up the original "Handy" to continue the entertainment. This bright co-ed started the best "jelly-date" entertainment to date on the campus where "jellying" also originated. It is the process of spooning over coca-colas in one of many campus "jelly joints"--soft drink parlors which provide booths, orchestra and dance floor for a minimum charge per person of 10-c-. No girl ever orders more than the 10-c- worth on a date either. . . .
E. G. SEIDEL
Editor
Missouri Student
Columbia, Mo.
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