Tercentenary Weather
Sirs:
As a subscriber for TIME I am interested that the stories therein published be as nearly true as it is reasonable to expect.
On pp. 22, 23 and 24 of your Sept. 28 issue, frequent reference is made to a misleading weather forecast given President Conant on the day of the Harvard Tercentenary celebration of Sept. 18. I probably am the meteorologist referred to in the article, who advised President Conant that "there would be less than 0.1 inch (specifically, I said, 0.05 to 0.06 inch) intermittent rain before 12 noon, and that it would be increasing after that hour to become heavy by the evening, with strong NE wind."
My forecast was the outcome of an elaborate forecasting service which Dr. C. F. Brooks, Director of the Blue Hill Observatory of Harvard, had arranged for the occasion. . . .
Your correspondent said "the rain had indeed stopped," but that later "a fresh torrent of rain descended on the Yard."
In spite of the abnormally difficult situation created by the rapidly advancing tropical cyclone, the forecast was completely verified as at Blue Hill, a much more exposed location than Cambridge, the intermittent rain was 0.08 inch by 12:30 p.m., and at the Boston Airport station of the U. S. Weather Bureau a total of 0.06 inch was recorded by 1 p.m. At the end of the ceremony President Conant congratulated Dr. Brooks for the accuracy of the forecast obtained from Blue Hill, which made it possible to hold the exercises out of doors with a minor degree of inconvenience to the thousands of spectators.
Your correspondent's story may possibly appeal to a noncritical class of readers which still takes a sarcastic-humorous attitude when the forecaster "misses," but completely overlooks the far greater percent of times when responsible forecasters are correct. However, in fairness to those who are striving to put weather forecasting on more scientific basis, the truth should not be so badly distorted.
SALVATORE PAGLIUCA
Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory
Milton, Mass.
Sirs:
. . . The forecast was verified to the letter: the rainfall was intermittent: it was light, the amount at Blue Hill was only 0.08 inch up to 12:30. I was present throughout the exercises, wearing an academic gown but no raincoat or other protection, and did not get wet through.
If you had been in President Conant's place, and had known exactly in advance what would happen as to weather during the morning, would you have dispersed the crowd and disappointed at least 10,000 people? . . .
CHARLES F. BROOKS
Professor of Meteorology and Director
Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory
Milton, Mass.
TIME concurs heartily with President James Bryant Conant's decision. To Blue Hill Observatory's meteorologists, felicitations on their accurate forecasting.--ED.
Sirs: Laurels for TIME'S excellent, human account of the little informal happenings which served to melt the frost of formality from a rather soggy celebration of a "Cambridge Birthday." May I modestly suggest that a copy of TIME'S Sept. 28 issue, 1936, be locked up by President Conant for the perusal of assembled bigwigs on that momentous day to which last week's meeting was adjourned? TIME'S trifles, added to its important news, would round out a complete picture of our day--and entertain dignified oldsters with as many a sly chuckle as it does today.
May TIME and Harvard both be young in 2036.
ELMER WOODS
Chicago, Ill..
Old Romeos
Sirs:
I have just seen TIME'S review [Aug. 24] of the late Irving Thalberg's Romeo and Juliet and its footnote ascribing the "first cinema production" of the play to the year 1916. Our sub-project on Motion Picture Bibliography tells me this is erroneous. While the compilation of a complete film index lies just outside their province (which encompasses instead the preparation of an exhaustive and critically annotated guide to the literature of the motion picture), their preliminary spadework in pre-War trade journals has uncovered these items:
"Romeo and Juliet, 915 feet, Vitagraph, July 4, 1908.
"The only Shakespearean tragedy written around a love story. . . . Particular attention has been given detail and scenic effects. The photography is perfect and numerous scenes are beautifully colored." (Taken in New York's Central Park, in one clay, its 915 feet--less than one reel--ran under 15 silent minutes. . . .)
"Romeo and Juliet, 2 reels, September 1-8, 1911, Thanhouser. It is creditable to the maker of the present film that each of the reels tells a story of its own; one the love story, the other the tragedy. As the reels are issued at different times, this will help the exhibitor. Some day it is hoped an arrangement will be made which allows of such productions being released at the same time--the only sensible and logical way." (Issued six weeks later by the same Bronx producer of cut-rate classics was the Tempest, and half a year later, the Merchant of Venice.)
"Romeo and Juliet, 2 reels. Pathe, January 3, 1913. A Wonderfully Colored Film of the Immortal Playwright's Great Romantic Play." (Produced and trade-announced but, according to hearsay, "too bad to be released," it betrothed Juliet to Tybalt, writing off the whole character of Paris as needless overhead.)
TRAVIS HOKE
Asst. State Director
Federal Writers' Projects
Works Progress Administration
New York City
Pictures Inc.
Sirs:
I have noted in the last few issues of TIME the credit line "Pictures Inc." under quite a few good photographs. For instance, in TIME, Sept. 28, Pictures Inc. managed to furnish Queen Wilhelmina and Daughter Juliana, as well as to turn in a tasty print on Sarah Churchill.
I thought I knew the names of almost all the news picture agencies but Pictures Inc. is a new one to me. Can you elucidate?
WILLIAM A. SCHROEDER
New York City
With TIME'S increased interest in and use of good news photographs, the flow of incoming pictures reached such proportions that an organization was necessary to handle it. TIME, therefore, established a subsidiary, Pictures Inc., a commercial photo agency to garner world-wide photographs for the use of TIME, FORTUNE and others who may wish to buy.--ED.
Race News
Sirs:
TIME has my highest admiration as the one news source which is both dependable and unafraid to print the news even when it treads on Jewish toes. We who are descendants of Anglo-Saxon stock which founded this country have a right to the whole news, not half the news, of this race which has already made New York the largest Jewish city in the world and has gained an important foothold in many of our other big cities.
Ask Mr. A. A. Brin who criticizes (TIME, Sept. 28) your publicizing of the Goldblatt venture if the facts do not explain why those who complain about race prejudice are always Jewish, never Swedish, German, French or Italian.
PAUL H. DUDLEY
Bakersfield, Calif.
Brown's Politics
Sirs:
Anent Providence Journal, Bulletin Publisher Sevellon Brown's protest in the Sept. 21 TIME, many a Rhode Island patron of these two great newspapers will wonder just what a "Republican publisher" is, if Mr. Brown is not one. No more "arch-Republican" publications can be imagined. The Journal (morning) and the Bulletin (evening) are among the leading extremely anti-New Deal, anti-Democratic newspapers in the nation today and it is commonly held here in Rhode Island that the almost complete coverage of the State by these two dailies is worth many thousands of votes to the Republican Party. Unfortunately, the Democratic organs in Providence and Pawtucket are of no importance and thus Mr. Brown's two papers have the field to themselves.
GEORGE C. LYON
West Warwick, R. I,
Death Dollars
Sirs:
Anent "Business of Death" under Religion (TIME, Sept. 28), have a heart, TIME, and don't class all of us parsons with the undertakers, florists, monument men, casketeers, and crematists who make such a soft living out of death. I'll wager that from the time of Paul, who earned his own bread in the street of the sailmakers, down through the time of Chaucer's poor parson who would rather give both of his offerings and income to his poor parishoners than collect their tithes, to this present day there have always been clergy who have felt that their services in the time of death were not for sale, and have consistently returned all funeral "fees." I would be glad to send you an assorted collection of such checks that I have returned, only I have returned them.
Nor does the fact that, when they find they can't pay me, the relatives of about one third of those I bury deem it unnecessary to thank me for my services by word or note alter my idea that it is the first duty of the ministry to bury the dead. For this, among other things, we constitute a ministry, and for this, among other things, we draw our monthly salaries
I know the undertakers do love a big show but some of them string right along with us parsons when it comes to giving a decent burial to some poor unknown.
(Rev.) H. N. TRAGITT JR.
Rector
St. James' Parish
Dillon, Mont.
To all parsons and undertakers who serve the dead without charge, all credit. --ED.
Hours of Bereavement
Sirs:
Any woman who can "charm" a sad King into a cheerful smile deserves praises, instead of criticisms. Mrs. Ernest Simpson is beautiful, young, slim and graceful. She is a socialite and has the good sense to add her husband on all her outings with royalty* With all the titled women in the realm to entertain him, King Edward VIII shows an artistic appreciation in selecting a young married woman, and a clever American, to entertain him during his long hours of bereavement. He has traveled all over the world and yet only an American woman can "charm" him, socially.
I have met several members of the Royal family, and of several royal and ex-royal families, during my travels in Europe; I have found them very lovable, unassuming, plain mortals. . . .
(MRS.) K. RUSSELL
San Francisco, Calif.
Belly Laugh
Sirs:
"I have just finished reading your disgraceful article 'Lousy Lovers' (TIME, Sept. 28) I am surprised that a magazine of your character would publish such. I do not care to have such filth spread out in my home for all my family to get mired up in. Please cancel my subscription and send the balance due me to the nearest worthy dog hospital."
No doubt you will be getting a lot of letters soon like the above. But don't let it concern you I imagine the vast majority of your readers will get the mighty "belly laugh" I experienced over said article. I immediately went up to town and bought me a copy of Esquire You ought to charge that magazine for that hot-shot advertisement. I'll be flying down to Rio soon.
H.H. HARRINGTON
Columbia, S. C.
Not to offend families, not to advertise Esquire, but to illustrate an exceptional demonstration of Latin pride TIME reported the official furor in Cuba over Esquire's article belittling the amorous abilities of Central and South Americans. --ED.
Rollers at Cleveland
Sirs:
On pp. 42 and 44 your Sept. 28 issue you give a truly colorful account of the Sept. 9 to 15 Annual Assembly of the Church of God, and for this we are all grateful. You have, however, made four slight mistakes: 1) Mathematical; 2) Geographical: 3) Physical: 4) HOLY ROLLERS.
MATHEMATICAL: You give our constituency as a hundred thousand, whereas we claim a constituency (built principally in past twelve years) of a million. There were 12,000 Registered Delegates to this convention--many times that many attended--120,000 sq. ft. of space inside and out of the vast building were occupied by people standing. I estimate a hundred thousand different individuals attended this convention. . . .
GEOGRAPHICAL: Your story leaves the impression there were only Hill Billies there, from the Smoky Mountains. That's like saying all aviators are from Kitty Hawk, N. C., for that same year the Church of God did inaugurate its return at Camp Creek, N. C., same year the Wrights first flew at the other end of the State. The Church of God is now firmly established with some 4,000 congregations in 44 States--22 foreign countries. . . .
PHYSICAL: Not "tuckered out," as you say, was Overseer Tomlinson presiding 8:00 a. m. to 11:00 p. m. daily, but lithe, athletic, fiery, reading his motto--"I'm not tired, and I don't want to go home." Traveled 55,000 miles last year without taking a berth--received a birthday cake at this Assembly--71 candles.
HOLY ROLLERS: In this you erred. We were called that back in the days when the Ford was called a Tin Lizzie, and by the same token--they called them tin lizzies, and were happy to get one. Newspapers in the vicinity not once mentioned us that way--at least one daily newspaper brought out an entire edition dedicated to the Assembly. The Christian Herald didn't in making the story of Rev. Olazabal's work its leading feature in the August 1936 issue. Nor did President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President of the United States, in his letter to the General Overseer, and which was read before the Assembly. It really hurt when you said we were "throwing fits," there, until I turned the pages to your story of President Emeritus Lowell of Harvard, who, you said, "croaked" right in front of President Roosevelt, all Harvard and the world's bigwigs, and I knew then it was just your way of saying things. So I don't hold it against you. . . .
HOMER A. TOMLINSON
Pastor, Overseer, N.Y.
Jamaica Tabernacle
Church of God
Jamaica, N.Y.
Sirs:
. . . You take a dig at Cleveland and the Tomlinson Church of God. . . . It might be interesting to you to know that Cleveland is one of the best managed cities in the South; that during these depression years when other municipalities were piling up debts Cleveland was consistently reducing her bonded indebtedness, and at the same time reducing taxes. No town or city can boast of better or more modern school buildings, the teachers are paid up in full and all departments of the city operate on a strictly cash basis.
The Church of God, with which I have no connection whatever, is an industrious, law-abiding, loyal, devout and highly spiritual people. They are not cluttering up court records with all sorts of crime, big or little. And they are not fomenting a lot of disturbance so characteristic of the intelligentsia of your larger and more enlightened centres of population.
Come down and see us some time.
W.B. PARKS
Cleveland, Texas.
Hidden Taxes
Sirs:
. . . You certainly lit into the GOP's "hidden" tax revelations with a vengeance (TIME, Sept. 14), perhaps scared them from exposing the matter further. It is bound to react against your own interests, for, in the course of listing the taxes on various household necessities, the Committee's Research Division would sooner or later have gotten round to tabulating the taxes on TIME, an essential brainfood that belongs in every American's market-basket. I have anticipated this move and now submit, after careful computation, a summary of the 1,793,000 "hidden" taxes included in the newsstand price of a single issue of TIME.
a) Federal, State, county and municipal taxes on income, gifts, real estate, personal property, motor licenses etc., plus surtax on income, paid by TIMEditor Henry Robinson Luce-- approximate number of taxes: 75.
b) Such of the same as are paid by TIME'S two managing editors, eight associate editors, 13 weekly contributors, and all others on the payroll--approximate number of taxes: 2,200.
c) Such of the same (plus corporation franchise, capital stock, excess profits taxes etc) as are paid by TIME'S hundred-odd advert and by all the other firms who would have advertised had they not had to spend ; money paying them--approximate number of taxes: 1,565,400.
d) Federal taxes paid on all the telephone telegraph, cable and radio message; on all electrical energy for commercial consumption; on cigars, cigarets, and distilled spirits (to the extent that the commercial of these products is inevitable); on cameras, firearms, perfumes, fur-trimmed articles (costing over $75) and mechanical refrigeration--approximate number of taxes: 225,325.
The most remarkable fact about all GOP computations is that, regardless of the number of taxes on a product, the amount that they represent is persistently the same--about 20% of the retail price. Thus, though a 10-c- loaf of bread's 2-c- tax represents a mere 58 taxes, TIME'S 1,793,000 taxes would amount to only a penny more.
On the whole it seems both unwise and ungrateful of you not to cooperate in this great effort to abolish "hidden" taxes, which supposedly would result in reducing the price ot the world's most informative magazine to 12-c-.
Maybe you're a bunch of old skeptics after al, and it has occurred to you to ask yourselves: "Would it"?"
JOHN VERNON MORICE
Chicago, Ill.
Lenin Telegrams
Sirs:
"It seems to me that your authority for Lenin's warning against Stalin [TIME, Sept. 28 ] is hardly sufficient to justify your stating it as a finite and established fact. In view of the overwhelming evidence of Lenin's complete confidence in Stalin as compared to his profound mistrust of Trotsky, does it not seem probable at Krupskaya Lenin, sympathizing for reasons her own with the Trotsky-Zinoviev-Kamenev combine against Stalin and knowing her position to be inviolate under any circumstances, made a few alterations in her husband's testament?
Barbusse quotes Lenin as saying in the same letter as early as 1911, "Kobi's [a Stalin pseudonym] articles deserve the closest attention. It is difficult to imagine a better refutation ot he opinions and hopes of our conciliators and Trotsky and his like are worse than all the liquidators who express their thoughts openly. All those who support the Trotsky group are supporting the policy of lies and deceptions toward the workers."
During the greatest crises of the revolutionary government, it was always Stalin upon whom Lenin depended for support and counsel Trotsky was his legman at the Treaty of Brest Litovsk, but it is interesting to note two telegrams which Lenin sent in answer to Trotsky's request for instructions. On Feb. 15, 1918, he wired, "Reply to Trotsky. I must first consult Stalin lefore replying to his question." And on Feb. 18, "Stalin has just arrived. We will examine the situation together and send you a joint reply as soon as possible. Lenin." . . .
RING W. LARDNER JR.
Selznick International Pictures, Inc.
Culver City, Calif.
With this phase of the old Trotsky v. Lenin Bolshevist controversy, TIME herewith has done.--ED.
Dutch Cheers
Sirs: I notice from your article under The Netherlands (TIME, Sept. 21) that your correspondent refers to "Hold the Sea" as "the royal Dutch cheer" and that the crowd "huskily . . . continued to cheer "Hold the Sea. ' " Does your correspondent master the Dutch language sufficiently to know the difference between "Houzee" and "Hou Zee?" "Houzee" is the Dutch equivalent to "Hurrah" whereas "Hou Zee" is the official greeting of the Dutch Fascists and "Hold the Sea" is a translation for "Hou Zee.".....
E. BROEHMAN
Mamaroneck, N. Y.
Henceforth TIME will distinguish carefully between shouts of "Hoezee" and "Hou Zee."-- ED.
* Husband Ernest Simpson was not aboard the yacht Nahlin for the Balkan cruise, was not in the party at Balmoral Castle (TIME, Oct. 5). -- ED.
This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.