Why Scientists Remarry
Sirs:
The explanation of why scientists remarry more quickly than others is obvious (TIME, May 9). Scientists are the most helpless of men. Twenty-five years lived in the faculty end of a university town leave no doubts in my mind. So--when his wife is gone--by death or desire--the scientist gets him a new one--or he can't work.
JOHN W. KEATLEY
Ben Lomond, Calif.
Not Caught Yet
Sirs:
Now, now, TIME--
Reporting the Lake Forest Academy anniversary dinner you slipped up on the honor system (May 9, p. 50).
When we enter school for the first time we take a pledge on our word of honor not to indulge in intoxicants and not to go out of the school boundaries without permission. Smoking has nothing to do with the "word of honor" system. It is simply a school rule.
If we are caught smoking, we are put on campus immediately and we must remain at school seven days after everyone else has gone home for a major vacation. While we (I haven't been caught--yet!) are here for the extra time there are supervised classes and study halls all day. Now you know! . . .
JOHNNIE McCARTHY '38
Lake Forest Academy
Lake Forest, Ill.
NBC's Symphony
Sirs:
. . We did not "lure" men away from other symphony orchestras; that was not necessary, nor would such procedure have been in keeping with our policy [TIME, April 25]. The facts are: after it was announced we were augmenting the NBC Orchestra to full symphonic strength, we received more than 700 applications from instrumentalists. . . . From this number we selected the very finest artists who were free of other contractual obligations. In no sense did we "raid" other symphony orchestras.
Neither are we "hungrily on the hunt" for brass and wood wind players. It is not true that we recently sought to entice three men away from the Philadelphia Orchestra. The three artists mentioned in your article voluntarily applied to us for employment. Based upon their assurance that they were free to negotiate, contracts were signed. . . .
CLAYLAND T. MORGAN
Director of Public Relations
National Broadcasting Co.
New York City
TIME did not say that NBC 'enticed" Hornist Berv, Contrabassist Torello and Trombonist Gusikoff, merely stated that Philadelphia Orchestra's Manager Alfred Reginald Allen had "caught [them] ... in the act of reaching for NBC contracts." --ED.
Prank-loving Student
Sirs:
Surprised to read your squib in Transport column (TIME, May 9) on Verdun High's 5-c- hydrogen-charged balloon and its long distance perambulations which weren't long distance at all. ... It all came out in the early wash the day after the letter arrived that a member of the chemistry class which released the balloon had connived with a pen-pal in Singapore to mail the letter, which he himself wrote. The prank-loving student felt the qualms of conscience and 'fessed up when his classmates collected a sum of money to send to the "Chinese old man" to redeem the balloon. . . .
STAN GIBSON
Catholic High School
Montreal, Quebec
Child of Taurus
Sirs:
In your excellent article on Mr. Orson Welles [TIME, May 9] you mentioned the fact that that gentleman will be 23 years old some day this month. Can you recall the exact day? I would like to know for purely astrological reasons.
R. G. HAMILTON
Woodside, L. I.
Actor Welles was bom May 6, 1915, under the sign of Taurus ("The Bull" --April 20 to May 20). Says American Astrology's character delineation of the child of Taurus: Personality: "Fond of . . . the finer-things in life. . . . Eyes large, face broad, body heavy set and inclining to be fleshy." Finances: "He shall personally own that which he works with, or is interested in. . . ." Health: "If there is one thing that Taurus likes better than a big juicy steak it is the money with which to buy another one. . . ." Vocation: "Taurus is the sign governing the throat and vocal organs. ... It gives a deep, low voice, with soft, mellow tones. . . ." For a scientist's findings on astrology, see TIME, May 16. Let TIME readers who are interested in astrological parallels reread TIME'S story on broad-faced Orson Welles.--ED.
"Hump"
Sirs:
The word "hump" obscene? (TIME, May 2). This is disturbing news to me, as I've borne it as a nickname for years.
W. D. HUMPHREY
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Sirs:
I never considered myself an intellectual virgin until reading that "hump" is by some considered an obscene word. In what respect? . . .
KINGSLEY R. SMITH Attorney at Law
Weston, W. Va.
Readers Humphrey & Smith's contemporaries will not find their questions naive. Once a fashionable word (about 1760) and used by boys behind the barn some 20 years ago, "hump" is seldom heard in a sexual sense today. In the magazine (For Men Only) that printed it (and was acquitted of obscenity by a New York City magistrate) the word was used as a noun meaning "prostitute": "I walked at night, asked every hump I passed if she knew a Louise."--ED.
Oshkosh Trucks
Sirs:
In the Feb. 28 issue of TIME you published an article entitled "The Drive." In connection with this article you published a footnote which reads as follows: "One competitor which did not last was the Oshkosh Four Wheel Drive Auto Co., founded by Otto Zachow and William Besserdich in 1919."
There was no such company as Oshkosh Four Wheel Drive Auto Co. organized in 1919, or any other time. We and our predecessor, Oshkosh Motor Truck Manufacturing Co. have manufactured continuously since 1917 four wheel drive trucks under the registered trade-mark Oshkosh, which trucks are known as the Oshkosh Four Wheel Drive Trucks. Oshkosh trucks are widely known throughout Wisconsin and other parts of the U. S. . .
Immediately upon the publication of the footnote referred to above, we received numerous letters and telephone calls asking for an explanation. These inquiries are still being made. It is obvious that this footnote did damage to the name and reputation of the Oshkosh truck. Therefore, we ask that you make a suitable correction in TIME.
O. J. HARDY
President
Oshkosh Motor Truck, Inc.
Oshkosh, Wis.
TIME, having sadly erred, gladly makes correction.--ED.
Liberals
Sirs:
SOMEWHERE EARL BROWDER WROTE THAT A LIBERAL [TIME, May 9, P. 2] TO HIM WAS A PERSON WHO RAISED DOUBT AND INDECISION TO THE LEVEL OF A PRINCIPLE. NEVER HEARD A BETTER DEFINITION.
CLIFFORD ODETS
New York City
Sirs:
... I heartily endorse Mr. McArdle's definition.
ROLLIN KIRBY
Westport, Conn.
Sirs:
You inquire: "Do TIME'S readers agree with Reader McArdle that Franklin Roosevelt is a good sample of a liberal?"
This one does because this one has reached the conclusion, after listening to oodles of 'em, that a liberal is whoever says he is a liberal and liberalism is whatever any liberal says it is. And it is a handy thing to have at a picnic.
SILVANUS KINGSLEY
Attorney at Law
Portland, Ore.
Sirs:
. . . Now, in the interest of such devoted disciples of semantics as Stuart Chase and myself, don't you feel obliged to render an account of the number of definitions you receive, as well as a few random samplings? . . .
JOSEPH A. KLEEFUSS
Ann Arbor, Mich.
TIME prints herewith some random samples, will print more. Of the 63 letters received to date, 19 agree that Roosevelt is a liberal; 28 deny it.--ED.
Cartoons?
Sirs:
Now that it has acquired the Literary Digest, does TIME by any chance plan to take over the Digest's one particularly bright feature, cartoons-of-the-week?
RUTH SULLIVAN
New York City
What do TIME'S old and new readers think of Reader Sullivan's suggestion?--ED.
This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.