Borah

Sirs: In reference to your article on William E. Borah, may I commend you on your splendid tribute to a splendid American? WILLIAM H. WEBSTER Webster Groves, Mo.

Sirs: . . . Thank you for the story on Borah of Idaho. J. W. MASON Hartford, Conn.

Capitol Flags

Sirs: In your issue of Jan. 29, I read on p. 19, . . ."The flags on the Capitol dropped to half-staff in the floodlit night." Are not all U. S. flags hauled down at sunset? D. C. ESTABROOK Midland, Mich.

> By Act of Congress, two of the Capitol's four flags fly day & night all the year round over the east and west fronts. By custom, two fly over the Senate and House wings when those bodies are in session.--ED.

Pratt-Fallen

Sirs: Could you furnish me with a little information about the term "pratt-fallen" which you apply to Sonja Henie in the Jan. 29 issue? STAN GIBSON Montreal, Que.

Sirs: "Pratt-fallen" (re Sonja)&151;a gem of journalese and a first class howl. However, . . . only one t. . . . R. L. SUTTON, JR. Kansas City, Mo.

> For parallel usage, cf. Hamlet, gravedigger scene: "Quite chop-fallen." Webster gives prat, Partridge's Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, prat or pratt. Example: "We ain't to do nothing . . . but to set down upon our prats."--ED.

Catholic Liberals

Sirs: TIME has used the term "liberal Catholics" frequently. In issue of Jan. 29 it appears twice (on pp. 20 and 49). Will TIME please give me 1) its definition for term "liberal Catholics," 2) an example (not collective). As a life-long Catholic I am familiar with the terms "good Catholic," "practical Catholic," "bad Catholic," but a "liberal Catholic" is news to me. MARGARET BYRNES Albuquerque, New Mex.

> TIME'S tongue slipped twice. It meant "Catholic liberals" or "Catholics who are liberals." Let TIME'S readers think of their own examples of 1) Catholics, 2) liberals.--ED.

Missing Heir

Sirs: I read with unusual interest your account of a CBS program, Court of Missing Heirs. True to the tradition of this program for turning up lost heirs, records, etc., I now find myself turned up, not an heir, lost or otherwise, but a creditor, which will be quite a surprise to Mr. Shebel. If Mr. Alfred E. Shebel, part owner of the Court of Missing Heirs, is the same man (and I believe he is) who had offices at 612 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, he will recall that he owes me $10. About five years ago he had me rush down to his office, sit down at his typewriter and dash off some sixteen pages of script full of glib nothings I was obliged to think up while typing, for another program he had thought up called Musical Tintypes. . . . HOWARD W. RAPPORT Chicago, Ill.

Finnish Casualties

Sirs: I have grown accustomed to regard TIME as the most reliable source of news, but one thing I cannot understand about TIME or the press with regard to the Finnish-Russo war is the fact that neither publishes any information figures or statistics on Finnish losses. Surely throughout this struggle some valiant Finns in addition to the world's champion speed skater must be killed. Can you tell me what the Finnish losses have been since the outbreak of the war? One other point. What is the status of the Finnish aerial forces? I have yet to read an account of an air squadron engaging in combat with a Russian air force. Don't the Finns have any airplanes or combat planes? Why are the Russian air raids combated only by anti-aircraft guns? L. C. SMITH Hartford, Conn.

> No casualty figures have leaked through the Finnish censorship. Best guess is that the Finns have lost between 5,000 and 10,000 killed, between 15,000 and 30,000 wounded or missing, against the Russians' 20,000 to 50,000 killed, 75,000 to 100,000 wounded or missing. At the war's beginning Finland had 150 fighting planes of all kinds. No one outside of Finland knows how many she has since received, but her air force is far inferior to Russia's. Finland uses her slender air force on the front lines and to bomb Russian bases, instead of using it to protect cities.--ED.

Life In Camp

Sirs: Having read much about conditions in German concentration camps, I thought you might be interested in an account of my experiences in a French camp. As my family and I [having left Germany] sailed from Italy on the motorship Virgilio early in September, we sighed a sigh of relief and hoped to recuperate from all the excitement of the past month. As we approached Barcelona we were stopped by a torpedo boat which forced us to follow her to ... Marseille, where we were anchored. The Commander of the boat with his staff and a large number of soldiers with pointed bayonets came aboard. All passengers with German passports were called into a large room. We thought that the red "J"* on our passports would protect us from arrest, but we were mistaken, as all men between the ages of 17 to 62 were separated from the rest and held prisoner. . . . Each prisoner was guarded by two soldiers and was taken to the quay where we were loaded on a truck. . . . We finally arrived at an old shed, where a young officer served us with a light supper. They gave us straw and a blanket and all night we were guarded by armed soldiers. . . . The next day we were again transported in trucks for a hearing. At this hearing all our papers and money were taken away from us. I was taken to a camp, Les Milles, with the other men. This was a dilapidated factory which now serves as Camp de Rassemblement des Etrangers. The guards were kind, middle-aged men. The whole atmosphere was genial but it was nevertheless imprisonment with barbed wire fences. Our food was very meagre, the portions very small, quality very poor. My main diet was bread of which there was abundance. The sanitation was beyond description. The building, a brick factory, had been vacant for years and much dirt had accumulated. There were no windows in the building. The only light and air came through two large doors. At first we did not even have straw to lie on and had to sleep on the bare floor. Later each man received four pounds of straw for a bed. Covers were not available and when we requested blankets, the answer was: "Our soldiers have none either." We were still in the same clothes in which we left the steamer. In fact during our six weeks of imprisonment, we did not take our clothes off. The sanitation regarding toilets was primitive beyond description. During the day outhouses were used-four in number-enclosed with a few bamboo sticks which, however, gave no privacy. Our recreational space was opposite these outhouses, which sight we had constantly before us. We had built tables for ourselves out of stray boards and twigs that were lying around the grounds. The constant wind blew the unclean paper on our tables. One cannot picture this unbearable and horrible condition. At night the two toilets in the building were used by the 840 men and at 10 o'clock the water was turned off. To add to our misery, the water supply was very limited. Three times daily the soldiers brought us four pails of drinking water. These pails were left uncovered, thereby allowing the dust and toilet paper to fly in. The dogs of the camp were also allowed to drink out of these same pails. Just as limited as the drinking water was the water for washing purposes. For these 840 men there were two small wash basins out in the open. Often there was not enough water to go around, certainly not enough for dish washing: therefore, the men scraped the dishes clean while eating. The general treatment was quite decent and humane, but the control of the entire camp was lax and very inefficient. For instance, the delivery of the mail from the men's to the women's camp (which was only 20 kilometers distant) took about three weeks, often being lost altogether. This anxiety, together with all the other ordeals, caused many to have a nervous breakdown. There were many different types of people among this large group of men. Jews and non-Jews were together&151;unlike German camps. There were Germans, Austrians, Spaniards and even Frenchmen of German descent who had served in the French army. Among this mixed crowd many disputes and quarrels arose; the bricks and stones were used as missiles. Lion Feuchtwanger was in our camp. There was no canteen in the camp, so the Austrians managed to smuggle in food stuffs which were sold at high prices. Everything was available from chocolate to clothing. The money received from these foods was gambled away at night. We were awakened at 6:30 in the morning. Then the fight for the wash water began. Twenty men formed a group for breakfast. We spent the morning peeling potatoes and doing other chores but nothing strenuous. It was difficult to keep the men busy. At 11 o'clock we had lunch with a rest period of two hours following. The afternoon was spent also doing minor chores around the camp. Then, at 6 o'clock, supper, and finally locked in. At 8 o'clock all lights were put out for the night. These evenings were the worst, as one had to sit on one's straw or brick in darkness. On Oct. 12 we were brought in trucks to Marseille for a hearing. Among this group were only the German and Austrian Jews from the Virgilio. After the hearing we were told that we were free and could continue our journey with our wives. Rear Admiral Muselier, Commander of Marseille, personally came over to our truck and assured us that we could sail soon and that our papers and money would be returned to us. In the meantime, however, we had to return to the concentration camp to await further orders. On Oct. 15 the Admiral appeared before us again with his staff to assure us once more of our early departure. Finally on Nov. 1 at 6 p. m. we were called together and 26 out of 30 were transported to a garage, where we were locked up for the night. We were told that our wives would be waiting on the boat. At nine o'clock we were at Marseille where we boarded the boat Orazio in filthy condition. A commission of French officers, employes of the Espionage and secret police, received us. They demanded us to sign a release for the correct return of the money, baggage and documents which were deposited with the authorities upon our seizure in Marseille. Upon our claim that we had not received our money and belongings and therefore could not sign, we were told that if we did not sign we would be put off the boat and taken back to the prison camp. Naturally we all signed. Then we received empty envelopes which originally contained our money. The trunks were ransacked; all our clothing, linens, silver, and household belongings were gone, as well as valuable documents and papers. When I told Admiral Muselier about this theft he said: "If you don't like it, you can return to the camp. Your baggage is confiscated." This, after he had assured us that it was safe to sign the release. RICHARD ROTHSCHILD Valparaiso, Chile

SPCLJ & SPCSCPG

Sirs: Some time ago I remember seeing in TIME, a reference to the "Society for Prevention of Calling Lavatories John," and to the "Society for the Prevention of Calling Sleeping Car Porters George." If such societies exist in actuality, I would greatly appreciate it if you could tell me where I might get in touch with persons who would know more about the societies. ELMER SAMSON Princeton, N. J.

>-- Wires Senator Walter F. George of Vienna, Georgia: "ACCORDING TO MY LAST ADVICE I AM STILL PRESIDENT OF SPCSCPG." SPCLJ has not yet been heard from.--ED.

Pudding

Sirs: It is impossible to write to every individual who has requested the recipe for Yorkshire pudding. Following is the way to make it. However, we make it in an electric oven. Experiments will have to be made to suit local conditions. Make a batter of 2 well-beaten eggs, 1 cup of milk, 1 1/4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of cold water. Mix well. Pour fat from roast into pudding pan, placing pan back in oven about four inches below upper element turned low. When fat is sizzling hot, pour batter in quickly and return to same position in oven. In ten or fifteen minutes it should be brown or crisp. Then turn pudding over and brown other side about ten minutes. Cut in squares and serve with gravy from roast. This makes four generous servings. W. E. PRIESTLEY Seattle, Wash.

Morgan and Carbines (Cont'd)

Sirs: Having read the Satterlee and Corey letters in your magazine of February 5th, about the Hall Carbine Affair, in connection with the late J. Pierpont Morgan's banking business in 1861, and having also read Corey's and Satterlee's books, I wish you would clarify one point for me. In Corey's book he quotes a Government report censuring Morgan fer his part in the affair. The passage thus quoted, I am told, never mentioned Morgan but was directed against another banker, and Corey in his book used Morgan's name instead of the other's. This involves Morgan in the censure meant for somebody else. I am told that nowhere in the report is Morgan cited critically. Is my information true? GORDON -ROBERTS Newark, N. J.

> Yes.--ED.

Viskniskki (Concl.)

Sirs: ANENT COL. VISKNISKKl'S APOPLECTIC DENIAL OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR TOWEL CURTAILMENT AT PHILADELPHIA EVENING LEDGER, IT MAY HAVE BEEN SHEER COINCIDENCE BUT SHORTLY AFTER THE COLONEL WENT TO THE NEW YORK JOURNAL IN 1930 . . . THE CITY ROOM WASHROOM WAS TRANSFORMED. LIQUID SOAP DISPENSERS WERE RIPPED OUT OF THE WASHBASINS, AND RAGGED CHUNKS OF DIRTY BROWN LAUNDRY SOAP LEFT IN THEIR PLACES. THE CLOTH HAND TOWEL MACHINES WERE WRENCHED FROM THE WALLS. AND SPIKES WERE DRIVEN ON WHICH WERE HOOKED TORN BATCHES OF COARSE BROWN WRAPPING PAPER FOR TOWELS. THE LIGHT WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE CEILING AND HOT WATER WAS SHUT OFF. ... I RECALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES VIVIDLY BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF POCKET ABOUT $1,800 ON AN EXPENSE ACCOUNT SHORTLY AFTER VISKNISKKI CAME TO CUT EXPENSES. HENRY PAYNTER Peekskill, N. Y.

Sirs: Mr. Viskniskki apparently is enjoying the publicity ... so I'll add to his pleasure by prolonging the controversy. . . . By strange coincidence, when Viskniskki held sway over the efficiency of the New York Journal and the New York American in 1930, paper towels and white soap were eliminated from the wash rooms and newsprint and yellow soap substituted. I wouldn't under any circumstance accuse Mr. Viskniskki of this brilliant piece of economy. I am merely pointing out that possibly the mere appearance of Mr. Viskniskki at any newspaper plant creates a panic in the paper towel department. G. L. CRAIK Rye, N. Y.

Sirs: Whether the publications Efficiency Expert Viskniskki has worked for were (and still are) ailing may be debated. As to Portland's 89-year-old Oregonian, it may be remarked, however, that whereas the Colonel found it a journal of distinction, it is today just another damned daily paper. SlLVANUS KlNGSLEY Portland, Ore.

*Indicating Jew.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.