Soldiers' Morals
Sirs:
Let me second the statement of Sergeant George (TIME, Aug. 16) that the morals of the American soldier are strengthened rather than impaired by his Army experience. Never, in civilian life, have I observed such wholesome companionship, such tolerance, such faith in the ultimate destiny of this country as is exhibited by the soldiers. . . .
(Prc.) MARVIN MAGALANER Madison, Wis.
Sirs:
It is encouraging to find Technical Sergeant George believing that most soldiers will emerge from the Army better men than they went in, and that he finds the old cry that war ruins a lot of men to be "bunk."
But what . . . about the fact that every war in our nation's history has been followed by a moral breakdown? . . . Can it reasonably be expected that the most scientific methods of killing and slaughter that are known to man and are being taught to this generation will not have their awful results after this war?
We are told to hate and to kill. It must be so. We are not pacifists, most of us, and we recognize and undertake our terrible duty as we see it. But would it not be wiser to pray to God for a quick deliverance from wars, mass armies and their aftermaths than to assume comfortably that because more men attend church under the unusual conditions of Army life and send money home that all is readily going to be in order when this awful calamity is over?
(CORP.) JULIAN HESS
Camp Hood, Tex.
Something Good in Government
Sirs:
As a Civil Service employe, I wish to express my gratitude for your kind remarks about John Robbins Mohler, head of the U.S. Bureau of Animal Industry (TIME, Aug. 16). . . .
It felt good to hear something good for a change. . . . After all, we can't be wrong all the time.
CHARLES ENEMARK Rock Island, Ill.
Sirs:
. . . Too many of us think cynically of government these days in terms of the war-torn agencies such as the OPA, OWI and OEW.
A more general knowledge of the accomplishments of Washington's John Mohlers will do much to restore faith in our federal government.
Englewood, N.J.
Prich and the Bull
Sirs: Apparently, Ed Prichard is still in form--his crack re "drafting the barrel" (TIME, Aug. 16) brought memories of a day in 1935 when Prich and I were classmates at the Harvard Law School.
Professor Ed Warren--known affectionately as "The Bull" to thousands of his students, because of his exceedingly gruff ways --picked a day when Prichard wasn't up on his cases to ask him to criticize the ruling of the court in one of them. Upon his failure to give a satisfactory statement, the Bull went to work. ... He thundered at him a good two minutes and finally wound up with, "Gentlemen, you have just had a perfect example of mental stagnation!" In a flash, Ed was on his feet. "I wish to correct you, sir. What the class has observed is not a case of mental stagnation but, rather, a case of fear of the demon." The Bull gasped with the rest of us, for no man had ever dared answer him. Then--and this was why we all loved him underneath--he rolled back in his chair, and laughed and laughed until the tears rolled down his cheeks, then stood up, saluted Prichard, and offered, "Gentlemen, I give you a toast--to the future Governor of Kentucky, Edward Prichard." "And when that day comes, sir," rejoined Ed, "I assure you that you shall be made a colonel." HOWARD I. LEDDEN Lacona, N.Y.
Troubled Waters
Sirs:
All of us at St. Mary of the Angels Church, including Father Dodd, are bitterly disappointed to see in your Aug. 16 issue the atrocious photograph of Father Dodd. . . . The only way you can pour oil on the troubled waters is to print the enclosed photograph. . . .
E. ARNOLD GRAG
Hollywood, Calif.
> Let Father Dodd's parishioners trouble the waters no more.--ED.
Fielding Echo
Sirs:
Your Melendes expose (TIME, Aug. 16) is not only a prize bit of news reporting, but captures the spirit of earthy 17th Century uninhibited prose (i.e.: "... gaily cavorting with a strumpet") that is so lacking in the euphemistic writing of today. Fielding would be proud of you.
JOHN WEINER and Lieutenant Camp Bowie, Tex.
Plywood Whitewash
Sirs:
It was not a "plywood Army glider" that crashed at St. Louis (TIME, Aug. 9). ... In all fairness to plywood glider enthusiasts and manufacturers, please make this correction. . . . The War Department announced [subsequently] that its official investigation of the crash concluded it was caused by "a fatal hidden defect in a wing strut metal fitting." Please note that this was not any failure of plywood or plywood construction. . . .
JOHN GAFFIN General Manager Allied Aviation Corp. Baltimore
Negro Recognition
Sirs:
I want to congratulate the editors of TIME upon the recognition which your magazine has given to the achievements of individual Negroes. In many of your recent issues, I have found articles dealing with the success of Negroes such as Mary Lou Williams, Lieut. Colonel B. O. Davis, and many others. . . .
You are bringing to the attention of your readers the fact that Negroes are able ... to achieve success in terms comparable to the best efforts of our "superior white race. . . ."
Another value in your efforts to portray . . . Negro achievements is the encouragement which it must bring to many of them. . . . The Negro, seeing himself and his race presented fairly and honestly in your magazine, cannot help but take new heart in his struggles to better himself and his race.
MRS. S. SOLLBERGER JR. Norman, Okla.
Air Terror
Sirs: The following is a quotation in a letter written to Colonel E. M. House by Brand Whitlock, then Minister and later Ambassador to Belgium. The letter was written from Havre and dated Sept. 19, 1917: "... I have opportunities to talk with a great many military men, Belgian, English, French and they all unite on this: if America can send over preponderating squadrons of aircraft, the scales of battle will be quickly turned. ... I do not pretend to know anything about the art or science of war, if it is either, but I think I know something about the German psychology and the fact that they themselves lay such stress on air raids, the fact that they think thereby to terrorize and frighten, is indubitable proof that nothing would terrorize them so much as to look up some fine morning and see the air black with American flying machines."*
Louis LEBOWITZ Washington
Tragic, Fair, Lurid, Unprejudiced
Sirs:
. . . Your article "Peace and the Papacy" (TIME, Aug. 16) is really quite a tragedy, a tragedy in the fact that a first-rate American publication should allow so deceptive an article to appear on its pages. Previously you have been quite frank with your reports of Roman Catholic activity but this article about Pius XII descends to a low level in TIME news-reporting. . . .
The pressure from Rome, especially at this time, must be enormous but you have betrayed your democratic heritage in bowing to the papal lash.
GAYLORD H. STREETER Alexandria, Va.
Sirs: . . . The article should greatry promote understanding between Catholic and Protestant Christians, an understanding which must precede any combined action in the direction of peace and social justice which we all so ardently desire.
GABRIEL G. WILLIAMSON Maryville, Tenn.
Sirs:
Your lurid and sinister picture of papal politics belies the Christian aims of the Vatican. Franco, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and Petain were not raised up by the Pope; he makes the best of a situation and tries to improve it. He works for justice, peace, charity, for religion and human welfare. . . .
HASTINGS BLAKE Boston
Sirs: . . . The subject -- a delicate one -- is little known or understood by the average man ; TIME has handled it fully and fairly. . . .
THOMAS AFRICA Los Angeles Sirs . . . You say little regarding the Vatican's political actions which belie the principles.
. . . You fail to note that the Church itself is a dictatorship that out-rivals the totalitarianism of Hitler or Mussolini. . . .
REV. G. AUBREY YOUNG
Hagerstown, Md.
Sirs:
Congratulations. . . . You did a creditable job on a difficult subject. Although there were a few sarcastic statements in the article, TIME gave a truer, less prejudiced account of Vatican politics and policies than one would expect from many secular publications. Undoubtedly, TIME knew the article would bring many letters of condemnation from bigoted, intolerant anti-Catholics who shut their eyes to the obvious sense of the Papacy's position on social issues which TIME summarized brilliantly. (Everyone but the most anti anti-Catholics will admit that the papal assertions on social issues must underlie any permanent peace.) However, this is what I would expect from TIME: a fearless, unprejudiced representation of the truth. REDMOND ROCHE JR. Ann Arbor, Mich.
Conventions and Civilians Sirs:
This week in San Francisco soldiers, sailors and officers are sleeping in hotel lobbies, while the American Legionnaires have the hotel rooms during convention week. This summer in Denver, Army flyers slept in their bombers because the Colorado Dentists, the Colorado Mail Carriers, the Optimist Club, and various other organizations held conventions in all the hotels simultaneously. Naval officers had to postpone business in a California city for several days because the Spanish-American War Veterans, the California Federation of Women's Clubs, the Order of the Amaranths, and several other groups filled the hotels to capacity for a week. . . . And nobody does anything about it. ...
Those of us in the service are wined & dined and entertained royally at canteens and clubs, but when we try to find a place to live, we get doors slammed in our faces. I have been spending my day off each week since I reported here in April just looking for one room. . . .
I'm beginning to realize what one soldier meant when he said: "When I finish fighting the Japs, I'm going to rest a while and then I'm going to turn around and start fighting the civilians."
--**
San Francisco
** Name withheld.
This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.