"I Too Lost My Son"

Sirs:

In answer to "American Housewife" [TIME,April 23], who lost her son in this war and seeks to deny us and others--perhaps not our enemies--of some small portion of food, may I say to her that in 1944 I too lost my son after having him for some hours, and that his loss was due to "nutritional deficiency" during some part of my pregnancy. My bitterness matches hers.

In March of this year, to try to heal that memory, I was fortunate enough to be blessed with a daughter. . . .

If American Housewife had changed places with me at the time of my daughter's journey into life with the last plane raid on the N.E. Coast in progress without, and having since to stand in the everlasting queue for bread (in short supply), fish, and now, God save us, potatoes & tomatoes, would she still grudge something in the way of food ?

Madam, if you had stood this day in my shabby shoes waiting for 1 1/2 Ibs. of potatoes, knowing that the supply might be exhausted before it came to your turn, and read the sign "No Tomatoes, No Fruit," would you still deny us that very little from your store cupboard?

WINIFRED M. SHAW HALL Durham, England

Letter from Bilbo

Sirs:

Your swell article on "The Man" Bilbo (TIME, July 9), shows him up to perfection and should be read by every sane voter the country over. I wrote Senator Bilbo and today I've received a reply from him:

"... I am not surprised at a person in your atmosphere and surroundings being so thoroughly ill-informed and dumb about what is happening down in the Congress of the United States.

"Of course, if you read PM, the Daily Worker, TIME and other scandal sheets of the Northeast section of the United States, you will continue to be ill-informed because they do not give you the truth. . . .

"No, not many of my constituents will read the article that you refer to in TIME because we take very little of this trashy literature in the South. We try to keep our minds clean and properly informed. . . .

"The proposed FEPC ... is a legislative monstrosity, conceived by a bunch of communists to bring about strife and trouble in our country between the races. . . ."

Bilbo's letter would be even more amusing than it is, if it weren't for the sobering knowledge that this man is actually one of our lawmakers. That makes it rather frightening.

JENNESS S. BREWER East Hartford, Conn.

M-7

Sirs:

In your Pony edition [July 2] is a picture of our famed 105-mm. howitzer, M-7. As usual, during the last three years, it is falsely called a tank destroyer. If there is anything that will make an armored field artilleryman see red it is having his famed artillery piece wrongly named.

The Army nomenclature of our piece is carriage, motor, 105-mm. howitzer, M-7. It is the same gun that is used by all ground field artillery units, except that it is mounted on the chassis of an M-4 tank for greater mobility and armored protection for the crew. . . .

Please, the next time, you publish a photo of our "Animal" give us a break.

(S SGT.) ARTHUR M. FRANKEL c/o Postmaster New York City

P: Herewith the maligned "Animal."--ED.

Russian Czechoslovakia

Sirs: The enclosed letter from Corporal Gregory Grossman of the Third Army may be of interest to a larger audience: "I would like to share with you a few fresh impressions from my trip into Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia ... to Pacov (Patzau), some 75 miles beyond the U.S.-Soviet demarkation line. . .

"Guard posts are all over, not just at key points, as in our case. Red flags, pictures of Stalin (and Benes), and bellicose posters are prominent. . . . The highways, which are crowded on the American side, are almost empty. A good part of military traffic is horse-drawn -- an odd sight to G.I. eyes. . . .

"The average Red Army man appears to be about 19-20 years old, and kids of 15 are to be seen. . . . The men's uniforms are mostly shabby, but the officers' are usually in excellent condition. Very many women soldiers -- nurses, traffic MPs, and other troops. The women traffic MPs are quite a sight, but our Army is wise not to follow this example. . . .

Our own driver was so distracted that he drove the truck off the road. There are also many Russian women in civilian dress who apparently work in kitchens, etc. . . .

"What surprised me was that of all the thousands of soldiers on the streets hardly any were in the company of Czech girls. To one who has been in touch with the personal and disciplinary problems of our men the contrast is striking. About half of the G.I.s in "our" Czech towns have a babe under at least one arm, and so it has always been in every Allied country. . . .

"The Russians I talked to ... apologized for not treating us with vodka, because, as they said, they used it all up. I could easily believe it. They kept steering our "social" conversation towards political subjects, but always stayed within the limits of tact and good diplomacy. . . . They seem to have a maximum of self-confidence as a military force. . . .

"Other fleeting impressions: the formality of relationship between ranks; inferior administrative organization as compared to ours; singing while drilling; greater emphasis on automatic fire in the infantry; wearing of medals instead of ribbons; absence of signs indicating the particular units stationed in the vicinity, which are very conspicuous with us; absence of unit insignia on uniforms; friendliness towards us personally; the enthusiastic greetings of Czechs in the Russian zone when they recognized our uniforms. Take these for what they are worth. . . ."

GRETE UNGER

Berkeley, Calif.

The Crooner

Sirs:

In the July 9 issue TIME's Cinema editor says: "but it is the first time in his [Gary Cooper's] 51 pictures that he has sung at all." An error!

Gary sang Yo Te Amo to the late Lupe Velez in Wolf Song, early Paramount talkie. He sang Let Us Drink to the Girl of our Dreams in Paramount on Parade.

We used to call him the Crooner on the Paramount lot in those days. When Bing Crosby finally got the dressing room next to Coop, his singing suddenly stopped. We never learned why.

TOM BAILY Washington

P: Explained Cinemactor Cooper: "My voice is such that I like to forget what I sing anyway."--ED.

The Viceroy Sirs: I have read with keen interest your recent article on His Excellency the Viceroy of India [TIME, July 16]. My interest stems from my experience of the past year and a half in India and my very pleasant meetings with the Viceroy. It is my opinion that he is one of the ten greatest leaders we have in this world today. He is a man who represents all of the best British traits and none of the bad ones. His viewpoint is that of a human being, not of a Briton, an American, a Russian, or any other nationality.

Your article, of course, could not include all of the accomplishments in Wavell's career.

They are many. Besides being a Viceroy, Field Marshal, father to four children, poet, critic, author and historian, he is a horseman of note. . . . With over 60 years behind him and only one eye, he plays golf in the high 70s or low 80s. Early this year in an American-British Empire golf match the Viceroy teamed with an Irish golfer against ex-Open Golf Champion Johnny Goodman and his partner, an American colonel. The American team took a sound trimming. . . .

It is common belief in this country that all British high officials are pompous and nondemocratic. If true, Wavell is certainly the exception proving the rule. At a luncheon after the golf match, Wavell had Johnny Goodman, then a private, on his right, and on his left another private, who before the war was a caddie on the West Coast. . . . Wavell listened with interest to the stories of their families back home and to the many golf experiences which meant so much to the G.I.s. ... I might add that the G.I.s represented America well. They were pleasant, polite, courteous and intelligent. . . .

JAMES B. KNOWLES Major, F.A.

Greenwich, Conn

Foundation Dreams

Sirs:

... A belated well-done to you and Correspondent Mydans for your article "They're Always Short" [TIME, July 9], concerning the wives whose sense of values has gone the way of all flesh.

I happen to be executive officer of a ship, and though it's not as big or as powerful, it still is served by men I like. I know just how that Tincan exec. felt. You get mad and disgusted.

In Mydans' phraseology, I have "lost" two men in the last few weeks, and it does me a world of good to know that at least one magazine has the guts to write about it. ... A great deal of America has been constructed of personalized dreams, and when they blow up the dream it is like cutting down a foundation.

W. A. WILLIAMS

Ensign, U.S.N. c/o Fleet Post Office San Francisco

Sirs:

Re "They're Always Short," we feel that the sabotage can be applied indirectly to civilians. In every newspaper and magazine there is constant criticism of the indiscretions of servicemen's wives. Although much attention is focused on the juvenile delinquent problem, little is done to help build up the morale of the aforementioned wives.

We are all young and consequently enjoy getting out once in a while. Many civilians feel they can't spare the time for Red Cross work, etc., but certainly it wouldn't take much time to invite a serviceman's wife & child over for dinner or an evening of entertainment occasionally. Many of us have good intentions and ordinarily wouldn't consider leaving our children or going to taverns to seek pleasure, but with no alternative what are we to do?

(SERVICEMEN'S WIVES' NAMES WITHHELD )

Sirs:

In war or peace, broken marriages always make good copy. With critics shouting at woman from every side, little wonder that the lonely, faithful, loving service wife remains unheard and unsung.

(MRS.) MARY F. PORTER Washington

Sirs: Much has been written and told of wives unfaithful to husbands overseas. It is deplorable but true. . . . However, there are also many who are faithful and they should not be forgotten; nor those who have had the shock of request for divorce from husbands overseas.

Recently, a young woman who married an Army officer she had known for two years signed divorce proceedings giving him the freedom he had asked for in a letter that was a complete shock. In it she was charged with 1) not loving him, 2) looking for a free meal ticket, and 3) "it will be a long time before I come back and we will be changed." . . .

The wife in this case had hoped that the divorce could be postponed until the husband returned to this country and the confusion of war had passed, but she saw that he was obsessed with his desire for his freedom and so gave it to him, thereby dissolving a marriage that never had a chance at failure or success.

. . . This war is being fought for the principles that the home strives to uphold and is being sabotaged to a great degree by the lax divorce laws of our country. . . . Mankind is too ready to take the easy way out. . . . (SERVICEMAN'S WIFE'S NAME WITHHELD)

The Bull

Sirs:

. . In your splendid article on Admiral W. F. Halsey [TIME, July 23] you mention an occurrence as having taken place on the deck of the carrier Saratoga (Admiral Nimitz announcing the return of Admiral Halsey by saying: "I've got a surprise for you, men.. Admiral Halsey's back"). This event, a presentation of awards ceremony by Admiral Nimitz, took place on the deck of the carrier Enterprise at Pearl Harbor on the date mentioned. . . .

JAMES F. MURRAY Lieutenant (j.g.), U.S.N. Washington

P: TIME gladly transfers the Admiral from the Sara to the Big E.--ED.

S.A. Andre Citroen

Sirs:

In TIME [June 25] the following appears: "Citroen, which had been given a black eye for collaboration, pitched in." This is a statement that S.A. Andre Citroen collaborated with the Germans during the occupation of France, and is wholly false.

It is true that many French manufacturers, of which Citroen was one, were forced by the Germans to keep their plants going and to continue production. But . . . Citroen, through slowdown methods, held production during the 50 months of German control to 37,000 cars, against 50,000 in the eleven months preceding France's collapse. . . .

Furthermore, three members of the family which controls Citroen were deported to Germany for noncollaboration, and of these two died in German concentration camps, while the fate of the third is not yet known here. . . .

ARTHUR J. LOWENSTEIN

New York City

Mind Over Stomach

Sirs:

Seasickness, air sickness (TIME, July 9), car sickness are all mental conditions; no medicines are necessary, only reasoning and will power. If a person has proper food in his stomach, he should confidently say to himself, "I am not sick." But the stomach is moving around in a manner which on land would indicate that there is actual illness. Then he should say to his subjective mind, "I am aware of an unusual motion, but it is the motion of the craft; do not let that suggest you into thinking it is the food, which I know to be perfect."

Resist any suggestion of illness. Look at some fixed position such as the horizon, if possible, and assure yourself that your body is fixed and perfect, but that the surroundings are acting up and should be disregarded.

I have had considerable experience on yachts in storms and have never been sick. I always use this method, and have seen many lifelong sailors succumb repeatedly to the wrong suggestion of illness imparted by motion.

J. VERNON MUIR

Beverly, Mass.

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