Harding & the "Greats"

Sir:

Seldom if ever has a greater historical injustice been done than the rating of Warren G. Harding as a failure in the presidency by the 55 "authorities" of Professor Schlesinger [TIME, Nov. 8]. If service to the people who elected them is the criterion, then Harding ranks far above the two 20th Century "greats" [Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt] who allowed this nation to be plunged into two World Wars and then saddled us with a mountain of debt . . .

No greater tribute to the American system need be written than the rise to the Presidency of Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert C. Hoover and Harry S. Truman.

RUFUS B. McCALL

Atlanta, Ga.

Fewer People, More Food

Sir:

Your Nov. 8 analysis of William Vogt's book Road to Survival is probably the most inaccurate and misleading article that TIME has ever published. The implication that "real scientists" do not agree with Vogt's main thesis is far from the truth. It is true that Vogt has exaggerated the dangers of soil erosion, but he has underestimated the difficulties in the adequate control of population growth and the control of "moral erosion."

No demographer or biologist would deny the validity of the Malthusian Law. Malthus postulated that populations tend to increase faster than do the means of subsistence, and must be controlled by either positive checks or preventive checks. The positive checks are those which increase the death rate--famine, disease, epidemics, excessively hard labor, and war. The preventive checks are those which reduce the birth rates--celibacy, delayed marriage, "prudential restraint" in married life, and other forms of birth control. Although Malthus underestimated man's capacity to increase the means of subsistence, he did not underestimate man's capacity to reproduce.

Only the modern Western nations have adopted effective preventive checks, and only these nations have low death rates and high living standards . . . Nearly two-thirds of the world's 2.3 billion people, still relies largely on positive checks . . . and the people are poor and ignorant . . .

I believe that every "real scientist" would agree with our eminent demographer, Warren Thompson, who states: "There can be no hope for a decent life for all mankind unless birth rates in all parts of the world are soon reduced to about one-third of the physiological maximum."

KARL SAX

Director, the Arnold Arboretum

Harvard University

Jamaica Plain, Mass.

> Vogt's "main thesis" is that the world cannot materially expand, perhaps not even maintain, its present food production. The scientists TIME consulted (in the U.S. Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils and Agricultural Engineering, and the U.S. Soil Conservation Service) disagree strongly with this thesis. TIME did not deny that the human species is theoretically able to multiply without limit. Neither is there any theoretical limit to the food supply. But TIME pointed out that when people reach high standards of living and education, they tend to balance their increase with their means of subsistence.--ED.

Sir:

Thanks for your devastation of neo-Malthusianism. It was a great service to humanity . . .

JOHN BARNES

Dubuque, Iowa

Sir:

While most soil men have never taken Malthus' theory too literally, it was a useful tool to frighten farmers into soil conservation. For this reason, those of us who are crusading for conservation believe that your analysis of William Vogt's theories, while essentially sound and correct, will be a damaging blow. Farmers will now sleep late, plow up and down the hill. Most of them have to be frightened into action, and now our bogie man is dead by the hand of TIME.

R. J. McGINNIS

Editor, the Farm Quarterly

Cincinnati, Ohio

Quite Right Perry

Sir:

"Almost-right" is almost right, and sweet of you to say so [TIME, Nov. 15], but it won't do. I made no attempt to "predict the election," a business up to the electorate. I said, on the evidence of what I could see and sense from, where I sat ... that it was going to be close--closer than the country thought. It was. That wasn't "almost-right." It was right. Quite right.

JENNINGS PERRY

Jackson, Tenn.

Clever Men, and True

Sir:

In your "Manners & Morals" column concerning "the debutante industry" [TIME, Nov. 81, I was somewhat amazed, yet amused, to read of the "lissome" Joanne Connelley so nonchalantly dismissing the clever loquaciousness, genuine intellect, and congenial drinking habits of college "boys" in her sophisticated, world-weary attitude . . . It appears to our entire fraternity that this "sweet and young" 18-year-old apparently hasn't met true college men, as yet!

JOHN ADAM KOVCHOK

Gamma Theta Nu House

Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, Ohio

Spiritual Self-Examination

Sir:

Your report on the press entitled "Study of a Failure--What Happened?" [TIME, Nov. 15] was the most refreshing bit of postelection reporting that I have seen . . .

Congratulations on TIME'S pioneering efforts in spiritual self-examination. We hope for repentance and amendment . . .

JOHN BAIZ

Warren, Ohio

Corn in the Crib

Sir:

May we correct your statement that "no Government loans can be made on crops stored on the farm" [TIME, Nov. 15] ...

The crib of Nelson Roth, east of Pekin, was sealed today [with] Seal No. 0-48-5 of the Secretary of Agriculture of the U.S. . . . Sealed in this farm crib are 5,400 bushels of 1948 corn on which the Government has loaned $1.42 a bushel. If this corn had had to be sold when cribbed, it would have brought $1.25. Thus Mr. Roth is $918 ahead by sealing it. If the price goes above $1.42 before Sept. i, 1949, Farmer Roth can sell it and pay his loan. If the price remains below $1.42, Roth will simply deliver the corn to CCC on Sept. 1, 1949 in full payment of loan. Many such loans as this are being made. All that is required is that the crib be suitable to keep the corn in good condition until Sept. 1, 1949

F. F. McNAUGHTON

Pekin, Ill.

>Reader McNaughton is right as rain. In explaining the big Democratic vote in normally Republican farm areas, TIME failed to point out that many U.S. farmers were not as lucky as Farmer Roth. Those who did not have enough Government-approved storage of their own could qualify for Government loans on their grain surplus only by storing it in Government bins. When the Republican Both Congress refused to appropriate funds to build additional Government storage space, many farmers were unable to find room for all their crops, hence were unable to get crop loans on their surplus, and voted the Democratic ticket in protest.--ED.

Man of the Year?

Sir:

For Man of the Year, I nominate Sir Laurence Olivier. He is even more deserving of this honor because of the fine and healthy effect he has had upon the appreciation of Shakespeare than the rejuvenating influence he has had on many of our own and other countries' films . .

MABEL M. ALLEN

Leominster, Mass.

Sir:

We of Nicaragua request that you declare Anastasio Somoza [TIME, Nov. 15] Man of the Year for 1948.

MARIO J. ARIAS

Managua, Nicaragua

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