War Criminals

Sir:

As interesting as any you have published is the wire from H. Keith Thompson in the June 23 issue concerning the German war prisoners of Spandau. I do not know Mr. Thompson (thank God), but I presume from his letter that he is a typical American do-gooder, or a Christian determined to out-Christian all others in turning the unslapped cheek . . .

I can't believe that anyone who lived during the events leading up to World War II, through that frightfulness, and the aftermath of the struggle, can earnestly desire the freedom of these creatures . . .

H. L. MANN

Brooklyn

Sir:

Just threw down the disgusting, biased and contrary-to-fact telegram by H. Keith Thompson protesting TIME'S reference to Herr Hess, Doenitz, Raeder, Speer, Funk and Von Schirach as the "Seven Blackest Nazis." Congratulations, TIME, on keeping the record straight. For one, I urgently protest the tenor of Thompson's protest. As a matter of fact, I protest having to protest the protest.

LEWIS P. SHELDON Washington, B.C.

Sir:

... As a German who has experienced the activities of "these faithful administrative officials," especially those of Baldur von Schirach, who put us youngsters in uniforms, taught us to tell on our parents if they should disagree with the Nazi ideas, taught us to hate the Jews and generally all other people except those of Germanic origin, I must strongly protest. The nerve of Mr. Thompson . . .

RUDI PANZ

Bonn, Germany

Duck of Distinction

Sir:

Re your June 23 article on the patch over the eye of the Hathaway shirt man: I thought you might be interested in knowing that Raymond Loewy, the industrial designer, has just designed a toy duck for a large toy firm. The duck will have a patch over its eye. The company expects to make 5,000,000 of them, and I wouldn't be surprised if cows and horses take up the fad ...

HOWARD LINDHOFFER Paris, France

War of Words

Sir:

When reading the June 23 article of the probable death knell of Amerika magazine, I felt great concern. The next day, in my daily paper, there was a story of the increasingly virulent campaign the Russian government is carrying on internally against the U.S. One of our few opportunities of bringing the truth to the Russian people has been Amerika. Knowingly, in the face of the fantastic lies about us which the Russian government are feeding their people, should it be permitted to languish? Isn't this, rather, the moment to use every possible means to increase its effectiveness? . . .

F. RICHARD WOLFF White Plains, N.Y.

Sir:

Can't we Americans do more than just parry Russian thrusts in the war of words? When the Russians use the Big Lie technique on germ warfare, it seems that we merely counter their charges with denials. Instead we should thrust back with a countercharge

. . . We should not only reply that we will allow a neutral commission to inspect Korea to investigate the charges, but also demand that a neutral body investigate the reports of mass killings in China and of the slaughter along the East German border . . . We should point out that the people who accuse us of germ warfare have made Russia so horrible that Russian citizens leap out of high windows to escape and flee by boat, airplane, locomotive, battery boxes, and on foot. When they get out they would rather die than return. These people who have seen for themselves what the Russians are like should be asked if the Red charges are reliable . . .

The germ warfare propaganda is largely designed to distract world attention from such things as non-returning prisoners, etc. . . . Perhaps the State Department and the top brass should read Stephen Potter's Gamesmanship.

EDWARD G. BARKER

Winchester, Mass.

Bewildered, He Says

Sir:

May a bewildered TIME reader make a brief comment on the political situation in the U.S.? It seems, after all, that there is no great difference between politics in South America and North America. The politician controlling the convention machinery tries to force his candidate, whether the people like it or not, behind a maze of technicalities, parliamentary mishmash and outright shoddy politics. That much is evident, and a sad disillusion it is to see the world's most powerful nation succumb to the will of a few ambitious, unscrupulous men . . .

JOSE ANTONIO DE SOUSA GONCALVES

Rio de Janeiro

On the Superliner

Sir:

Might I be so bold as to inquire that if what you said about the only wooden objects on the United States being the butcher's blocks and the pianos is true [TIME, June 23], then what the hell are the drumsticks and toothpicks (for Martinis) made of?

JAMES P. WENNER

Fort Riley, Kans.

P:The drumsticks are aluminum, the Martini toothpicks are plastic.--ED.

Sir:

. . . Captain Manning looks across the vase of flowers and says to the lady passenger opposite: " 'I can hardly tell which is the flower.' Says Manning, 'That always goes over big.' " Puleeze, before memorizing any more speeches like that, skipper, walk, do not run for the nearest exit. Batten down a hatch, go look for Irish pennants, or ANYTHING, but no more of that blarney ... I do hope some lady passenger, on the maiden voyage, leans across that vase of flowers and says this little speech before the captain does . . . Skipper, you played your trump from your deck of charm . . . Now, what have you to wow them with?

MARGARET B. NICHOLSON

Arlington, Va.

Grandmother's Tale

Sir:

Mrs. Bobo Rockefeller is quoted in TIME (June 23) as saying that she will never forget Winthrop Rockefeller "because there is an old saying that a woman never forgets the father of her firstborn." To speculate about the origins of this maxim is fascinating. Back in the days when old sayings were in the making, grandmamma took the place of television. When she was in the mood to remnisce, the grandchildren gathered round . . . She liked to talk about her youth, and one yarn went something like this: "The father of my firstborn was a Mr. Drybutter. He had a slack spade beard and a twinkle in his eye. The father of my second child, now let me see, what was his name? Bullfinch? Clapsaddle? For the life of me I can't remember! But I'll never forget Phineas Drybutter. A woman never forgets the father of her firstborn." One little girl repeated this story to her best chum, who said: "Why! my grandmother told just the same story--with different names, of course." And the little girls looked at each other wide-eyed, and said in solemn unison: A woman never forgets the father of her firstborn." Thus was an old saying born.

CLAUDE DE THIERRY

New York City

o the Poor Indian

Sir:

Please do not make me laugh--or let's be sincere! "By the end of this year [ethnologists] hope ... to convince the rest of the South American Motilon Indians that war is no longer necessary [TIME, June 23]." Why in hell don't we start that kind of teaching right here?

JOSE GUZMAN BALDIVIESO

Gainesville, Fla.

Prim or Prurience?

Sir:

I notice that you remain faithful to the usual American stereotype of the "prim" BBC [TIME, June 23] ... What American radio station would dare to broadcast the BBC's unexpurgated dramatization of the Trimalchio's Feast episode from the Satyricon of Petronius? On what American network could one expect to find Bertrand Russell debating the existence of God with a Jesuit priest ? . . .

After three years of enjoying [the BBC], it was hard to come back to the meretricious and suggestive "primness" of a radio system where language is bowdlerized, but violence and prurience are exploited as far as the law and pressure groups will allow . ..

N. M. COMPTON

Westmount, Que.

Sir:

... So Mr. (Sir) David Maxwell Fyfe, you don't like our radio and TV system? May I remind you that it is a free enterprise? It is NOT a government subsidy ! . . . Drink all the tea you wish, but don't expect me to do the same.

R. W. GERSTACKER N. Pekin, 111.

Quick, Wang, the Needle!

Sir:

Your June 2 report of acupuncture [the ancient Chinese custom of giving the patient the needles] has aroused deep interest, in us ...

Of all the Chinese medical professions, the one that has aroused great curiosity is acupuncture. However crude and primitive it may seem, it is still widely administered and resorted to by many an ailing person. Not infrequently, cases of heart attack, hypertension, rheumatism, etc., are reported being healed. The gold and silver needles the acupuncturists used range from 1/12s" to 1/16" in diameter, 1/2" to 4" in length; and round, elliptical and triangular in cross section . . . With the aroused interest and further research, maybe some day in the near future we will hear good news of applying this ancient art to cancer, leprosy, polio, etc., which have thus far handicapped our most promising doctors.

LIEUT. COLONEL H. F. WANG

Taichung, Formosa

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