The Political Arena
Sir:
"1960-1964, years of decision," is what we face as voters. To make the voters get out of their easy chairs and stop watching television, has either party given us a man of distinction, with a definite, clear approach to our problems?
The politicians have given us two candidates that meet motivational research standards of offending few people, of having good television personalities, of having presentable families, of agreeing on most problems facing our country. If neither the Madison Avenue-modeled Nixon nor the family-owned Kennedy production gets us excited, then we may give the politicians in Congress the chance to pick our President. Motivational research gave us the Edsel. An honest wish to meet the needs of our country gave us the Ford.
DAVID H. NEUBOURG
New York City
Sir:
As one voter who isn't blind, I am getting sick and tired of hearing about Jack Kennedy's "good looks." The last time I saw a face like his, Tarzan was feeding it bananas.
GRAHAM SMITH
Eugene, Ore.
Sir:
The Eisenhower-Nixon Administration has failed us for the past 7 1/2 years. We are now behind Russia in the space race, ballistic missile production and development, education, military manpower, and speed of economic growth. Developments in Cuba, Japan, Latin America and the Middle East have shocked us. We cannot afford to continue this dangerous drift. To lead us in the next four years we must have new faces in the White House--those of Kennedy and Johnson.
MICHAEL MRAS
Plymouth, Pa.
Sir:
If Nixon continues at his present pace, by Election Day he won't have a leg to stand on.
TOM LEVY
Pueblo, Colo.
Expert Appraisal
Sir:
As you know, Persia is my business--I might say my life--which means that I read the account [of Iran and the Shah] in TIME with probably as much interest as anybody. I am writing immediately to tell you that it was a remarkable job, and it is a subject on which I am not easily pleased, having growled, as you know, about previous accounts. But this is comprehensive, realistic, just; it is penetrating and sympathetic also: a remarkable performance--far and away the best I have seen about contemporary Iran. Congratulations to all concerned!
ARTHUR UPHAM POPE
Director
International Association for Iranian Art and Archaeology
New York City
Seat of Learning
Sir:
Royal Oak Township's Carver Elementary School is "a cinderblock monstrosity," is it? Well, this is the school I had to build in a nearby village one day last year toward the finish of the monsoon, and in two days of end-of-monsoon rain, it looked like this (see cut). When the four months' rain totaled 250 in., the kids moved into a 10 by 10 cowshed darker than the Black Hole and as miry as Andersonville; and when the cows needed shelter we had to move out again.
Carver Elementary School looks a pretty marvelous building to us. What standards do you Americans use to measure by? Your own, or those of the rest of the poor world? Don't you ever give thanks for small mercies?
ELIZABETH SINHA
Lonavla, India
Les Girls
Sir:
American females may be politicians, engineers, business executives and the like, but they do not excel in the only field where they are indispensable--that of being women.
Since Carry Nation started her bar-busting campaign, American women have succeeded in losing their gentility, femininity and self-respect. They have fled out of the home and left it a house.
They are guilty of gross neglect as homemakers.
Since their so-called emancipation, they have lost interest in men and replaced it with their own selfish motives. Their interest is in a meal ticket and what they can do with it. They are not interested in the men themselves.
Since their emancipation, they have fought men tooth and nail. They make no attempt to understand or get along with men. They operate on the principle that Carry Nation used in busting barrooms: It's O.K. for me to be unladylike and bust your bar to smithereens, but you are not allowed to stop me because that would be ungentlemanly. Senator Smith's so-called contributions and those of others like her are far overshadowed by their contribution of denying womanhood.
As long as thousands of American females attempt to emulate her in their present fashion they are all failures to the human race.
B. F. BAYRUNS
Camden, N.J.
Sir:
Your obvious failure to state Margaret Chase Smith's religious affiliation was a blunder.
You made it clear that Lucia Cormier was a "Roman Catholic of French Canadian descent." So how about Senator Smith?
GARY A. JAMES
Marion, Ohio
P:Senator Smith is a Methodist.--ED.
The Powers Case
Sir:
Congratulations to United Feature Syndicate's Bill White for his display of journalistic guts in stating some hard truths about Powers' conduct at that trial. I'm sure he expressed most eloquently the feelings of most of America's combat veterans.
What price glory?
RUSSELL V. BOND
Guadalcanal, Class of '42
Arlington, Va.
Sir:
I wonder just what Columnist White would have advised Powers to do. Eisenhower pleaded guilty for Powers before the pilot had a chance to plead guilty or innocent. Regardless of the salary Powers got, he figured his life was worth more.
And that's exactly what I'd have done under the same circumstances, and dollars to doughnuts Columnist White would have done the same if he had been shot down in Russia even at twice the salary of Powers.
LEWIS A. LINCOLN
Denver
Protestant Monks
Sir:
Your Sept. 5 article, "The Brothers of Taize," was immensely appreciated, since I have a close friend, Father Gerard Huni, among the 45 brothers at the French Protestant community.
Gerard and I have corresponded regularly since making acquaintance while we were with the Office of the Secretary to the Staff at SHAPE in Paris five years ago. After service with the French army at SHAPE, Gerard went to Taize and was ordained in the community. The 20-year-old community has, in my estimation, fostered a basic doctrine of religious understanding which, if carried out by the various religious sects in our world, would do much to bring about a brotherhood of man that could lead to a definite, lasting peace.
RONALD E. SWARTZLANDER
Butler, Pa.
Sir:
Now Protestant monks! To wipe out completely the small step forward taken by the Reformation, the only thing left to do will be to give them strings beads and have them mutter meaningless prayers.
Instead of taking the lead away from medieval mysticism toward greater sanity in man, Protestantism seems to be regressing toward that one institution whose principal dedication is the propagation of immaturity in man
FREDERICK FISCHER
Bakersfield, Calif.
B-B Shots
Sir:
Kudos to the writer of the wonderful article, "The Era of Non-B," in your Aug. 22 issue! I roared.
HELGA SANDBURG
Washington, D.C.
Sir:
I have often been disgusted with your reviews of books, movies and plays, considering them inadequate, unfair and obnoxiously "moral."
But I must congratulate you for "The Era of Non-B." It's time our noses were turned up at the crap in our bookstores.
CHARLES FRANK
Taylor, Mich.
Pony Boy Sir:
I just read a nasty quip about what it would be like to have Jack Kennedy's expected child and his small daughter in the White House [spilled milk, crayon marks on the hallowed walls, etc.]. One would do well to read up on what happened when Teddy Roosevelt's family was there. At least the little Kennedy girl is not big enough to ride a pony through the White House.
MRS. ETHEL BORING
Ipava, Ill.
P: When Archie, T.R.'s third son, was sick abed with the measles, younger Brother Quentin thought that seeing his pony would hasten Archie's recovery. The pony, Algonquin by name, was smuggled up to Archie's room by elevator. Algonquin behaved commendably; Archie got better.--ED.
Gerald L.K. Smith Speaks
Sir:
On page 26, column 2 of your Sept. 12 issue you libel me by referring to me as "a convicted subversive in World War II." This is completely false.
GERALD L.K. SMITH
Los Angeles
P:TIME erred. Gerald L.K. Smith has never been indicted or convicted of any crime.--ED.
28 Flavors
Sir:
Re your Sept. 5 article on Howard Johnson and his restaurants: when Mr. Johnson travels around the country, he ought to stop at the Howard Johnson restaurant in Baton Rouge. There he will find mediocre food, sloooooooooow service, LOUD noises, and dirty restrooms.
(MRS.) JOE S. JOYNER
Dallas
Sir:
My husband and I, after being on the road a steady 14 hours in 90DEG heat, with my two-year-old son starving, managed to drive right past a row of motel restaurants--because a sign on the road said "55 Miles Ahead to Another Howard Johnson's."
Now you tell me if we aren't his most ardent admirers!
(MRS.) A. BENTON LEWIS
Miami
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