Damaged Image

Sir: No need for President Kennedy to show concern over the foreign aid cut [Sept. 28] ; the University of Mississippi and Governor Barnett are doing more harm to the United States image in foreign countries than any quantity of aid can repair.

HARM J. DE BLIJ Nairobi, Kenya

Silent Spring?

Sir:

Granted Rachel Carson, in her new book Silent Spring, presents only one side of the chemical poison use controversy.

Need TIME [Sept. 28] belittle her efforts on behalf of mankind? The chemical manufacturers have presented the "other side" of the controversy to the public so effectively that highly toxic pesticides are now used as carelessly as foot powder.

TIME should have cheered Miss Carson's efforts to alert the public to pesticide dangers, and seconded her motion to step up research to discover target-specific, short-life pesticides and nonchemical pest controls, the use of which would assure that America will never have a "silent spring."

THOMAS L. KIMBALL Executive Director National Wildlife Federation Washington, D. C.

Sir:

Thank you for allaying the fears of at least one member of the nontechnical and impressionable public. After reading installments of Miss Carson's book in a magazine last June, I was so struck with horror that I threw out all my insecticides and sprays. All summer long I had thrips on the grapevine, ants in the kitchen, and bugs at my barbecues.

(MRS.) VICKI PATTERSON West Newton, Mass.

Sir: As a California citrus grower, I am in a position to know that nowhere in the world is the consumer so thoroughly protected from harmful residual chemicals as in the U.S. A pox on authors who will pervert the truth for a few lousy bucks.

GEORGE BROOMELL Tustin, Calif.

Sir: Most scientists with whom I have spoken are of the opinion that Miss Carson used facts in her book, although they undoubtedly were carefully selected to promote her point of view. Apparently it was her candid opinion that the pesticide situation would never reach the public unless she used Madison Avenue tactics.

No clear-thinking scientist is going to suggest eliminating the use of pesticides. However, they are going to pay more attention to weighing the pros and cons of elm v. robin type questions. Miss Carson has done her job well--stimulating thought, discussion and controversy.

PATRICK R. DUGAN Microbiological and Biochemical Center Syracuse University Research Corp. Syracuse, N.Y.

U.S. Doctrine

Sir:

Congratulations on your "The Durable Doctrine" [Sept. 21]. I have assigned my international relations class this article as a "must" reading for an excellent brief history of our Monroe Doctrine.

I noticed one major omission in your article that disturbs me. Monroe's Doctrine also says, "Our policy in regard to Europe . . . remains the same, which is, not to interfere in the internal concerns of any of its powers . . ."

ROBERT KATZ Mark Keppel High School Alhambra, Calif.

Sir:

Your article on the Monroe Doctrine was both interesting and timely. The essence of history has always been foresight, at least in the sense that those who make decisions are aware of the importance of their actions. Monroe has never been completely appreciated as a President; yet his knowledge of his office in terms of precedence and tradition is with us today.

FREDERICK J. AZIZ JR. Dover, N.H.

Sir: When you come right down to it, things don't change much over the course of history. Pride, honor, and courage still mean as much as they did in the days of the early Christians. But the U.S., because of indecisive, vacillating leadership, is being pictured as a country totally lacking these virtues. We have big talk delivered in ethereal prose by a President with a decided verbal aptitude. He knows all about the Madison Avenue image and the subliminal lure of clever words, but he doesn't know a damn thing about the yearnings of millions of Americans. Once again the enemy has gone too far--they have thrown down the gauntlet. The world waits --the American people are ready--and the President philosophizes about responsibility. Come on Hamlet--get Cuba!

ANGUS L. MACLEAN JR. San Francisco

Sir:

If we go into Cuba, we shall violate the principles by which we have lived and labored and presumed to judge others. If we stay out, we shall give half our continent to the Commies. How do we choose now? To be live hypocrites like our cynical European cousins? Or to lie down and die, everlastingly righteous, in the marketplace of history? It's a crummy choice, but perhaps in its making we shall somehow come of age morally at last.

JOHN WISE Middletown, Ohio

Sir:

Your cover story on President Monroe and one that was done on Washington in 1953 makes me wonder how many other famous historical personalities have rated such a cover feature years after their death ?

WILLIAM F. TRASK West Boylston, Mass.

> Besides George Washington on July 6, 1953, TIME has had covers on these historical figures: Karl Marx [Feb. 23, 1048], Sigmund Freud [April 23, 1956], Teddy Roosevelt [March 3, 1058], St. Paul [April 18, 1960] and Shakespeare [July 4, 1060].--ED.

The Gallery

Sir:

In your article on Aaron Bohrod [Sept. 28], you failed to mention that his exhibition is being held at the Oehlschlaeger Gallery.

FRANK J. OEHLSCHLAEGER Chicago

Teddy Wins

Sir:

Despite what it may look like on the outside, ye olde commonwealth is not a medieval fief which runneth over with ever-loyal subjects of the Kennedy clan [Sept. 28].

There are quite a few people in these parts who would not have wanted Edward J. Mc-Cormack for Senator under any circumstances, despite his efforts to play the part of a knight on a white horse.

VAROUJAN SAMUELIAN Watertown, Mass.

Sir:

I'm proud of the Kennedy family, and three in politics is not one too many. It's wonderful we have people with such drive.

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Kennedy deserve many pats on the back for the wonderful children they have raised. The whole family is a wonderful example to everyone in the U.S. Why make so much of the fact that Teddy has relatives in politics?--didn't the other three candidates, also ? Let's face it, the Kennedy men have what it takes, also the gals.

JOANNE C. WATSON St. Paul, Minn.

Sir:

What appalling cynicism; what majestic arrogance! What are the new criteria qualifying a man for elective office? A photogenic family, inexhaustible millions, and narcissistic powerful relatives, that's what.

IRIS STUART San Francisco

Sir:

With all the talk of nepotism in Massachusetts these days, one would never know Kennedy was elected by a 2-to-1 majority in a free election where two names were on the ballot.

(MRS.) DIANA KORTE Rochester, Minn.

Capital Welfare

Sir:

I found your Sept. 14 article to be an excellent summarization of the facts developed during the hearings that I have been conducting, and the work that I have been doing, on the welfare situation in the District of Columbia.

You may be interested in knowing that more than a half-dozen West Virginia newspapers picked up your story and reprinted it, either in part, or in whole. You are to be congratulated for a most objective job of reporting.

ROBERT C. BYRD U.S. Senate Washington

Dolci's Plan

Sir:

TIME'S coverage of Danilo Dolci's recent hunger strike [Sept. 21] and its success in awakening the Italian government to its responsibility to rise above petty difficulties sabotaging a nearly three-year-old dam project is welcomed.

Apathy and neglect are attitudes easily assumed toward a problem whose resolution stands to threaten traditionally established vested interests. Ofttimes, an institution, begun to protect a community, can, with the distortion of time and history, reverse its role to that of terrorist and exploiter. The Mafia in Sicily is such an institution.

Dolci, rather than trying to "beat" the Mafia, is striving to educate the western Sicilian to his constitutional rights, his strength as a member of his community, his potential resources and how they can be used.

NORMAN THOMAS Friends of Danilo Dolci, Inc. New York City

Clearing the Air

Sir:

Thank you for your article on the Durie-Jack rumor [Sept. 28]. After receiving a copy of one of the "crackpot papers," I was glad to see that my favorite source of information was able to clear the air.

(MRS.) PATRICIA ALDEN SMITH New Orleans

Return of a Scourge

Sir:

Your story on resurgent syphilis [Sept. 21] is a beautiful job of news reporting. Briefly, but adequately, it presents much of the current thought on this important subject.

It is quite true that the recent comeback of this scourge was unexpected by many. Nevertheless, it had been accurately predicted. Dr. Donald M. Pillsbury, in his textbook Dermatology, expressed the view that the near knockout of infectious syphilis in the early '50s was less the result of standard control measures than of the intermittent treatment of the entire population with antibiotics. Such treatment, administered for a multitude of nonsyphilitic ailments, had as its side effect the suppression of syphilis.

Dr. Ira L. Schamberg correctly anticipated that, as physicians increasingly shunned the widespread use of penicillin, the syphilis attack rate would increase.

Full recognition of this very important concept, coupled with a careful analysis of why random chance was more successful than elaborate effort, could conceivably point a new and more effective approach to this old problem.

WILLIAM F. DANEHOWER, M.D. Philadelphia

Bossa Nova

Sir:

First, let me thank you for your very kind mention of my work. However, there are two important oversights in your bossa nova article [Sept. 21].

There was not a word of Joao Gilberto, the No. 1 performer of bossa nova by anyone's standards--Brazilian or American. Also there was no mention of Washington's foremost disk jockey, Felix Grant of WMAL, who introduced the bossa nova 2 1/2 years ago, and is without doubt the man who focused attention on this music in North America.

CHARLIE BYRD Washington, D.C.

My Name Is

Sir:

Apropos of your article on trends in child naming [Sept. 21]: I am moved to remark that for odd given names, Utah is the place to look.

I have met grown men who were christened ReVon, LaDell, Furn, DeLloyd or La-Vell. We also have Dranoel, Moher, Golden, Athol, Dyle, Zurrell, Maeser, Cass, Tass and Nad. Rulon and Duane are common, as are many variants of Arvel (Orval, Orville, Carvel, Orawell, Arlo, Arnon, Arnell, Arvey, Oren, Orne, Ora).

Among women we have lots of Vernices, Erlenes, LuDeans, Sherilds and such, but that's only a mild starter.

I know of ladies called Clorine, LaPreal, Dessma, lalien, Uvada, LaDaun, Twila, Clay, Clieve, LaDelpha, Seleda, Lova, LaNeeda, LaWana, Thenelda, Uwarda, Paitra, Qmy, Ilda and Cuma.

Can anyone top these?

(MRS.) ELIZABETH SPRANG Teasdale, Utah

I Remember

Sir:

Unless my memory tricks me, the White House and F.D.R. conspired against Guy Lombardo when he opened at the Hotel Roosevelt Grill [Sept. 21].

F.D.R. declared a bank holiday at that exact moment, and those who went to hear Lombardo had to sign chits with the headwaiter.

ED SULLIVAN New York City

>Not so. Lombardo opened on Monday, October 21, 1929. The stock market crashed on Thursday of that same week. Says he, "For three nights men came wearing white tie--the old New York. Since then, it's been more informal."--ED.

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