Spiro Through Dark Glasses

Sir / Whoever wrote "Nixon Declares an Encore for Spiro" [July 31] was looking through the wrong end of the telescope --and with dark glasses at that. His prejudice shows in every line.

ANDREW POUSMA

Honolulu

Sir / "Divisive, abrasive, limited?" To whom? Not to me and not to many others. In my opinion, TIME'S description of Agnew as vice-presidential choice was arbitrary, capricious, controversial and careless. This is an opinion only, not a statement of fact. I suggest that those responsible for the Agnew story consider the difference between the two.

JO EVANS

Southern Pines, N.C.

Sir / The realization that Spiro Agnew will once again be running for the office that is a heartbeat away from the presidency makes my heart beat with fear.

JONATHAN HUNT

Riverside, Conn.

Sir / Contrary to what you seem to believe, not all college students hate the Vice President. I am a college student, and I think very highly of Mr. Agnew. I do get sick of reading about how the President's choice of Mr. Agnew is supposed to steer me toward Mr. McGovern. If anything, it strengthened my support of the Republican ticket.

WILLIAM HOWARD McALISTER

Ashland, Ky.

Sir / Of course Spiro Agnew will run for President. How could the Republicans pass up the chance for the Spiro of '76?

DEL TRIMBLE

San Diego

Sir / I would predict that at the end of the first 100 days of a Spiro Agnew Administration, the entire nation would be in need of electroshock therapy.

RICHARD W.TENTLER

Sun Valley, Calif.

The Eagleton Affair

Sir / Until the announcement of Senator Eagleton's "stepping down" [Aug. 14], I thought George McGovern was the hope for our political system, a spark that would renew our faith in the possibilities of the political process.

I was wrong. He's just another political hack who will sacrifice any ideal or person to get elected.

(THE REV.) LEONARD FREEMAN

Upper Darby, Pa.

Sir / Though I would not have voted for Senator Thomas F. Eagleton in the upcoming presidential election, I hasten to nominate him as the Man of the Year for 1972.

ERNESTS EWALD

Three Rivers, Mich.

Sir / We are convinced McGovern has made a grave mistake and breached his faith not only with Thomas Eagleton but also with regard to his own candidacy and our nation. Senator Eagleton's strength, wit and courage demonstrated his competence as a politician, his ability in adverse situations and the inequity of dropping him from the ticket. We are Democrats, against the war and opposed to the current Administration, but tonight we feel cheated and denied. While we will vote for McGovern in November, we refuse to work actively for the national ticket and are therefore returning our registration and campaign material. This has been a day of difficult decisions.

TIM and CELYNDA CAMMON

Eureka, Mo.

Sir / Re the Eagleton disclosures: I think this nation would be blessed to have a Vice President who has been sensitive enough to buckle under the pressures of responsible public service today and sane enough to seek treatment voluntarily. There are many national leaders in Washington who should have psychiatric care.

JOHN F. LAUGHLIN

Editor

Family Digest

Huntington, Ind.

Sir / As a psychologist, I am surprised by the naivete of those who think that having sought professional assistance during periods of emotional stress in the past is evidence of present or future emotional disturbance.

How many of us can state with absolute certainty that we have no psychological imperfections? Does a history of professional help for an emotionally distressed condition mean that there is a present emotional problem? Not at all. It might well mean that such a person has learned to deal with his or her tensions in a rational and effective way, and is all the more stable for having courageously chosen the road of critical self-appraisal.

ALLEN E.WIESEN

Clinical Psychologist

Bellevue, Wash.

Sir / Although there should be no stigma attached to medical treatment for psychiatric problems, Mr. Eagleton's lack of candor, and not the medical history itself, made his value to the Democratic ticket highly questionable.

FRANCES S. VANDERVOORT

Chicago

Arrogant Genius

Sir / To some people Bobby Fischer is impudent, arrogant, self-serving and somewhat childish [July 31]. They are probably right, but do they know that he has to be rated one of the most brilliant chess masters of all time? Do they know that he alone has probably brought more prize money and better playing conditions to tournament chess than all the greats combined?

The next time someone feels like criticizing Fischer, he should think about his favorite ballplayer who is a holdout, or the last time he himself fought for more money.

FRANCIS J. WELCH JR

Rochester

Sir / I was ashamed to read of Bobby Fischer's performance. I can't imagine anyone discrediting his country more than this man has been doing.

My best wishes to Boris Spassky. I feel the title and money should have been awarded to him by default.

CAROLE LAVIGNE

Enfield, Conn.

Sir / A long, loud cheer for the team that put together your cover story on the fantastic goings on in the world of chess. It is a superb piece of writing: fact giving, terrifically dramatic and uproariously funny. I saw some of the characters whose antics you describe in a tournament held way back in the early '20s. I saw Alekhine beaten and half choked by Emmanuel Lasker's cigar smoke. I had a front-row seat for that game and got a good dose of that smoke myself

ROBERT W. WOOD JR.

Princeton, N.J.

Sir / For the first time in its history, the World Chess Championship has an American as a finalist for the title. And what occurs? That singularly American characteristic--money-grubbing commercialism --tarnishes what was once an honorable game of intelligence demanding more than a flair for venality. The American challenger typifies his country and its culture in proving to be petulant and puerile, with the usual American propensity for profiteering.

BRUNO T.CLIFTON

Radnorshire, Wales

Sir / I hope Spassky crowns him.

HAL CARSON Mount Dora, Fla.

Domain of a Few

Sir / Senator Kennedy's bill to save Martha's Vineyard [July 31] is a big step forward even if its purpose is to save the domain of a few. It may be selfish, but it will enable our children to see places of beauty.

BILL CAMPBELL

Sonora, Texas

Sir / I soon expect to see every Senator and Congressman introducing legislation to protect the ecosystem around his own summer retreat. I see Senator Kennedy is out to preserve his.

I am glad to see any portion of our tragically endangered environment saved, but I ask one small favor of Senator Kennedy and his friends: please, don't forget to save some space for people who can't afford your $5,000 half acre lots.

JOHN T.STEWART

Eugene, Ore.

An Oddsmaker, Not a Gambler

Sir / Senator McGovern was presented with a birthday gift inaccurately described as the proceeds of a 50-to-1 bet purportedly placed with me [July 31]. I realize the gift was a gag, because there never was such a bet between us. I am not a bookmaker, I am an oddsmaker and I project percentages based on the results of polling done by my own organization. Because of the incident, my office has been swamped with calls from people trying to place election bets. Since I am head of a corporate public relations firm and a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist, and am not a bookmaker or a gambler, this publicity is very distressing to me and my associates. I ask your cooperation in clarifying the situation.

JIMMY ("THE GREEK") SNYDER

Las Vegas

"God Help Betty Friedan"

Sir / That's all we need--Betty Friedan attacking "female chauvinist boors" [July 31]. After all our efforts at uniting, now a pig-pusher article to make the male chauvinists sigh, "These Women's Libbers aren't all bad," and to make our sisters turn the other cheek to men. God help Betty Friedan if she has lost the understanding that must unite us. Don't separate us, Friedan; fence straddlers are the real female chauvinists.

JANET E.BLAIR

Orlando, Fla.

To Replace Revenge

Sir / I was appalled to read in your Letters column that four readers condemned the Supreme Court's decision against capital punishment [July 31]. The "license to kill" so indignantly referred to in one letter has not been granted to criminals. Criminals will continue to be punished. It is to be hoped, however, that as the human race grows collectively wiser, positive methods of rehabilitation will replace our archaic system of incarceration and revenge. The Supreme Court decision was a great victory for the forces of morality. It is frightening that there are those who defend capital punishment in the name of moral standards.

SUE EBBERS

Akron

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