The Private Lives of Public Men

To the Editors:

As the peccadilloes of Congressmen and Premiers make headlines here and abroad, the editors of TIME and every other responsible news organization are confronted with a series of decisions to tell or not to tell. Wherever they draw that nice line between good taste and good reporting, they can be assured that they will be judged wrong by some segment of their audience.

Among us readers are those who wish we could be spared the grosser facts of life. We'd just rather not know, if you please, about Congressman Mills' private matters. They disappoint us, disturb us, make us feel insecure. Oh for those blissful days when the press was less candid about people in the news!

Yet there is something fortifying to society's conscience to know the worst about its leaders as well as the best. Somehow the Tidal Basin affair and its aftermath let us know more about the most powerful Congressman in the land than we had ever known before. He was not just the accomplished master of the legislative process, as we had presumed. He was also old Wilbur Mills, with all the temptations and weaknesses of any other man, and perhaps more.

So who will now say that the democratic process that re-elected Mills to another term of power was a more perfect judge of his capacity to rule than Mills himself, who--after the press hung it all out to public view--decided on his own to the contrary?

Roy M. Fisher Columbia, Mo.

The writer, now dean of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, formerly served as editor of the Chicago Daily News.

Newsmen should pry into the private life of a public figure only when they have reason to believe his private actions are illegal, represent a conflict of interest or otherwise influence his official performance.

In the case of Governor Rockefeller, the prying by Congress and the press was justified by the demands of the vice presidency, an office to which he was appointed, not elected, and in which he would be but a heartbeat from the presidency. Yet, in questioning Rockefeller, Congress demanded more of the nominee than it requires of itself. In effect, Congress told Rockefeller, "Do as we say, not as we do."

The press itself sometimes is guilty of the same kind of performance. True, the press is a private institution, yet its freedom is guaranteed in order to protect it from prosecution for serving the public interest. But if the press insists on invading the privacy of public figures without good cause, lawmakers are likely to retaliate. They could enact legislation to protect the privacy of public figures or otherwise limit press freedom.

Wilbur Elston Detroit

The writer is associate editor of the Detroit News.

Coming soon coast to coast: The Blue Angel, starring Wilbur Mills and Fanne Foxe, in Panavision and Off Color.

Jonathan Crespin Cincinnati

The extracurricular ways and means of Wilbur Mills defy belief. His latest Foxe hunt through Boston's combat zone is a blot on the escutcheon of every Arkansan who voted for him and all who hope to see the return of honest and respectable government.

Michael F. Wynne-Willson Westwood, Mass.

The Value of Vladivostok

The Vladivostok accord as spelled out by the President is certainly better than if disagreement had resulted and no limits were to be placed on strategic offensive weapons. The limits are not as low as we wanted. I include in the word we the U.S. Defense establishment, which I understand would like to have seen reductions in the strategic forces of both superpowers. One can hope for such reductions at an earlier date than foreshadowed in the Vladivostok statement. It is worth recalling that a reduction in ABM sites from two to one followed only two years after the ABM treaty was negotiated.

It may be worth noting that the agreed launcher level is lower than that of the U.S. some ten years ago. If the Vladivostok guidelines are converted into a definitive ten-year agreement, it should provide a good measure of certainty as to the maximum number of launchers in the Soviet strategic forces over the next ten years. That would be invaluable information for U.S. forceplanning during this period. Concerns about growing vulnerability of ICBMS are not laid to rest by this agreement, but one can now estimate this danger with greater precision--and, if necessary, make changes in U.S. forces.

Vladivostok, while not a "triumph," lays the basis for improvement in U.S. security. This is no mean feat.

Gerard C. Smith Washington, D.C.

The writer, who headed the U.S. delegation during the first round of SALT negotiations, is now North American chairman of the Trilateral Commission.

The new SALT accord in essence provides for equal ceilings of 2,400 on the number of iCBMs, SLBMs and heavy bombers, and 1,320 on the number of MlRVed missiles each side can have over the next ten years. The accord thus puts a medium-term cap on the numbers of certain types of offensive strategic launchers. It provides the appearance of equality. It does not, however, deal with throw-weight--the most useful, verifiable measure of relative missile capability either MlRVed or un-MITRVed.

Dr. Kissinger has indicated that the new Soviet Backfire bomber is not to be defined as being a heavy bomber. It is therefore difficult to see how the accord reduces in a meaningful way the U.S. strategic-defense problem posed by the new family of Soviet missiles and bombers, which are completing testing and whose deployment is now beginning. If we do not add new strategic programs to those now planned, the U.S. will end the ten-year period of the accord with less than half the MlRVed throw-weight and less than half the un-MIRVed throw-weight of the Soviet side. The bomber forces of the two sides, in view of our lighter air defenses, would be of approximately equal capability.

The agreement does not appear to bar the U.S. from doing what is necessary to correct or compensate for these imbalances. I am disappointed that the accord does not do more to avoid that necessity. Thus I cannot view Vladivostok as a triumphant breakthrough.

Paul Nitze Washington, D.C.

The writer served as Secretary of the Navy and Deputy Secretary of Defense during the Johnson Administration. Until he resigned in June, he was a member of the SALT delegation.

Concerning the latest arms-limitation agreement, why hasn't someone asked just what the significance of the numbers really is? If Japan was brought to its knees with only two relatively small atomic bombs, just what is the real difference in what happens whether 50 nuclear warheads are built or 2,500? The trading off of numbers borders on being imbecilic. Just one stupid nation could blackmail the rest of the world with just one bomb.

If nations start reducing nuclear weapons and stockpiles of atomic arms to zero, then we can have renewed hope and faith in mankind.

Paul B. Wallace Merriam, Kans.

Now that the game rules are agreed on, who gets the first throw of the dice?

Robert D. Miles Pontiac, Mich.

Thing of the Year?

For 1974, unfortunately, there can be no Man of the Year--only a Thing of the Year, and that is Watergate.

Bert Sirote Monsey, N. Y.

Appalling as it may seem, how can Richard M. Nixon be denied the designation Man of the Year?

Peter C. Melonas New York City

Nelson Rockefeller, definitely.

Steve Shearer Spring Valley, Ill.

I nominate Ramsey Clark, who even in a losing battle showed that politics can be honest.

Rabbi Daniel B. Syme New York City

The man this year: Thomas Robert Malthus.

Cassio Fonseca Rio de Janeiro

Losers and Winners

A proposal for the new Congress: institute a national users' fee system called Licenses on Surpluses and Excesses (LOSE). An annual LOSE fee of $5 each could be levied on all pets (except perhaps goldfish). All pet food could be subject to a LOSE sales fee of 5%. Annual LOSE fees could also be considered on: art holdings, books, magazines, newspapers, records, candy, greeting cards, caskets, cosmetics, jewelry, liquor, tobacco, air conditioners, and many other goods, services and diversions.

The national LOSE program, if enough items are included, could easily bring in $20 billion annually even after paying salaries of 500,000 collectors and administrators. Congressmen would undoubtedly be happy to issue LOSE buttons, which all of us losers would wear next to our WIN buttons.

Stanley A. Elman Pasadena, Calif.

So the auto industry is crying; perhaps the beef producers could lend them handkerchiefs. A better idea would be to return to the barter system of doing business. Trade cars for cattle, have the cattle processed, and pay the workers with meat.

Ethel Sprague Rose Hill, Iowa

Your cartoon cover bearing "Recession's Greetings" [Dec. 9] was an unwelcome intrusion into our home. You truly accentuated the negative, something we do not need. We are all bombarded by it daily as we shop for clothes, food and Christmas presents. I truly resent seeing the spirit of Christmas ruined just because there are hard times. For many centuries, we have celebrated the birth of Christ in times of leanness as well as plenty. But we have celebrated!

(Mrs.) Alda Keller Peinkofer Oneonta, N. Y.

Troubles, Memories, Hopes

The thoughtful Essay, "P.S.: There's Some Good News, Too" [Dec. 9], provides some much-needed equilibrium at a time when the public attitude is steeply tilted toward gloom. But I fear that--with rare exceptions--present sufferings so monopolize one's mental space that perspective is simply crowded out. Troubles have a way of saturating past memories and shrouding future hopes.

Melvin L. Rogers Bronxville, N. Y.

You cite as positive factors our "resilience" and "durability" in surviving the Civil War, the Depression and Viet Nam. That last reference seems curiously out of place. It brings to mind the case of the juvenile delinquent who, after committing double parricide, appeals to the judge for mercy on the grounds that he is an orphan.

Lest we forget, Viet Nam was not merely an affliction we endured but an atrocity we perpetrated.

Fred Laros New York City

Secretary Butz's Humor

I am grateful to Mr. Butz for finally bringing into the open what everybody has been saying. I first heard that joke at a family reunion (Italian and Catholic) at least three years ago. It is, after all, commonly accepted that all but the most ignorant Italians and Catholics do indeed practice birth control in spite of the dictates of Rome.

Warren A. Colpo York, Pa.

A word of advice to Secretary Butz: You wanna keepa you job, you no maka the jokes.

Ronald Ozio Biloxi, Miss.

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