Clear, Cool, Unpolluted Fords
o the Editors:
We had an overdose of Viet Nam.
Then came CIA disillusionment, city crime and violence, and a scary shark. The cover photograph of the First Family [July 28] is as refreshing as a clear, cool, unpolluted mountain stream.
Nancy Jordan
Satellite Beach, Fla.
Unmitigated corn.
Pearl Robertson
Lexington, Ky.
When I first saw the cover, a tear ran down my cheek. With the help of the American people, Gerald Ford will lift this country out of its bind and once again instill the love of democracy in the hearts of Americans everywhere.
Peter G. Verniero
Pine Brook, N.J.
Who the hell are you to tell us that Ford has done better than anybody "had reason to expect"? I live in a state with 13% unemployment and adjacent to one with 16%. If he can't or won't do anything about things like that, it's hard to care if Ford has a nice family, likes the rubber-chicken circuit, or can beat up Cambodia. Just because he isn't as sinister as Nixon doesn't mean he's a good President. Quit churning out this cynical, sycophantic pap.
Rod Kaufmann
Cambridge, Mass.
I just felt like hugging the whole group.
Abraham Isaac Carmel
New York City
All that is missing is a notation, "Greetings from Atlantic City."
Daniel Lefevre
Aberdeen, Md.
If the first year is any sign of things to come, we're in store for one great man, and even a greater country.
Harold R. Moroz
New York City
Perhaps a good 1976 campaign theme for Jerry Ford would be: "Being President means never having to say yes." After a year in the White House, he has vetoed 36 bills. We know Ford has opposed bills to fund emergency jobs, regulate strip mining, increase moderate-income housing, etc. The question is, what does he stand for?
Charles V. Brown Jr.
Chevy Chase, Md.
Thank you for the glimpse of Jack's room at the White House. For years I have tried to encourage my son to improve the quality of life in the clutter he calls his room. Recently I have besought him to consider how mortally embarrassed he would be if we were to be unexpectedly visited by the President.
You have put my fears to rest. I have just gone and thrown a few clothes on to the pile in case the President comes. I would want him to feel at home.
Evelyn A. Pahl
Bedford, Mass.
Havana History
Americans have a longstanding affection for the people of Cuba. Our cultural and economic ties grew stronger throughout this century--until the advent of Communist rule. Obviously we would like to restore them [July 28].
Yet any diplomatic initiative that failed to recognize basic human rights or to strengthen hemispheric security would be unacceptable to the Senate, and, I believe, to the American people.
The Senate often has a different perception of our national interest and our moral commitment to freedom than does the State Department. I hope Dr. Kissinger recognizes such a possibility in this instance and proceeds with great care--and with extensive consultation.
Bill Brock
U.S. Senator, Tennessee Washington, D.C.
History proves that men who smoke cigars have staying power. Look at the record. Winston Churchill, Groucho Marx, Fidel Castro. Fourteen years Castro waited us out. Now the OAS sanctions have been lifted, and it can be assumed that the elimination of the U.S. embargo will soon follow.
Was embargo a good idea in the first place? It seemed like a good idea at the time, a manner of regaining the pride we had lost on the beaches at the Bay of Pigs. But in retrospect, I believe it was a mistake. The boycott had no real impact on Cuba except to push her further into the arms of the Soviet Union. Fidel Castro did not go away. He was always there, puffing away on his big cigars while we had to settle for brands that tried harder but never made it. Now it may soon be back to normality. No more smuggling. No more second-rate substitutes. An era has ended. After all, we made friends with the Russians and the Chinese, and they don't even make good cigars.
Pierre Salinger
Paris
Salinger of the omnipresent cigar served as J.F.K. 's press secretary.
Maverick Superintendents
The clash of school superintendents and school boards [July 28] was inevitable. Superintendents of the '60s and '70s were trained to be bold, imaginative, creative and enlightened leaders dedicated to the cause of civil rights. We were mavericks to leave the security of the classroom for the rough and tumble of public administration. We were badly outnumbered on the board by the shallow-thinking, politically expedient majority. We ex-superintendents are a proud legion and have not given up the cause of quality education.
Robert T. Rasmussen
Associate Professor of Education
St. John's University
Jamaica, N. Y.
Dr. Rasmussen has been over the past decade superintendent of schools in Cranston, R.I.; Dover, Del.; and Roxbury township, N.J.
After a lifetime of experience with educators, I am convinced that the personality traits and aptitudes that attract persons to teaching are rarely found in persons who make good managers. Unfortunately, we have regulations that prevent school boards from hiring anyone to be a superintendent unless he has had extensive teaching experience. This is akin to saying a person cannot be qualified to be president of General Motors unless he has been a factory worker for five years after he received his college education.
Daniel J. Carnese
Westport, Conn.
What Causes Anorexia?
Your article on anorexia nervosa [July 28] stated that "researchers generally agree that the disease has purely psychological origins." However, recent research has implicated a malfunction of the hypothalamus as a possible cause of anorexia nervosa, and some investigators have reported successful drug treatment. It is thus premature to conclude a psychological origin for all cases of anorexia nervosa. This can impose on those so afflicted and their families an unnecessary burden of self-recrimination.
Julian Lieb, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Yale University School of Medicine
New Haven, Conn.
223 Naivniks
Seldom in our history have so many been dealt so grievous a blow by so few who were so meddlesome in matters on which they were so uninformed.
By its July 24 vote on aid to Turkey [Aug. 4], the House allowed 223 political naivniks at one blow to usurp foreign policy prerogatives of President and Senate, gravely impair the defense postures of both NATO and the U.S., drive away our staunchest ally, and seriously reduce the potential warning time that may literally spell life or death for millions of Americans in event of nuclear war.
Fielding L. Greaves
Solana Beach, Calif.
The Administration's desire to run its foreign policy and the Greek Americans' insistence on denying our arms to Turkey both make sense [July 14]. Somehow a compromise must happen.
We are seeking to restore meaningful dialogue between two historic good friends, for the sake of American interests, Greek security, and Cypriot independence. We should succeed because all three are complementary.
But this you call a lobby? We never knew the American people needed a lobby to talk to their Government--or our Government, to us.
Dennis J. Livadas
Rochester
More Reasonable Balance
Many thanks for your comment on the success of our recent $24 million stock offering [June 30].
As far as your reporting our debt to be 70% of our "entire capital" before the new issue and a "more comfortable 55" after the new issue, some clarification is needed. Before the offering our debt was 700 for each $1 of shareholders' equity, which wasn't exactly shaky, but it would have limited our chances of pursuing new business opportunities. After the sale of new shares our debt was substantially less than 500 for each $1 of shareholders' equity--by no means the "55" you stated, and a far more reasonable balance in both instances than you reported.
Fred A. Simpson, Vice President
Finance, Baker Oil Tools, Inc.
Los Angeles
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