Upward Updike

To the Editors:

John Updike [Oct. 18] is America's living man of letters. He has achieved a position of loftiness in the literary world shared only with Robert Penn Warren. Too often the bottle carrying life's message is washed out to sea. Your story "Perennial Promises Kept" has brought it back.

Randy F. Weinstein New Marlboro, Mass.

For more than 20 years I have enjoyed Updike's style and perspective. He explains my generation to me.

Gene Parker Jr. Atlanta

I do not understand why your story on John Updike did not mention his imagery. Anyone who has read Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu will long remember sentences like this one: "The crowd, like an immense sail going limp in a change of wind, sighed with relief."

Richard F. Gregory Pittsburgh

Painter Alex Katz's subtle and delicate cover portrait perfectly records the rare qualities of John Updike: never jaded, always new, alive, intelligent and marvelously controlled.

Helen Sijan Abrams Seattle

What a washed-out portrait of Updike on the cover! Katz missed his subject's warmth and vibrance.

Maeann Myers Northport, N. Y.

John Updike is one of my favorite writers, but obviously I am not one of his favorite artists. When I painted him for the 1968 TIME cover, he thought I put his teeth in upside down and made him look like Dracula. Now I am happy to find my work immortalized in his poetry.

Robert Vickrey Orleans, Mass

No Help Wanted

As the President indicated in his speech [Oct. 18], his Administration has taken care of 80% of our major problems. The last, unemployment, is the only area the Democrats have left for attacking Reagan. If the congressional Democrats would put their country before their own selfish political motives and be patient, the U.S. could complete its recovery.

Paul Metrey Rockville, Md.

The article on double-digit unemployment failed to touch upon the most significant cause. A large percentage of the unemployed formerly worked in heavy industry or businesses directly dependent on it. Unfortunately, a major portion of America's basic industries can no longer compete with foreign suppliers. Until workers deliver more productivity and quality for their wages, unemployment will remain high.

H. Jackson Dorney Miramar, Fla.

President Reagan keeps insisting the economy is looking up. That is true only because the economy is now flat on its back.

Carl Mandelker New York City

Carter's Memory Lane

Although former President Jimmy Carter makes no claims for himself in his account of the Camp David episode [Oct. 11], it is clear that the accord was the work of a gifted and completely dedicated man. He was treated shabbily by his countrymen, especially by those of his own party. History will deal more kindly and fairly with Jimmy Carter than his contemporaries have.

Ina C. Brown Nashville

Former President Carter is quoted as saying that His Majesty King Hussein "is frustrating because he has not been courageous at times when political courage was needed." Attributing Jordan's position regarding Camp David to lack of political courage is unfair to King Hussein and takes no account of Jordan's commitment and endeavors for the achievement of a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East. Mr. Begin's interpretation of the Camp David accords and his government's behavior--subsequent to their ratification--on the West Bank, the Golan and Lebanon vindicate Jordan's position. Unless this changes, political courage would be political recklessness something that can hardly serve the cause of peace.

Marwan S. Kasim Minister for Foreign Affair. Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Amman

In his account of giving away the Panama Canal [Oct. 18], President Carter takes credit for decisions made long before he took office. As a participant in the process, I can attest to the following:

President Johnson made the decision in 1964 to relinquish U.S. sovereignty over the Panama Canal after 50 years of joint operation with Panama. However, Johnson wanted a U.S. option to build a sea-level canal and operate it jointly with Panama until 2067 before turning it over to Panama.

President Nixon dropped the U.S. requirement for a sea-level canal option, and U.S. and Panamanian negotiators drafted a treaty giving the present canal to Panama after 50 years of joint operation. Panama's leader, Omar Torrijos, insisted on the year 2000 as the turnover date and on U.S. relinquishment of post-treaty canal defense rights.

President Ford, at the urging of Secretary Kissinger, agreed to the 2000 turnover date but continued to insist on firm post-treaty rights for the U.S. to defend the canal and keep it in operation.

President Carter relinquished the requirement for post-2000 defense rights, thereby giving Panama all its original requests while the U.S. retreated from every one of its 1964 objectives.

President Carter did a remarkable job of selling the Panamanian treaties to the Senate. This was his contribution to their success.

John P. Sheffey Executive Director, Sea Level Canal Study Commission (1965-70) Springfield, Va.

Unadopted Drugs

In your discussion of drugs [Oct. 11] for rare diseases, you failed to mention that only large pharmaceutical corporations are able to afford the costly indemnity insurance that is necessary in our litigious society. Physicians who are dedicated to orphan-disease therapy and the small companies that usually provide the drugs cannot carry the enormous risk. Either far-reaching product-liability legislation will have to be passed, or some form of insurance pool created to protect the manufacturers. Otherwise, orphan drugs will go unadopted.

Richard Hart, President American Orphan Drug Inc Greenwich, Conn

Instead of restricting production, why not make the drugs available and let the people with the rare diseases decide if they want to risk using them?

William Tucker New York City

Begin and Anti-Semitism

Reader Jean Plenet's letter [Oct. 18] which says that Israel's Prime Minister Begin "has caused the rebirth of anti Semitism all over the world," is a callous and facile interpretation of the many recent anti-Semitic excesses in Europe. Something that has never died cannot be reborn.

Leo Bretholz Baltimore

Tuition off Base

It is ironic that state and local governments want to charge tuition to educate the sons and daughters of our servicemen [Oct. 11]. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court rules that the children of illegal immigrants, who pay few taxes, are entitled to free education.

James E. Cole Palm Springs, Calif.

Your article "Stars, Stripes and Tuition Bills" says that military parents, as federal employees, "may be exempt from paying the local taxes that support the school districts." While this is correct, the statement gives the wrong impression of those in the service. All members of the military are required to have a permanent home of record, where they pay state taxes. I reside in Georgia, where I do not pay taxes, but my home of record is Kansas. Last year I paid Kansas state tax and county property tax, a large portion of which went for local-and state-supported public education from which I receive no benefit.

Karla A. Smith Lieutenant, U.S.A.F. Valdosta, Ga.

Doing What Comes Naturally

In regard to your Essay "Little Crimes Against Nature" [Oct. 11], it seems to me that a factory is quite as natural as a bird's nest, and a barren, radiation-soaked planet as natural as the one we live on today. If we are to enjoy our future we must learn to see the beauty of rundown buildings, rusted automobiles and street lights on wet asphalt. If only mountains and streams can awaken our appreciation of nature, and wheat germ and coconut oil can allow us to feel a part of it, our future is certain to be bleak.

Timothy C. Dorcey West Lafayette, Ind.

Your Essay hit the "natural" nail on its "natural" head. If all of us were truly natural we'd be wearing animal skins, eating raw meat, drinking spring water and probably living to a ripe old age of 32.

Mike Nicholes Boring, Ore.

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