THE PRODIGAL SON

"Things have changed since Billy Graham's day. Franklin Graham's presentation is so refreshing. He's the coolest evangelist around." DANA RIMBACK Joelton, Tennessee

I appreciated your cover story on Franklin Graham, who is assuming leadership of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, succeeding his father [RELIGION, May 13]. But to call Franklin a "somewhat limited man" lacking "curiosity" about "intellectual and theological" matters is an unfair assessment of him. Anyone who knows him well, as I do, will tell you he possesses a breadth of experience and an insight into global affairs that are uncommon among many world leaders. Through his numerous trips to the Middle East and through dealings in other international hot spots, he has developed a working knowledge of important issues. Granted, he is not likely to turn up at a protracted think-tank meeting and is better characterized as a doer than a talker; however, that is not a weakness but a strength that should not be discounted. PRESTON PARRISH Winston-Salem, North Carolina

The most disheartening part of Franklin Graham's rise to power was the brief mention of his sister Anne Graham Lotz, one of Billy Graham's three daughters, "an inspirational speaker and long considered the child who inherited the greatest share of Billy's gift." It is obvious that no one--not herself nor her father nor his organization--even considered Lotz to be the one to whom the "mantle may be passed." Instead it was forced on the son, the rightful male heir, according to some patriarchal notion of manifest destiny. Perhaps today's preachers should be as mindful of nurturing the full potential of their people, regardless of gender, as they are of saving their souls. CHRISTINE TRIEBERT South Newfane, Vermont

Franklin Graham was not really a rebel. He did kid stuff, like drinking, smoking and wearing his hair long. To rebel intellectually is much more difficult. Franklin, like most Americans, was taught at an early age to believe in mythologies and spirits. While not embracing his father's Evangelicalism until he was 22, he was never a nonbeliever. Had Franklin truly rebelled, he would have read philosophy, embraced biology and science and chosen his own value system based on empirical observations of the real world. RAYMOND R. ACKERMAN Culver City, California

Hey, are you crazy? what's wrong with whiskey, guns and motorcycles? DICK OWENS Minnetonka, Minnesota

If I locked my child in a car trunk or forced him to smoke so many cigarettes that he vomited, I would not be at all surprised if he turned into a rebellious, hard-drinking hell raiser. Maybe the Rev. Billy Graham should have been home more often to discuss intelligent parenting skills with Mom Ruth. KATHY COUGHLIN Longwood, Florida

Call it blasphemy, call it heresy, but Billy Graham's financially successful "religious" kingdom was built on political savvy and guile, nothing more. BERNARD F. TAYLOR Trenton, New Jersey

Like other religious leaders, Billy Graham has tapped his son as his successor. But Franklin has proved his mettle by a decade of missionary and medical-relief work in the downtrodden areas of the world. He holds the promise of being a great ambassador of Christ. BOB CLEATH San Luis Obispo, California

Perhaps the tenor of today's times, with its problems and deceptions, demands a different kind of Billy Graham. Franklin certainly possesses the abilities and experience to get the job done, as his father did--just differently. BEVERLY STUARD Brentwood, Tennessee

Franklin Graham will inherit the family business, and what a business! If the name weren't already taken, Franklin could call the Graham enterprise the Franklin Mint. WILLIAM C. WALKER Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

GAS FUMES

Let's put the gasoline price hike into perspective [BUSINESS, May 13]. In 1941 when I was 18, I paid 18[cents] to 20[cents] per gal. for my 1933 Plymouth. In 1941 I was earning 40[cents] an hour as an electrician's helper. So I worked half an hour to buy a gallon of gasoline. Compute your hourly earning against the present gasoline price for each gallon; gas is cheaper now than it was then. JIM CURRAN High Island, Texas

BALKAN WAR CRIMINALS

As a person of Serbian heritage, I am grossly embarrassed by the unspeakable war crimes [WORLD, May 13] being inflicted upon Croat and Muslim Bosnian civilians by Serbian war criminals. How swiftly will justice be rendered against those responsible for the blanket of shame? They have humiliated their nation by the mass killings, rapes, lootings and razing of communities, actions designed to dispose of all non-Serbs. Shame on you, Serbia, from one who shares your heritage! JOHN MITOVICH Albuquerque, New Mexico

Terrible crimes against humanity have been committed in the heart of Europe. There are villains and victims. We need justice to have peace. If Western leaders had had political courage and willpower four years ago, bloodshed could have been stopped then. DRAGAN IVKOVIC Melrose Park, Illinois

The tribunal at the Hague seeks to convict the little people while the guilty leaders who gave the orders for genocide go on as if nothing had happened. Wars will continue until all nations renounce the use or threat of war. CHARLES QUIVEY Parma, Minnesota

DONATED MEDICINES

Your article "the goodwill pill Mess" [BUSINESS, April 29], about medicines that are given away to countries in need, implied that Eli Lilly & Co.'s donation of its antibiotic CeclorCD during the Rwandan refugee crisis was unwanted and not of use. Far from being unwanted, Lilly's 1994 antibiotic donation was specifically requested by the American Red Cross and other U.S. private voluntary organizations. And far from not being useful, cefaclor, the active ingredient in CeclorCD, has demonstrated its value in countries at all stages of economic development. It is the world's largest-selling oral antibiotic. Furthermore, the entire donation had a shelf life ranging from eight to 15 months and was intended for immediate use in this tragic emergency. Lilly supports the need for donation guidelines. However, as they stand today, proposed guidelines, if strictly applied, would deny victims of catastrophes access to the world's most advanced medicines and, in the case of Rwanda, would have resulted in the loss of countless lives that were in the end saved by the timely use of our antibiotic. JOHN S. NORTH Director, International Relations Eli Lilly & Co. Indianapolis, Indiana

I hope your readers will not assume that all pharmaceutical donations are tax-advantaged sleights of hand. While there is a serious problem of standards concerning drug donations, there are also organizations that already operate at high international standards, saving lives and offering the promise of health to millions of people in developing nations. Donors to this committee represent outstanding examples of corporate philanthropy and the best of corporate responsibility. We are proud of their support. GWENDOLYN CALVERT BAKER President and CEO U.S. Committee for UNICEF New York City

BASEBALL'S GREAT MOMENTS

While it is fine to wax nostalgic about three remaining great old ball yards [SPORT, May 13], including my beloved Fenway Park, and bemoan their inevitable loss, critics should talk with the fans who actually populate those stadiums on game days. As beautiful and charming as Fenway is, its seats are cramped, concessions inadequate and rest rooms too few. The entire place is antiquated. The tradition of the Boston Celtics, along with the team's parquet floor, made the trip from the old Boston Garden--now there is a dump--to the new Fleet Center quite nicely. Fenway's Green Monster will travel just as well. WILLARD L. GORTON Simsbury, Connecticut

Granted, Fenway Park's seats are not La-Z-Boy cushy, and an occasional rodent may be spotted, but it is intimate in a way newer, larger parks are not, and many Boston-area fans are in no rush to scrap baseball history in favor of creature comforts. No matter how well planned or executed, a new park will not hold the history, tradition and purity of the game that live on in the stands and on the field of Fenway. Every visit there holds the echoes of Carl Yastrzemski's 3,000th hit, Carlton Fisk's winning home run in game 6 of the 1975 World Series and Ted Williams' record .406 season. Fenway has been good to players, fans and the sport. It deserves more respect, and a reprieve from the wrecking ball. DAVID CADORETTE Nashua, New Hampshire Via E-mail

HESTON'S DISGUST

I almost expired with helpless laughter after reading Charlton Heston's angry letter denying Gore Vidal's comments [LETTERS, May 13] that the subtext of the relationship of characters played by Heston and Stephen Boyd in the film Ben-Hur was a homosexual one. Without meaning to, of course, Heston utterly confirms Vidal's assertion that director William Wyler told Vidal that Heston would "fall apart" if he knew about the homosexual subtext they conspired to feed Boyd behind Heston's back. All this behind-the-camera intrigue is rendered moot, however, if you just watch the scene. You can see Boyd playing that he is in love. It's perfectly clear. The funniest thing about Heston's letter to TIME is not his Old Guard brand of homophobia but what it says about his shortcomings as an actor. He couldn't see it or respond to it when he was standing six inches away from Boyd and the cameras were rolling. And now, 40 years later, he still can't see it when he watches the film. VICTOR D'ALTORIO Chicago