Mercury First
Sirs:
In your issue of May 14 under Aeronautics we note comment regarding the North German Lloyd Air Cruise characterizing it as the first Air Cruise in history.
This is incorrect. So far as we have been able to learn,--and we have gone into it quite thoroughly--the first Air Cruise is the one scheduled by this organization, press announcements of which were made some three weeks prior to those concerning the Lloyd tour. Our Air Tour operates some two months in advance of the Lloyd trip and I cannot see how the North German Lloyd can conscientiously advertise their tour as being the first. . . .
MERCURY TOURS
New York City
TIME stands corrected. The Mercury Air Tour begins on July 14 when passengers sail from Manhattan on the S. S. Tuscania. At London they will take plane for Amsterdam, Brussels, Cologne, Frankfort, Nuremberg, Munich, Zurich, Lucerne, Geneva, Paris--finally sailing for the U. S. on Aug. 25. Total cost of the tour will be $985.--ED.
Questing Cook
Sirs:
I am very much interested in the book which was written by Mrs. Ruth A. Jeremiah Gottfried who compiled the recipes for dishes of all nations which were published in book form as the "Questing Cook" and I would like very much to know where I can buy copies of that book. A book of that type would be very valuable to me in all my hotels and if you would only inform me as to where I can purchase same I will appreciate it.
ARTHUR L. ROBERTS President Arthur L. Roberts Hotel Co.
Winona, Minn.
Any current book may be purchased through TIME, postage free. Let Subscriber-President Roberts send TIME, Inc. $3.00 for The Questing Cook.--ED.
New Word
Sirs:
I would like to suggest a word for the consideration of TIME'S readers.
To Hefle, v., i, to talk bombastic nonsense, piffle, tripe, etc. The word is used usually in its present participle as: "What are you Heflin' about?" "Stop Heflin' and talk sense," etc.
WM. S. WOOD
Tucson, Ariz.
"Deke"
Sirs:
In your issue of May 14, p. 8, it is stated that Nicholas Longworth, speaker of the House of
Representatives, is a Zeta Psi. Speaker Longworth is a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.
FLOY McEwEN Associate Editor Delta Kappa Epsilon Quarterly, Newark, N. J.
Frat Men
Sirs:
I was pleasantly surprised to note your article concerning a recent article [May 14] in The Magazine of Sigma Chi. I did not know "our" magazine was so widely read as to capture your interest.
As to the reason for this letter: Firstly, Editor Cleveland's "prophecy" was not as "lame" as you accused it.
Governor Smith, the Democrat Candidate, is an honorary member of Phi Kappa, national Catholic Fraternity.
Secondly, If you please, don't term our societies "frats." It isn't being done, besides "Fraternities" sounds much better.
W. K. NUNEMACHER Cincinnati, O.
"Lame" remains the word for Editor Cleveland's prophecy that the next U. S. President will be a fraternity man provided neither Candidates Hoover nor Smith are successful. Honorary members are not frat men.--ED.
Coxboys Affair
Sirs:
Mr. J. E. Fries and Mr. E. B. Watson miss the point when they seek to criticize TIME for publishing under "National Affairs" [April 9] an account of the unfortunate affair of the two Cox boys.
I felt that TIME was, as usual, justified in considering it of national interest when a western boy received lenient punishment at the hands of an eastern Judge for no apparent reason other than the youth's affiliations.
The article, I thought, without any moralising comment, but by merely recounting the situation, depicted a characteristic phase of our present social condition. Perhaps that condition is unpleasant to Messrs. Fries and Watson. It is to me. Nevertheless such incidents are news, and are not of the "Graphic" type when presented concisely, TIMEly.
MAURICE H. HILTON
Cambridge, Mass.
More Details
Sirs:
With reference to the terrifying argument between Sidney Henderson, of Chicago, and Catherine M. Whitsitt, of some point farther east (last referred to in TIME, May 7), permit me to remark that President Roosevelt did make an airplane flight.
It was in October, 1910, as I recall and his pilot was Arch Hoxsey, of the Wright Brothers aeroplane circus, which was then booking exhibitions about the country. The machine was a Wright biplane with the old type of "warping" wings and two propellers. It had a four cylinder water-cooled engine.
Roosevelt sat upon a little seat on the forward edge of the lower wing and, with his feet upon a rail built out ahead, could look between his legs at the ground.
This may not affect the argument but I thought it might be interesting.
RALPH E. MOONEY
St. Louis, Mo.
Southamericanization
Sirs:
... It seems that Uncle Sam desires to own all of South America etc. etc. South America is being Americanized rapidly. Now on the other hand, it is very sad to see how the States are becoming South Americanized more rapidly than we are becoming Americanized. To wit, some weeks ago two Senators insulted each other and proceeded to have a regular fist fight within the precincts of the Senate. Again, during elections in Chicago, "pineapples exploded" and fights at the polling booths were plentiful. Can you get anything more South American than this two items? We used to do that before we started our Americanization. We do not do it now.
Do not look for my name in your subscriber's lists. I am not a subscriber. I read the copies sent to my boss who is a regular subscriber. My secretarial position gives me an indisputable right to read his copies before he does. Of course, sometimes he seems not to grasp the truth of this technicality and becomes somewhat "peeved," most emphatically stating that your "mail clerk is an ass." My personal opinion is that your mail clerk is O. K. I receive my boss's copies of TIME within a reasonable time and if my boss gets his copy always one week late, it is due absolutely to his inability to understand my rights as his secretary.
You are mistaken!! The idea of this letter is not to get my name in print. The object is to inquire from you if it is possible to secure bound vols. of TIME comprising all of your 1927 issues; also if it will be possible to secure vols. for the years to come. I know of no better way to keep a current history of the times, than by keeping in my library bound vols. of your most wonderful periodical.
ANTONIO LUIS GONZAGA
Barranquilla, Colombia
Snitcher-snatcher Gonzaga may secure bound copies of TIME, Vol. IX (Jan.-June 1927) and Vol. X (July-Dec. 1927) at $5 each, by writing to TIME, Penton Building, Cleveland, Ohio.--ED.
Courtney's Crews
Sirs:
All hail to Yale and the best of luck to Ed. Leader, if his crew goes to the Olympics this summer, but haven't you overlooked Chas. E. Courtney's record at Cornell 1885-1920 when you state in your May 14 issue that "no other coach has turned out as consistently fine crews as Leader.". . .
Courtney's crews were not only consistently fine but I think still hold all of the records for all classes of college racing and for all distances, which casts somewhat of a shadow on your statement. Some of Courtney's crews of our time or near it, deserve special mention because they rank among the great athletic teams of all times. The 1901 Varsity took advantage of unusually favorable water conditions at Poughkeepsie to establish a world's record of 18 minutes 53 1/2 seconds for 4 miles. Bert Coffin's 1903 boat load of giants while interfered with in the first two miles of the race on the same course were only a few seconds behind this record, 18-57-1/5. They rowed the last two miles eleven seconds faster than the first two miles. Quite unusual I think! Their nearest competitor was 1/8 of a mile behind and their stroke was held to 28 to the minute throughout the four miles. It is hard for me to conceive of a racing shell moving faster than theirs, yet Ed Foote's 1905 crew rowed one time trial at Poughkeepsie in 18 minutes 33 seconds and another one up stream in the phenomenal time of 18 minutes 24 1/2 seconds. . . .
Courtney was a remarkable crew coach because he knew a racing shell from bow to stern and his men from head to heels. . . .
WM. H. FORBES Cleveland, O.
Inexact
Sirs:
Having happened to read in TIME, April 9, that my father, Vladimir de Pachmann the pianist, is a Jew, and that assertion being quite inexact, I beg you to rectify that error as soon as possible (if possible in the next issue of your magazine)! . . .
LIONEL DE PACHMANN Composer, teacher and musical critic Paris, France
Smith's Ohioan
Sirs:
TIME in its issue of May 7 states "Ohio held a Democratic primary and instructed its 48 delegates for Favorite Son Pomerene." I wish to correct this statement. The undersigned was elected one of the delegates from the Capital City District of Ohio, as an avowed supporter of Governor Al Smith, and defeated one of the candidates pledged to Senator Pomerene. I shall vote for Governor Smith on the first ballot, and such other ballots as may be necessary to nominate him.
I have no quarrel with Senator Pomerene, but merely wish, as one of your original subscribers, that TIME be accurate in its statements.
RALPH J. BARTLETT
Columbus, Ohio