Porter v. Dewar

Sirs:

Readers of TIME will enjoy this characteristic bit of repartee attributed to the "venerable Baron Dewar, who claims that whiskey is his muse":

Miss Porter-Porter, who considered her compound appellation a social asset of considerable potency, became indignant when the Noble Lord chose to ignore the repetition.

"My name is Porter-Porter," she emphasized, "--with a hyphen."

"To be sure," came the adroit reply, "And mine is Dewar-Dewar,--with a siphon."

JOHN S. GARTH

Long Beach, Calif.

And Soon!

Sirs:

TIME'S Editor is tall and thin,

He and Roget are next-of-kin,

Thesaurus is his middle name,

Terseness his very end and aim.

He stalks the shy, uncommon word

To give the inarticulate herd Vocabularies wide and weird

And potent as the Prophet's beard.

He passes by 'galloon,' 'simoon,'

He scorns 'monsoon,' 'baboon' and 'loon,'

But he's married himself to the word 'tycoon.'

God help the poor buffoon--and soon!

R. H. RULISON, M. D.

New York City

Suggestions Flayed

Sirs:

Please continue running your magazine as you have been doing, and don't pay any attention to the suggestions that are sent in.

CARRIE W. FISHER

Punxsutawney, Pa.

All Issues

Sirs:

It is enough! Tho't I could overlook the jibe sarcastic and "clever?" caustic comments. But I find the saturation point has been reached. They permeate practically every page of your--newsmagazine?

Back to the Digest!* where men are gentlemen and news is news--and not pseudowise-cracks and ribald insinuendos. Exit subscriber.

D. OTIS FULLER

P. S. Proof for above statements may be had in all issues of TIME for 1928. Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton, N. J.

Word

Sirs:

I note the following in the Chicago Herald and Examiner: CRITIC FALLS VICTIM OF WORD ORGY

By Ashton Stevens

I have just been struck in the eye by a fearful word in the dramatic column of my last week's copy of TIME, "the weekly news magazine," that counts among its duties that of teaching the dailies their manners. And I am wondering if drama critics are to become corrupted by the plays they are paid to see. This is a word that might be spoken on the stage in so frank and veristic a production as The Front Page, but uttered at a decent dinner table it would impel a Victorian butler to practice on the loose-lipped guest what is technically known as the bum's rush. . .

LUTHER T. WILSON

Chicago, Ill.

The word that shocked Critic Stevens was a Latin-derived synonym for stage-hackneyed Sex--a synonym seldom heard outside biology. TIME approved the word's scientific quality and doubts that the most prurient-minded of Victorian butlers would have suspected what was meant.--ED.

Atoms

Sirs:

The Dramatic Critic of TIME has fused scientific accuracy and poetic genius when he characterizes atoms as "the tiny secret stars that whirl in thumbnail welkins."

TIME has justified its existence by that single flare of genius. It is a phrase worthy to be rescued from ephemeral journalism to take its place proudly in American literature.

It is one of those rare "jewels, five words long, That on the stretched forefinger of all time, Sparkle forever."

CLAUDE J. PERNIN, S. J.

Loyola University Chicago, Ill.

Let generous Subscriber Pernin count again. TIME's "jewel" was four words too long to "sparkle forever."--ED.

Also Olives

Sirs:

TIME and olives are in the same class for me--I had to learn to like 'em both. But now such little intimate conversations as this: "I don't like this pie. Get me one with crust on"*which was retailed in the issue of Dec. 10 lends relish to the reading. Tho somewhat against my will, I have become thoroly an addict. The weekly salad-offering of "inspectoral eye twinkled," "Leader-Curtis ambled down the aisle to shake hands with his ex-rival Robinson," and "The President went home 'skunked' " must go on. Your vitamines of news bits and green-vegetable facts must never be cooked to death or wilted.

KAY ALLEN '29

Pomona College Claremont, Calif.

"Newest and Best"

Sirs:

You state in your issue of Oct. 22, page 14: "Actually the Greek ship had struck and foundered the newest and best French submarine, the Ondine."

Compare La Revue Maritime, issue of Dec. 1927, page 802. The Ondine was not the newest; six submarines have been launched since the date of launching the boat in question, between the eighth of May 1925 and the thirty-first of August 1928. And it was not best since it was only a craft of 600 tons, therefore inferior to six other submarines in active service at the time of the accident. Yours for greater accuracy in foreign news.

SYDNEY MINAULT

Paris, France

Respecting meticulous Subscriber Minault's point, TIME is in receipt of the following telegram:

WASHINGTON, D. C.

ONDINE WAS ONE OF 12 SUBMARINES 600 TONS TYPE JUST COMPLETED SHE WAS ONE OF THE BEST AND NEWEST IN FRENCH SUBMARINE COASTAL DEFENSE PROGRAM WAS SUNK ON HER FIRST ENDURANCE TRIAL FROM BREST TO BIZERTA WE HAVE BUILT AND ARE BUILDING BIGGER LONG RANGE SUBMARINES OF OTHER TYPES

FRENCH NAVAL ATTACHE

Catholics on Birth

Sirs:

Your quotation from a pastoral letter of Cardinal Hayes, relative to birth control, in your issue of Dec. 17 is all right in its way but does not state the Catholic view point on the subject. May I direct your attention to the November issue of the Catholic World of New York. In this issue there is an article entitled "The Church and Eugenics," by Rev. Bertrand L. Conway of the Paulist Fathers. In part it says:

"Non-Catholics often misunderstand our position on birth control, for they seem to believe that Catholic married couples are bound to have children to the mother's capacity for child bearing. This is not our teaching. It is perfectly ethical to limit the family, if the method used is self control by abstinence and continence. This may even be obligatory, when a mother's life or health would be seriously jeopardized by further childbearing, or when real destitution would result from further additions to the family.

"The Catholic Church absolutely condemns birth control as essentially immoral, because it implies the limitation of the family by artificial prevention of conception. It is an unnatural perversion, for it goes against the order intended by God, and defeats the immediate end of a natural human act."

FRANK A. HIGGINS

Newark, N. J.

Seven Days a Week

Sirs:

I have read with a great deal of pleasure, satisfaction and joy, the undertaking by one of the great New York Hotel organizations, of placing a chapel on one of their top floors for the benefit of their patrons, as well as that large body of people who are desirous of worshipping every day and who are of the Protestant Faith.

I believe that if more of the Protestant Churches throughout the country would arrange their buildings, so that their members could make use of them seven days of the week, instead of on special service days, they would attract more to their cause and would allow for the worship of God by those who desire to do so during the week for prayerful meditation and quietude in the sanctuary of God. . . .

WILLIAM T. HALL

Commissioner of Public Utilities New Orleans, La.

German High Command v. TIME

Sirs:

Will you permit me to comment on the letter of The Baltimore Sun's S. Miles Bouton, published in your issue of Dec. 17.

One wonders why, even tho his pro-German sensibilities were wounded, Mr. Bouton found it necessary to use such discourteous language as is found in his opening and closing paragraphs?

As to the story about Feld Marshal von Machensen, which had been published several times before without denial, it rings true, and when I consider the veracity of TIME, and compare it with that of members of the German High Command, I prefer to believe TIME. We have not yet forgotten how Feld Marshal von Machensen, et al, broke their pledged word, as evinced by solemn treaty, and invaded Belgium without any right except that of might. If their word was of no value in 1914 what reason have we to believe that the leopard has changed his spots? The same stricture applies to the occupant of Doom in an even stronger sense.

In regard to the last paragraph wherein he speaks of "an acute feeling of inferiority,'' I wonder if he is trying to imitate Will Rogers, he is SO amusing! The editors of TIME are Americans, and since when have citizens of a victorious nation ever had "an acute feeling of inferiority" when considering soldiers of a vanquished army?

My opinion is that TIME, being edited by human beings, does make mistakes, but on the whole it is remarkably accurate, and as between them and the ex-members of the German High Command most of us will believe TIME.

JOHN PARKS GILMER, M. D.

San Diego, Calif.

Cartoonist Hoover

Sirs:

In your footnote (TIME, Dec. 24, p. 9) about famed Hoovers of the U. S. in addition to the President-elect, I am sorry you didn't mention:

Ellison Hoover, cartoonist, author of Cartoons from Life (Simon & Schuster, 1925) including the two swell series "Intimate Glimpses of American Generals of Industry," and "An Impression of (various cities) by One Who Has Never Been There," etc.

TOM W. GERBER

United Press Associations, New York City

In West Virginia

Sirs:

. . . Ever since its inception, West Virginia University, being a land grant college, has maintained not only an Agricultural Experiment Station, but a College of Agriculture as well. She has one of the finest buildings for her students in this profession as can be found. She maintains several fine farms on which these students get their practical experience, and believe me or not, it is practical. . . .

It is true that our State is hilly; we are PROUD of our HILLS! But that does not make those who farm the hills (it takes REAL farmers to farm hills!) 'hill-billies'. We admit our population contains some of the pioneer stock that descended from Boone and his contemporaries, people who are illiterate to a degree, but you must admit that the percentage of illiteracy you 'foot note' was made upon a census that included a large foreign population that work in our mines, brought in by capital, and NOT NATIVE WEST VIRGINIANS! And if you could see the good work being done among this foreign population, if you could see how eagerly they are adopting our ideals and customs and 'book learning' you would be much more charitable than you now are towards those who are doing the work of educating--the faculty of WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY and the educators that have graduated from this institution...CAN YOU SHOW THAT OUR HILL FARMERS ARE NOT RECEIVING BETTER ATTENTION FROM OUR COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE THAN OTHER SUCH COLLEGES GRANT THEIR FARMER-VOTERS? Please come clean on this; I dare you! . . .

HOMER A. HOSKINS

W. V. U. 1911

Morgantown, West Va.

TIME thanks Subscriber Hoskins for his clarifying statement. West Virginians, proud of their State, once before rallied to its defense when an Ohioan had the temerity to say that West Virginia was "Ohio's coal bin" (TIME, Feb. 28, 1927 et seq.).--ED.

Mrs. Jones

Sirs:

Mrs "Casey" Jones lives in Jackson, Tenn. She has employed Ex-Governor Brewer of Mississippi as counsel.*

T. MARTIN

Jackson, Tenn.

*The Literary Digest.

*President Coolidge, with reference to pumpkin pie.

*Mrs. Jones is suing a California motion picture company for $150,000 for exploiting the name of her late husband, John Luther ("Casey") Jones, engineer-hero of the singing rails (TIME, Dec. 10).--ED.