What Dawes Said
Sirs:
In the Nov. 30 issue of TIME (The League) you refer to "Hell-&-Maria" Dawes.
In southeastern Ohio near Dawes' old home, 30 years ago, the expression was Hell, Maria! This means something as an expletive while Hell & Maria makes no sense at all.
I have never been so fortunate as to hear the Ambassador explode but it is my guess that he says Hell, Maria, not Hell & Maria.
F. R. OHL
Evanston, Ill.
On Feb. 2, 1921, General Dawes was called by a Congressional sub-committee (Republican) to testify, as General Purchasing Agent of the A. E. F., on War expenditures. Under the detailed questioning of the committeemen. he lost patience and exploded: "Damn it all! The business of any army is to win the war, not to quibble around with a lot of cheap buying." Continuing to swear, he kept the air thick with oaths for which he said he had neither apology nor excuse.
In the Government Printing Office's official text of the hearing, which became a ''best-seller" overnight, Gen. Dawes's profanity was carefully deleted. But newspaper reports of "the phrase which closed an epoch" were virtually unanimous in giving "Hell & Maria." Apparently he exploded the phrase more than once:
"Hell & Maria! We weren't trying to keep a set of books, we were trying to win the War!''
"Hell & Maria! I would have paid horse prices for sheep if the sheep could have pulled artillery to the front!"--ED.
Bronchoscopes & Ignorance
Sirs:
I am much puzzled by the fact that, in reporting a recent sensational trip from Orlando to a Philadelphia hospital [TIME. Nov. 9], your usually complete magazine suppressed the real news value of the incident--namely, the fact that the child was a sacrifice to the utter stupidity, ignorance and incompetence of a large section of the medical profession. I thought at first your press date cut off full details, and they would follow in the next issue. But I have not seen them yet. Why? The truth was given big space in all Florida newspapers the day after the child's death--namely, that the statement of Orlando doctors to the father that the nearest bronchoscope was in Philadelphia was a monstrous and murderous lie.
The Tampa Municipal Hospital, two hours' drive from Orlando, has complete bronchoscope equipment--Dr. Chevalier Jackson's latest model, the same as the best Philadelphia hospitals have. And so have several private practitioners in Tampa. So have others in numerous Florida and nearby Georgia cities. Anyone giving even cursory attention to the daily papers has often seen reports of children's lives being saved by this instrument at Florida hospitals. There is thus no shadow of excuse for the Orlando doctor's misinformation.
TIME'S readers have thousands of children, all more or less likely to get some foreign body in their lungs any day. By printing the fact that bronchoscopes are now widely distributed, not an exclusive Philadelphia monopoly, you would very likely save some lives, much suffering. . . . JOHN G. HANNA
Dunedin, Fla.
It is true that there are bronchoscopes in almost every U. S. city. But let Reader Hanna pause in his condemnation of the Orlando doctor. As in most surgical cases, people requiring bronchoscope work often seek specialists. Unlike the pulmotor, which any fireman can use, the bronchoscope is a very delicate device to manipulate.--ED.
Postal Savings & N. C. C:
Sirs:
In your issue of Oct. 26, you report the ruling by Secretary Mellon--printed nowhere else that I saw--by which the debentures of the National Credit Corp. are made acceptable collateral, in lieu of Government bonds and bank acceptances, for the deposit of U. S. Government funds.
Query 1: Are deposits, made in the Postal Savings banks, redeposited by the Government in commercial banks?
Query 2: If so, do the banks put up collateral for them?
Query 3: If so, may the required collateral now consist of the debentures of the National Credit Corp?
Query 4: If so, are not the depositors in Postal Savings accounts being invited to "hold the sack?''
JOHN V. ERG
Los Angeles, Calif.
Answer 1: Yes, at 2 1/2%
Answer 2: Yes, 100% in Government or municipal securities.
Answer 3: No. N. C. C. gold notes were made acceptable collateral for "public moneys." but Postal Savings deposits are not considered "public moneys."--ED.
Seal by Pyle
Sirs:
TIME of the 7th December has been kind enough to speak of me in connection with the Christmas Seal.
I don't know where your half-tone came from, but it must have been taken in the White House grounds long ago, in Coolidge's time, and it is pretty awful. . . .
... I got Howard Pyle, who was a friend of mine, to design the 1908 Seal, and I did the preparatory campaign largely myself. . . .
EMILY P. BISSELL
Wilmington, Del.
T. N. T. of Paris
Sirs:
TIME was the victim of a malicious fabricator --issue Oct. 26, Robert T. Pell . . . .
The T. N. T. of Paris is an organized club of active Americans residing in Paris, meeting daily for luncheon. Purpose of the T. N. T.: Good fellowship, no boy orators (speeches tabooed), no head table (sanely bohemian). Our epoch days are our explosions, which take place now and then.
The explosion commemorating the birth of champagne covers your cut and was held March 7, 1931, at which 104 were present and the two of your cut: Robert T. Pell (right), and friend (correct) is Sydney R. Clarke, recording secretary of the T. N. T., and, as is the custom of the T. N. T., a baby member is fittingly decorated (baby cap and ribbon with nipple attached around neck) at the first meeting after his election, which happened upon this eventful explosion. Robert Pell was responding to his toast "Our Baby Member" when picture was taken.
A good time was had by all, and Robert-- as is his custom--graced the occasion perfectly, and every one of our 150 members was proud of our baby member that day. . . .
SYDNEY R. CLARKE
President
International Service Paris, France
Sirs:
. . . Part of a group picture taken at a luncheon of the T. N. T. Club in Paris, ridiculing Mr. Pell, a member of the American Embassy staff with implied ridicule of the American Ambassador to France, was surrounded by an article showing either lack of knowledge or intentionally failing to describe that the T. N. T. Club in Paris is a noonday luncheon club of a very representative group of American business and professional men.
In a later issue, a picture of Senators Gore and Austin, with a well-placed lackey in the corner was no doubt also cut from a group picture and is perhaps equally as misleading. If the account accompanying the latter picture is as accurate as that accompanying the one from Paris, I am afraid my future reading of TIME will not only be with "a grain of salt" but with a handful. . . .
H. D. CORNWALL
Glenfield, N. Y.
The picture of Senators Gore and Austin (TIME, Nov. 30) was taken during their sales-tax-inspection junket to Canada financed by William Randolph Hearst, which was the subject of that story.
T. N. T. was founded four years ago by Andrew Jackson Stone, a member of the Lambs in New York, who was bored by the oratory poured forth at most luncheons of the U. S. colony in Paris. T. N. T. represents the wrath lurking in the breasts of members ready to explode upon any one who stands up to make a "remember Lafayette" or "hands across the sea" speech. Emblem of the order is an obelisk which stands on the club table at luncheon, symbolizing all the wisdom of the world in its hieroglyphics. T. N. T. meets at the Royal Haussman Hotel except Sundays and Thursdays, when the American Club of Paris performs. Membership, 150. Dues: 100 francs annually.
--ED.
Ace Ingalls
Sirs:
We $8-a-year Canadian subscribers ($9.04, counting exchange of 13%) would like to know why you refer to David Sinton Ingalls (TIME, Nov. 16) as a "War Ace."
He must have emerged from the Wrar at the tender age of 19 if his age, 32, as quoted by you is correct.
Begging your pardon, we like our TIME terse, but complete. How did your Dave come to be called "Ace"?
J. T. LIVINGSTONE
Boston Bar, B. C.
Ace Ingalls was indeed an ace. He left college, aged 18, to be trained in naval aviation, flew in combat from March October, 1918, emerged aged 19 with me than five enemy airships to his crew (only U. S. Navy ace) to take his degree after being decorated by England with the D. F. C., by the U. S. with the D. S. I --ED.
Gas, Natural v. Artificial
Sirs:
Your statement (TIME, Nov. 30,) "Natural gas ... is often disliked by hou: wives as it carbonizes more quickly, clogs stove burners, dirties pots and pans" endorses erroneous impression. Correctly burned, natural gas produces no more dirt than manufactured gas. The fallacy arises from the frequent misuse, for natural gas, of stoves designed for the lighter, quicker burning, manufactured gas Complaints also arise when stoves adjusted for natural gas are used for manufactured gas. The change in adjustment is easily made a gas companies which change over from man factured to natural gas usually send their 01 mechanics to adjust all of a consumer's equipment on the day of the change.
Our company purchases for its own consumption more natural gas than any other in the world.
THOMAS D. CABOT
Treasurer Godfrey L. Cabot, Inc.
Boston, Mass.
Alva
Sirs:
Being a native of Alva, Clackmannanshire Scotland. I am always trying to get something for nothing and I certainly get full value for the ninepence I pay for TIME. However, I a trying to get overweight now.
Can you tell me what, if any, connection the is between the Alva I mention above and the middle name of the late Thomas Alva Edison?
H. V. MELLOT
London, England
Although his mother's line was of Sco tish descent, Thomas Alva Edison's mi die name was derived not from the Sco tish town of that name but from a frier of his father's, Captain Alva Bradle wealthy shipowner. The "Thomas" came from his great-grandfather, a Manhattan banker whose signature was on Continental currency during the Revolution ar who died at the age of 104.
In the U. S. are four Alvas--Alva, Fl (pop. 300), Ky. (200),Okla. (5117),Wy (36).--ED.
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