McCay Before Disney

Sirs:

In your article in TIME issue of Dec. 27 regarding the accomplishments of Walt Disney, the author has failed to give credit to the man who is the father of animated cartoons and who created them almost 30 years ago at which time Mr. Disney was probably running around in rompers.

I refer to Mr. Winsor McCay who died about three years ago.

Mr. McCay was an artist in every sense of the word and his cartoons of "Little Nemo" and "Dreams of a Rarebit Fiend" that appeared in Sunday newspaper supplements were the joy and delight of the youngsters of that day.

His first animated cartoon showed a prehistoric animal he called "Gertie" and while

Mr. McCay stood in front of the screen and gave a sort of lecture, "Gertie" would bow and act as if she were responding to Mr. Mc-Cay's instructions.

I am not for taking away from Mr. Disney any of the glory he justly deserves, for I, like many others, consider him the No. 1 animated cartoonist of today but I am only asking for credit where credit is due.

HENRY W. WILSON

New York City

The late Cartoonist McCay won a dinner from skeptical George McManus and the late Cartoonist Clare Briggs when, after early experiments with a short Little Nemo film, in 1909 at the old Vitagraph Studios in Brooklyn he projected Gertie, The Dinosaur, a 1,000-ft. animated cartoon. To make it he spent $50,000, took over a year to draw and film 10,000 pictures.--ED.

"Something Must Be Done"

Sirs:

... I read with interest your comment on Rising Tide (TIME, Dec. 20). . . .

If democracy is to succeed something must be done. We must be receptive and have a kindly approach towards everything that looks constructive. Perhaps I was not altogether constructive or tolerant myself when my desire was that both Protestant minister and Catholic priest might have their heads knocked together until a little intolerance was knocked out of both of them.

One thing I like about the Oxford Group approach is the fact that they say to me, "All right, we agree that present conditions are bad, but how about starting with you? Are you part of the problem or are you part of the answer?" The way they ask the question, however, makes a great deal of difference. They do not ask it in a belligerent or combative tone, but in a tone which has a kindly approach, which disarms antagonism, and leads to constructive cooperation. . . .

I have at times felt that your approach on some subjects was perhaps a little facetious, but I must grant that you know your business better than I do, and perhaps sometime you will get your own conviction on this subject. That is more important than having me tell you "where to get off.". . . RUSSELL E. SARD

Washington, D. C.

Serious Advice

Sirs:

Several people, it seems, have lately been writing you letters in which they requested in TIME more levity, more spice, fewer big words, less dull news. Please don't listen to them. Don't let TIME deteriorate into a magazine for morons. There are too many such magazines already. If some persons are too lazy to read the news, let them buy LIFE or listen to their radios, but keep TIME complete, serious, and at least relatively thorough. One of your competitors was started, as I understand, partly to satisfy those who felt that you were becoming too smart. So, please give us the news straight without too many sugar-coated pills.

EVERETT FISHER

Greenwich, Conn.

"Fool-De-Drool"

Sirs:

Princeton men can be righteously indignant over your article "FolDeRol" [TIME, Dec. 20] which should be captioned "Fool- De-Drool."

Triangle Show talent is drawn from the entire student body and not just from the members of the Cottage Club, Cap and Gown and Tiger Inn. What about the former Triangle stars from Ivy, Colonial, Charter and the others?

As an ex-Triangle Thespian, I protest that the Christmastime tour is far from being a booze bust. . . . ROBERT OTIS READ Tiger Inn '23 Providence, R. I.

TIME still believes the "largest purpose" of the Triangle Club is "social," once more points out that "not all Triangle show boys are out exclusively for a good time."--ED.

First For Third

Sirs:

In the article "Artificial Siamese" in TIME, Dec. 13 you stated that the young patient was hospitalized with "terrible first degree burns" and that when she was discharged she had "no skin left on her torso, arms and neck." These two statements are quite incompatible as by either the American or Dupuytren classification of burns a first degree burn does not do more than redden the skin, thus unless the treatment that the patient received destroyed her skin it must have been a third degree burn in the beginning. ... HENRY N. HARKINS, M.D.

Chicago, 111.

TIME mixed its degrees.--ED.

Polar Report

Sirs:

After reading your comment on the Russian polar expedition (TIME, May 31) and the letter from Malcolm P. Hanson (TIME, June 21) regarding Krenkel's experience, I thought the following comment might be of interest.

On Nov. 4, at 6:35 a.m. (16sth meridian time) I made successful half-hour contact with station UPOL, the Soviet Drifting Expedition near the North Pole (position given as 83 DEG49r north, 2DEG east). Both of our stations were operating in the 14 megacycle amateur band.

Ernst Krenkel gave me his name, which, incidentally, he spelled without the "e" as in "Ernest". . . and in perfectly good English terms gave me the expedition's position, weather conditions, etc. He stated that there were four men there, and that they would return in April. . . . He assured me that everyone was "ok" and that a verification card would reach him if sent via Moscow RKW, the Soviet radio society.

The Russian signals came through beautifully, although I had never heard the signals prior to this time, nor have I since. . . .

Remarkable thing, this radio . . . isn't it ?

J. P. GRUBLE

Goodnews Bay, Alaska

Last fortnight the campers radioed cheerful New Year's greetings to their homeland, despite a strong north wind, reported themselves relatively warm with the thermometer at 7.6DEG above 0DEG F.--ED.

"Very Interesting"

Sirs:

Congratulations to TIME for printing, and to Howard Putzel for telling you (TIME, Dec. 20) the second of what may well become a saga of Toulouse-Lautrec-Putzel Gallery legends, true or apocryphal.

The first: visiting Hollywood in 1935, H. G. Wells was taken by friends to a Putzel show of Lautrec work. Commented the Great Outliner of the famed French artist: "Very interesting ... is he one of your local men?" P. F. W. STONE

San Francisco, Calif.

Mr. Putzel seems to have converted other people's misconceptions about Toulouse-Lautrec into a running gag.

-ED.

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