Spots

Sirs:

... In contrast to some press writers who have accused me of blaming Depression II on the sunspots, it is refreshing to find your comment [TIME, July 11] that in my book on sunspots I "ventured the opinion that sunspots may affect human psychology, etc." I especially appreciate your italics in the use of may.

Apropos of the last sentence in the write-up in TIME,* you might inform your Science editor that it may be amusing to note that sunspot numbers did rise from a low of 56 on June 18 to a high of 128 on June 29. The average for June 1938, however, is 97 as compared with 144 for July 1937, which appears to be the record for this cycle.

HARLAN T. STETSON

Cosmic Terrestrial Research

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Mass

Park or What Not

Sirs:

Good old RFC & PWA! Now that they are in the business I do not hesitate longer in asking for my loan--or what is it?

All I want is some help to pull my canal out of the dumps. It won't take but a fraction of what it did to "rescue" the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, TIME, July 4.

My canal is a farm. We carry it on our books at $4,000. Now if they will loan me 8,000 I will gladly "sell" it to the PWA and they can put a lot of men to work on it. By draining the alkali spot it can be made into a beautiful park or what not.

L. G. BLOOMFIELD

Toadlena, N. M.

Cartoons

Sirs:

I have been waiting to find out what TIME has decided to do about reprinting cartoons in the manner of ... the Literary Digest [TIME, May 23, p. 5] ... which is now part of TIME.

W. A. HIGHTOWER

Mobile, Ala.

TIME investigated the possibility of a cartoon page, thumbed down the idea for the present because there do not seem to be enough good cartoons for a weekly collection. Only a dozen U. S. cartoonists and about the same number abroad, are doing professionally acceptable work. Also 90% of U. S. cartoons are monotonously one-sided (anti-New Deal). But TIME, stimulated by its researches, will print more cartoons whenever they are pertinent as illustration, amplification or horrible example (see p. 12)--ED.

Relieved

Sirs:

This week's [TIME, July 11] make-up (technical term unknown) was most pleasing. Delighted with the elimination of Religion. Being a person of no discrimination, I read from cover to cover and always waded painfully with boredom & bewilderment, thru Religion. The relief of not having to read it this time was exquisite.

Thanks.

D. S. FORSEE

New York City

Not Progressive

Sirs:

In fairness to Dr. Hutchins, we wish to correct the impression in your recent article regarding the enrollment of his daughter, Frances, in Jokake School.

Contrary to your article, Dr. Hutchins selected "Jokake" because it is not what is generally known as a progressive school, but in contrast offers a sound foundation in fundamentals. Also, Frances' enrollment was made a year in advance as part of a sound educational program and was not, as implied in your article, an impulse of the moment.

GEORGE T. ASHFORTH

Jokake, Ariz.

As director of Jokake School, Mr. Ashforth cannot be wrong, but he ought to inform his fellow townsmen of the meaning of "progressive" in education. Before going to press with the story TIME queried Jokake by wire, was informed that the school was progressive. --ED.

"Contemptible"

Sirs:

No friend or admirer of Harry Hopkins am I. Nonetheless, any advocate of fair play must condemn as outrageous, contemptible, and libelous TIME'S action in publishing a distorted, hideously repulsive photograph of the Administrator's entirely normal features.

TIME had best drop any pretense at impartiality if it continues to feature such photographic abortions which, indicative of neither character nor appearance, should be consigned to the darkroom trash barrel rather than to the printing press.

How would ED like to have a similar photographic foul perpetrated on himself or immediate family ? . . .

SIDNEY N. SHURCLIFF

Boston, Mass.

TIME picks its cover photographs, not for beauty nor ugliness, but so far as possible for lifelike vigor of pose. The photograph of Mr. Hopkins was outstanding, could not be rejected. ED. would be glad to own a whole family album of the same kind.--ED.

Iced Pork

Sirs:

That article in TIME, June 13, on the Mississippi lawsuit wherein the Negro tenant "got for his lawyer old Percy Bell of Greenville, onetime chancery judge and independent as a hog on ice," is an exceedingly well-told story on an interesting subject.

. . . Am pleased to say your article well covered the legal points involved, unusual in lay reporting of law cases.

Your readers hereabouts, however, fail to perceive the aptness of your simile in alluding to Mr. Bell's independence. No doubt he is a lawyer who fearlessly does his best for his clients; but how is a "hog on ice" an example of independence?

WM. C. SWANSON

Clayton, Ala.

Hogs on ice are independent: 1) if dead, because they don't care; 2) if alive, because they are hypnotized by their immobility.--ED.

* "Depression II may be linked to the current sunspot downgrade. But no temporary outburst of sunspots was reported to accompany last week's ebullient stockmarket."--ED.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.