Canadians

Sirs:

... To a Canadian, the significance of the new joint-defense arrangements lies not in the fact of their having been made but in their having been accepted in Canada without raising the indignant clamor that has invariably attended any effort to improve Canadian-American relations. This is a happy augury, and gives rise to the hope that bigotry and suspicion will not again raise their ugly heads when the two nations which have so much in common may again seek to remove some of the artificial barriers between them. Canada, indeed, may well be some day the bridge that will close the gap between the English-speaking peoples and lead to their reunion. Clarence K. Streit may well take heart in his efforts toward "Union Now."

GOLDWIN GREGORY

Oakville, Ont.

Sirs:

If the Canadian censors don't get this letter, I hope that you will publish it and allow your readers a view of Canadian youth's outlook other than that of the official propaganda. Although we are painted as panting to go overseas and get killed for dear old England, the remarks I have noted among younger Canadians since the announcement that the U. S. was coming here to set up defense bases have been typically: "Well, it won't be long now, before we're all under Uncle Sam--and a good thing, too !"

Certainly Canadian young people have little to look forward to in their own country; every Canadian with brains has to go south of the border or cross the Atlantic if he hopes to get recognition. Take the matter of culture, for instance: eleven million people in this Dominion don't support one magazine of literary and artistic value.

And if the price of Canadian national existence within the framework of the British Empire is a world war every quarter-century, why then, bring over the Stars and Stripes! Not that we aren't sorry for the British or like Hitler; but all this suddenly revived glorification of British Democracy by the same crew who assisted the murder of CzechoSlovak and Spanish brands of it --well, that just won't go away, like a bad smell. . . .

So we, young Canadians about to be conscripted, say to American youth: "Learn to fight, but keep your weather eyes open for idealists" from Europe--they smell of blood! And we hope we come in with you soon, to make this North America safe and to hell with Europe!"

ARTHUR T. WHITEHOUSE

On behalf of other Canadians who think it safer to remain unnamed.

Vancouver, B. C.

> How do other young Canadians feel? --ED.

Six-Cylinder Ford

Sirs:

Please correct "In 48 years of motor making, Ford has never sold a six-cylinder car" (TIME, Sept. 9).

About 1907-08 Henry Ford sold 2,000 six-cylinder Fords. I know for I bought one (see cut). The cylinders were cast separately (not in one block), it had planetary transmission, no starter (had to be cranked), no electric lights but acetylene, and for its day was one of the fastest cars on the market.

HENRY E. KOCK, M.D.

Cincinnati, Ohio

> TIME erred. Some 300 six-cylinder Fords were sold in 1906. Reader Kock is right in calling them fast (maximum speed: about 45 m.p.h.), wrong in saying they had planetary transmission. That came with Model T in 1908.--ED.

Conscripts' Vote

Sirs:

As a charter member of the first ("Pioneer") Post of the American Legion (George Washington No. 1) established in the U. S. following World War I, may I ask that you report in your next issue's columns on the following phase of compulsory military training: "What provision, if any, does the Burke-Wadsworth Bill make to guarantee to these thousands of proposed conscripts the right of suffrage in all elections subsequent to their enforced induction into the military or naval establishments of the United States ?"

I should think most veterans of the last war may well be interested in this, as many will recall how the W. C. T. U. and other moralist organizations forced the 18th Amendment into the Constitution while millions of conscripts were in the armed forces of America. . . .

Who knows what is ahead? And who knows how potent and effective might be the balance-of-power vote of some half-million conscripts even in a peacetime army, with no right to vote ?

THOMAS HUDSON McKEE

Vernon, Tex.

> Senator Bennett Champ Clark of Missouri got the Burke-Wadsworth Bill amended to provide that conscripts may vote "if entitled to by State laws." But under the Constitution the States determine the qualifications of voters. There are 48 different State laws on the subject, and six States--Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania--make no provision for absentee voting. The Army's Judge Advocate General says that in 29 States soldiers and sailors are barred from the polls.--ED.

A Lot More Useful

Sirs:

After donating the largest contribution I could afford to the drive in our city for an ambulance for Britain, after knitting until I could count knit and purl in my sleep for Bundles for Britain, after wrapping bandages until my arms were sore, I sat down to read your magazine of Sept. 2 and what should I come across but an article on the Duchess of Windsor, whom I had admired. She sent for Wayne Forrest, a famous hairdresser, to come to Nassau to do her hair. For this trip he had to fly and bring a permanent-wave dryer, packets of nail polish, rouge, powder, lipstick. All this would cost a large sum of money.

Now wouldn't it be better and a lot more useful and wiser to contribute this money to the war cause and arrange your own hair and manicure your own nails as thousands of us women do. And if Hitler does conquer England, as he seems to be doing, I don't believe it will matter much if Wally has a new permanent or if she wears a new color on her fingertips.

KATE WILLIAMS

North Girard, Pa.

Candidate Willkie

Sirs:

. . . My reason for writing is a photograph of Mr. Wendell L. Willkie, which is included in the number of Aug. 26. It is astounding that any magazine could print such an obviously retouched and apparently intentionally distorted photograph as a true likeness of anyone. Furthermore, the misleading caption in which you attempt to brand Mr. Willkie an exponent of Hitler is an entirely unjustified attack on personal character.

The entire handling of this article strongly suggests that the writer is a wholehearted advocate of the "smear Willkie" idea. Since you are supposedly running a news magazine, you may be interested in the viewpoint that news consists of the presentation of facts and not the personal viewpoint of the writer.

Any further evidences of such derogatory tendencies toward Mr. Willkie will result in the immediate dropping of my subscription to your magazine.

J. RUSSELL Twiss, M.D.

New York City

Sirs:

You may not realize it but you are laying it on a bit thick for Glamor Boy Willkie.

We might get the idea that you are on his side ! . . .

Be yourself, TIME. There are millions of us Americans who still believe Roosevelt can do more for this country and its people than the G. O. P. candidate, however glamorous. The least you can do is give the two candidates an even break. Then when you go to the polls in November you can vote, by golly, as you please. But save us from more of that blind-adoration stuff in your magazine.

MRS. E. A. HENDERSON

Phoenix, Ariz.

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