Social Splurges & Bad Taste
Sir:
"America's mission is to vulgarize the world," said Thomas Carlyle. I think he is borne out by your account of the doings in Washington of so-called society under the Democratic Administrations [TIME, March 143.
MARY C. WHITEHEAD Baltimore, Md.
Sir:
. . . TIME aimed a sneak punch at Democratic President Truman which landed plump on the good-womanly face of Hostess Perle Mesta. Shame on TIME . . .
ARTHUR W. BOWLER Boston, Mass.
Sir:
... It seems to me that Mrs. Perle Mesta could find something more to do with her money than use it for social splurges in our nation's capital . . . with conditions as they are in Europe . . .
TED D. EICHELBERGER Evanston, Ill.
Sir:
. . . Your story was the epitome of bad taste . . .
J. J. McKENNIREY Hamilton, N.Y.
Sir:
Your article on Washington society is both interesting and informative; however, the footnote explaining the official order of precedence in seating fails to mention the position of former Presidents. I know that Republican stock (for that matter, stocks in general) dropped to a new low on Nov. 2nd, but I did not know that it had dropped to the point where former Presidents ranked below former Vice Presidents.
C. M. MURRAY JR. Cyril, Okla.
P: An ex-President rates the No. 4 spot --after the President, Vice President and Chief Justice, before the ambassadors.--ED.
Unnatural Marriage
Sir:
The Republicans who are at present in Congress [TIME, March 21] underestimate the intelligence of the U.S. people. The unnatural marriage of Southern Democrats and Republicans is one to make any right-thinking American nauseated . . .
Obviously, a mutual hatred of the present Administration will hold back any progressive legislation that could be passed for the good of the people . . .
Let the Republicans read what was written on the wall on Nov. 2nd. There will be other elections, and more opportunities for the people to put men in office.
HELEN SCHREIBER Philadelphia, Pa.
Man Beside Himself
Sir:
There is little doubt that Winston Churchill must have been beside himself at the heckling he received in Brussels [TIME, March 7], but how often will he have the opportunity of sitting beside himself (see cut)? . . .
J. G. HIRD Toronto, Canada
Sir:
Which twin has the "Toni"?
JULIUS DUBB Washington, D.C.
P: Fortunately, Belgium's Premier Spaak wore a striped tie.--ED.
Mile-a-Minute Thrills
Sir:
Compared to downhill skiing, bobsledding [TIME, March 7] is sissy stuff. Top ski runs drop at least 1,200 feet to the mile, and are full of sharp twists and bumps--with no banked turns. Speeds range from 30 to 60 m.p.h.
Toni Matt's record for the American Inferno in 1939, when he skied 3.8 miles from the top of Mt. Washington to Pinkham Notch, N.H., with a vertical descent of 4,300 feet, is 6 minutes 30 seconds. Sig Engl plummeted down Mt. Lassen, Calif, in 1940 over a course a shade under a mile and a half, dropping 1,800 feet in 1 minute 35 seconds. Steve Knowlton covered a course on the Grossglockner in Austria in June 1945, in 55 seconds for nearly a mile, to win the downhill race conducted by the Tenth Mountain Division.
Downhill skiing towers above all other sports for thrills, and it takes real condition . . . Just to climb to the top of the ski runs would melt much of the beef off the sedentary bobsledders.
PHIL BUTLER Worcester, Mass.
Democratic Joy Ride
Sir:
Referring to your "Report from Munich" [TIME, March 14], I would like to carry the analogy between democracy and the car . . . a step further. My remarks are based on the reactions of a U.S. citizen, businessman and resident (who was a German citizen and resident until about 1939) . . .
The German people are just riding in our democratic car. We are still for all practical purposes driving it, or giving lessons . . . The German willingness to be led (and governed imperiously) goes back to their beginning. They like that kind of life . . .
Our job in Germany is to make sure that "these people" do try to drive this car, and to promote in them a desire to drive it, with or without accidents . . . And if we are going to make them accept democracy, we will have to "coerce" them to accept it, Hitler fashion, for to date they laugh at our methods of presentation.
BRUCE WILLIAMS Atlanta, Ga.
Sir:
In your "Report from Munich" you quote U.S. Governor van Wagoner as having said: "Prison records aren't always bad politically," excusing thus his policy of giving office to convicted Nazis. The philosophy behind these words ... is the very essence of Naziism and--as many think--also of Communism. You cannot cure Germany if you bring to her democracy only as a political form without any ethical basis. Opportunism",, in whatever form it disguises itself, must in the end inevitably lead to nihilism and annihilation.
WERNER ROSENFELD Sao Paulo, Brazil
Hoopla
Sir:
In your article "Man in the Brown Suit" [TIME, Feb. 28] . . . you state that basketball players at the University of Kentucky receive room, board, tuition, dry cleaning, laundry, and $10-a-month spending money.
Prior to Jan. 10, 1948, the University of Kentucky offered such a scholarship. All of the boys on our varsity squad were granted such a scholarship . . .
On Jan. 10, 1948, the N.C.A.A. passed a code which the University of Kentucky adopted, stating that a member of the N.C.A.A. was not permitted to offer any prospective athlete anything except tuition when awarded on athletic ability. The University of Kentucky has conformed to this code, and I am afraid your article gives the impression that we now offer prospective athletes this same scholarship that our boys on the varsity are receiving . . .
We have two types of scholarships, one awarded before Jan. 10, 1948, and one awarded since . . .
BERNIE A. SHIVELY Athletic Director University of Kentucky Athletic Association Lexington, Ky.
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