D.P. in Omaha

Sir:

I read with interest the article concerning Eugene Stefan, the D.P., and how union men went on strike to give his job to another [TIME, Aug. 15]. Omaha, indeed, must be quite a city. No doubt the 300 strikers and Labor Leader Preble must feel rather proud of themselves for having secured the job for a "real American" instead of a foreigner . . .

CHARLES E. KERN New Haven, Conn.

Sir:

... I note that Labor Leader Preble . . . was not impressed by "the song & dance about [Stefan's] mother and sister being persecuted and murdered" . . .

Was Preble in the service and in combat where he might observe the carnage and waste inflicted on those who are now called D.P.S? . . .

L. R. HUMPTON St. Albans, N.Y.

White Paper on China

Sir:

You have rung the bell again with the article in your Aug. 15 issue on the Chinese situation as handled in the State Department's white paper. It is clearly written and easily understood. It gives the American public a good idea of the mess China is in, and of our foreign policy, past and present, with the Chiang Kai-shek government . . .

BRUCE CRAMER Abington, Mass.

Sir:

. . . For shame that a great nation should take a stab at a great world.leader after he is down. There are thousands of people who know China and the Chinese people, who believe the catastrophe could have been avoided as late as 1948, but our "statesmen" could not see the way . . .

WILLIAM H. WALLACE JR. Oklahoma City, Okla.

Shapes & Stars

Sir:

What perfect Time-ing! Have TIME [Aug. 22] in my hands with the nice remarks about me as I am celebrating my' birthday. By the way, I am not 26, I am 24 (the studio told me to say). Time marches on, but not, for me. Thank you.

SHELLEY WINTERS Universal City, Calif.

Sir:

May I take exception to your editorial comment that the public is not "clamoring" to buy Joan Crawford? Having had the privilege of producing her last four pictures and starting on her fifth, I can assure you that the only people in America who like Miss Crawford are. the moviegoers . . . Since when is "sophisticated fortyishness" not attractive? I firmly believe that this country is growing up, and in so doing can have other tastes than dewy-eyed youngsters on their screens . . . Miss Crawford's legions of followers are larger today than at any previous time, while her career has never been in better shape. Neither has her shape.

JERRY WALD Beverly Hills, Calif.

Sir:

Despite the charms of Elizabeth Taylor, the only stars I would go out on a rainy night to see are Joan Crawford, Bette Davis and Clark Gable.

ELIZABETH BOULON Hampton, Va.

The Hard & Lonely Road

Sir:

Allow me to congratulate you on your article on Larry Gara [TIME, Aug. 15], the Quaker now in prison for encouraging a non-registrant for the draft.

Your article is a clear and liberal interpretation of the reasons for the minority stand of this American, and is a genuine contribution to our tradition of religious freedom. J. W. HUGHAN Wiscasset, Me.

Sir:

I'm sincerely hoping that none but the Mennonites waste sympathy on a man of such caliber as Larry Gara. In refusing to register during World War II he was but definitely a lawbreaker . . . Let him continue being a martyr and cheerfully spend most of his life as a do-nothing in prison . . .

B. JEANNE VROMAN Toledo, Ohio

Sir:

I should like to commend TIME for its fair and accurate account of the conviction of my husband, Larry Gara, for "counseling, aiding and abetting" non-registration for the draft.

There is one point, however, which I would like to clarify. Although it was perhaps not intended by the writer, one could draw the conclusion that Larry had deliberately sought martyrdom, and that now, by applying for parole, he is relinquishing his former position and seeking a quick way out. Larry is a teacher who was trying to mind his own business. When one of his students decided upon the "hard and lonely road" of a non-registrant, we indeed "hustled to his aid," but with no idea that giving moral support and comfort to him constituted a violation of the law. Had we known that it might be so interpreted, we would doubtless have done the same thing anyway ... But the point is that there was no deliberate violation for the sake of martyrdom or anything else . . .

Larry's application for parole implies no abdication of his principles, but simply his desire to get back to his studies, his work, and his family. Whether or not he is in jail makes no difference to the case itself, which . . . will be fought through to the Supreme Court if necessary . . .

LENNA MAE GARA Bluffton, Ohio

No Place to Hide

Sir:

This is to congratulate you on the cover and story on Richard Neutra [TiME, Aug. 15] ... A brilliant architect and a great man. SARAH P. MILLIER The Art Center School Los Angeles, Calif.

Sir:

". . . Like them or not, modern houses are here to stay." That is not true. The so-called modern house is an ugly blot on a fine tradition, and like any infectious disease will pass away . . .

R. CLIPSTON STURGIS Portsmouth, N.H.

Sir:

Architect Neutra and his fellow members in the cult of the clean line and glassy expanse are as hopelessly enslaved by their own fetishes--the concrete slab, the flat roof, the mantel-less fireplace--as were their predecessors of the gingerbread and rococo schools.

. . . What's more, the modernists are leaving their customers no place to hide. Surrounded by transparent walls, the harried dweller in the Neutra home must seek total privacy--if he is old-fashioned enough to desire it--in the confines of his bathroom. HOWARD B. UPTON Tulsa, Okla.

Sir:

. . . Women are still the homemakers of America and they are . . . smart enough to know that it is to their advantage to remain feminine. They will always like the warm, pretty things that become them, and modern, in its present form, does not. It is made for men . . .

So let Mr. Neutra sell his modern houses to bachelors--they can spend their lonely Sundays shining up those miles of cold plate glass windows. Of course, as long as women are around, it's a limited market.

CATHARINE M. BOYD Devon, Pa.

Sir:

TIME'S discussion ... of contemporary housing and modern design acceptance was a magnificent presentation of a burning broad issue . . . One small point, however: my policy is never to disclose for publication the costs of pending or executed projects. Only the owners have such a privilege. Any other published figures pertaining to the cost of my buildings are liable to be erroneous . . .

RICHARD J. NEUTRA Los Angeles, Calif.

*I Preble served in the Pacific, was on Saipan, reached Tokyo, was not injured, had "a few close ones."--ED.

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