Brother-Sister Marriage
Sir:
The story about "The Brother-Sister Vow" is not only pathetic, but also repugnant and shocking. It is pathetic in that Claire Mc-Auley, for all her religiousness, has never heard or received the Christian gospel's message of forgiveness. The guilt of past folly still burdens her. And it is certain that the children of this emotionally disturbed and strained household will be damaged in their personal development. Claire is imprisoned in a guilt complex and extreme self-centeredness, which is itself a terrible sin.
P. O. FLICKEN
Riverhead, N.Y.
Sir:
If the author believes that with a living former spouse a second marriage is adulterous and therefore sinful and evil, how can she sustain the public image that she and hubby No. 2 are living as man and wife (and, in fact, encourage the assumption by the elaborate bed-arrangement stratagem) and reconcile this situation with the Biblical injunction to "abstain from all appearance of evil" (/ Thessalonians 5:22) ?
JANE T. KUCEL New Orleans
Sir: Might not the Holy Scripture itself reveal some needed light along this line? See 7 Corinthians 7:5--"Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."
MRS. E. M. GARTHE Van Nuys, Calif.
Sir:
I have seldom been so moved as when I read your review of Claire McAuiey's book, Whom God Hath Not Joined. I can only say, "How beautiful!" With what great love for each other and with what strong and certain faith they are living to remain under such a vow in order to preserve and continue their life together here, and also their souls for eternity. I sincerely admire them and wish them well. (I am not a Roman Catholic.)
BARBARA BOND JAGY
Syosset, N.Y.
The Birch Society Sir: Thank God for the "lunatic fringe!" I was beginning to think our patriotic heroes of the past had spilled their blood in vain--heroes who died to preserve America only to have today's soft, confused population surrender, compromise, conform and wishful-think it all away! Your article, "The Americanists," has restored my faith in the American people once more. How do I go about joining the John Birch Society?
MRS. PETER M. THOMPSON Houston
Sir:
Don't you be a sucker for professional haters!
VIVIAN BENNETT
Hot Springs, Ark.
Sir:
We have a strong feeling that the John Birch Society and its allied cells are an insidious influence in our democratic society. They seem to advocate "police state" tactics, and indulge in name calling and spying that soon make every man both suspect and/or suspicious of his neighbor. It is good to have the thing exposed as your article does.
ROWLAND H. WHITE Secretary
The Northwest Ministers' Association (and 13 members) Columbus
Off on the Wrong Foot?
Sir: Reading TIME, I came across the cartoon in which Ham, the chimpanzee who recently made a successful space voyage, was explaining to the three space astronauts about space flight, saying ". . .
Then, at 900,000 feet, you'll get the feeling that you must have a banana!" The cartoon is excellent, but doesn't Air Force Captain Virgil Grissom have his left shoe on his right foot? JIM HONIGSCHMIDT Robbinsdale, Minn. P: So it seems, but not to Cartoonist Emmwood.--ED.
Sir:
Your article on Leontyne Price is one of the most inspiring features that I have ever read in TIME.
After reading this article, I feel that one of the most rewarding experiences of my life would be to hear Miss Price sing. She is an inspiration to all who think that their chances at success are "stymied."
TERRY BERRING Cleveland
Sir:
I am one of those 900 children whom Mrs. Katie Price delivered. No doubt many of them, like Miss Price and myself, attended Oak Park High School. And no doubt many students elsewhere who attended Southern segregated schools find themselves in situations similar to mine. In a Northern college, for the first time, I am wondering what went amiss, educationwise, in the past.
MARY ANN ANDERSON Brooklyn, N.Y.
Sir:
Horrors! I'll never convince my singing pupils that yelling is hard on the vocal cords now that they know that Leontyne Price was a cheerleader.
KATHERINE G. MCDONALD Baton Rouge
Sir:
How long must we subscribers put up with this Henry Koerner? I am pro-contemporary art: my collection of Klees, Kandinskys, Braques and Picassos dates back to 1928. But instead of giving us an abstract symbol, or a clear-cut academic portrait, Koerner depicts the beautiful Leontyne Price as a sagging old mammy with a giraffe neck, and a bovine expression. Insulting, nonart, and inexcusable.
MERLE ARMITAGE Yucca Valley, Calif.
Kisseosis
Sir:
Fie on your militaristic approach to mononucleosis, your implication that it mainly afflicts fledgling generals, admirals, and their sweethearts.
The basis for this reproach is an article in the February issue of GP, a magazine for family physicians, published by the American Academy of General Practice. In it, Dr. Alfred S. Evans of the University of Wisconsin cites his clinical experience with a group of amorous Wisconsin students, and compares his findings with the West Point study of Colonel Hoagland. He notes thus, slyly: "I'm embarrassed to say that the Wisconsin student is engaged in this type of osculatory activity almost as often as the West Point cadet."
MAC F. CAHAL Executive Director and General Counsel American Academy of General Practice Kansas City, Mo.
Sir:
Mary, Mary, unsanitary How grows eternal bliss? "Thru love's old joys With West Point boys, And mononucleosis."
L. B. HOAGLAND
Captain, USA (ret.) Jacksonville, Fla.
Sir:
I know a nine-year-old mono patient who kissed only her horse. Would Colonel Hoagland also condemn kissing horses?
BONNIE WEBER Castro Valley, Calif.
Catholic Integration
Sir: There was a news story in the three pastoral letters read Feb. 19 in the Catholic churches of South Carolina and Georgia. The subject was parochial-school policy and the racial situation. There was a news story in all this, but TIME missed it completely.
Ralph McGill, Atlanta editor, got it. Quoting four paragraphs, he called the pastorals "important ... a wise policy." The New York Times devoted a full column to the story, quoting the statement: "This affirmation for our diocese is not just a minimum approach to full Christian justice. In a region where our Catholic population is less than 2%, it is an honest effort to influence a way of life that has prevailed for many decades." TIME'S correspondent telephoned me Feb.
21 for "background material." I emphasized the purpose of the pastoral--to prepare the people. This was ignored. I stressed the program of preparation--pastoral letters, sermons, study clubs and school instruction.
This was also ignored. I called attention to the phrase "as soon as this can be done with safety to the children and the schools. Certainly this will be done not later than the public schools are opened to all pupils." This was dismissed with a smirk: "Then came the hedge." The sum of TIME'S account was in the snickering quip: "Not later, but not now." My question is: Does TIME report the facts honestly or twist them to secure a cute caption? Perhaps a more profound question could be asked: Did TIME read the pastoral letters, and if so, why were they not reported fairly?
THE MOST REV. PAUL J. HALLINAN Bishop of Charleston Charleston, S.C. P: TIME read the letters, stands by its facts.--ED.
Sir:
Re your article "Spirit v. Reality," you are to be commended for your incisive and forthright analysis of the "halfway house" we
Christians are trying to maintain between the City of the World and the City of God. "... it [integration] would be a hollow victory if it wrecked our school system or did harm to our children." Is not the fact that roughly 90% of the Christian missionaries of the world are being frustrated by our example of segregation in their attempts to bring the Gospel to the colored races a rather concrete defeat? Where does the balance lie between
1) the possibility of a "hollow victory," and
2) the fact of a worldwide defeat?
Can one hear the uncomfortable echo of "Not everyone who says, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father . . ."? (Mt. 7:21.)
(REV.) JOHN T. SCHUETT, S.J. St. Louis University St. Louis
Bow Toward Borgward Sir: We have to draw your attention to the fact that your statement about sales of Borgward autos is not correct. Our sales during the calendar year totaled 4,619 units instead of 2,000, as mentioned in your article.
Also, we have no record whatsoever of any return shipment to Germany from the U.S.
during the calendar year 1960. We presume, however, that you refer to a return shipment of about 70 units during the fall of 1959.
This return shipment was made only because the importer wanted the new Arabella model instead of the model Alexander.
H. K. WINKLER Executive Vice President Borgward Motors Corp.
Boston Bourbon & Saliva Sir: The piece on Painter Mark Rothko in TIME was terrific! "Yet if there is a painter alive who appears to be painting nothing, it is Rothko !" You said it, man--nothing ! You'd better check your art department--I've a hunch someone may be putting bourbon in the water cooler !
CHARLES LEE Studio City, Calif.
Sir:
We are forced to conclude that if a known artist spits on the pavement, the design made by the saliva is significant indeed.
I'll choose Rembrandt over Rothko.
DEVUDA DIAMOND Brooklyn
Hasidic Haven
Sir:
I have read your article [on the Hasidic colony of New Square] and have no comment except that the last few lines are a misquotation.
I believe that the Zemach David group and myself stand for the same principle, to wit: they want their religious rules and laws obeyed and adhered to, and we of the town want the town laws and ordinances religiously followed within reasonable tolerance.
Unfortunately, that has not been the circumstance in this matter.
DAVID H. MOSES Town Attorney Town of Ramapo Suffern, N.Y. P: TIME is sorry that it misquoted Attorney Moses.--ED.
Economists & the Economy
Sir:
I was interested in your review of our present economic soothsayers. I suspect that all societies move in a spiral. They come around to the same point on a vertical line, but on a slightly higher plane. Just as the tribal chief has his witch doctors for ritual consultation, so an Eisenhower has his Burns and our chief of state now has a Heller. J. L. MARSHALL Dallas
Sir:
The arrogance of John Kenneth Galbraith! Apparently he feels that the American people are capable of earning the national income, but incapable of intelligently spending what they earn. One wonders if the no-fins-no-foibles Mr. Galbraith takes issue with Mother Nature for creating wasteful flowers instead of plain, public-sector grass.
F. A. KUMMER Roanoke, Va.
All Right, All Right
Sir:
Please, gentlemen, you've convinced me that your darling young man in the White House is acceptable; let's not overdo it.
WM. J. LILLIS Cincinnati
Peace
Sir:
I suppose one should be tolerant of sincere efforts to achieve peace, however futile and misguided they may be. But not since Henry Ford's ill-starred Peace Ship of World War I has there been such a visionary and Utopian proposal as that embodied in the Kennedy Peace Corps. This is merely boondoggling on a global scale.
Heaven help the Laotians, the Congolese and other unfortunate peoples as our starry-eyed young zealots march forth under the banner of the Peace Corps to escape the draft and save the world !
HOWARD J. MURFIN New York City
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