WE had done a story on the Wall Street Journal, mentioning some of the staffers in important jobs, and back came a letter to the editor.

"Just when we began feeling a bit creaky in the joints and paunchy under the belt," it said, "we were positively elated to read that we're among those five 'young' editors who help put out the front page."

That was five years ago. One of the letter's signers, George Church, now a youthful 39, came to work for TIME'S Business section in 1969. He is presently one of our most prolific writers: this week's cover story--on Japan's economy and foreign trade--is his fifth in 13 months. "Finding out just what is news in business and economics is the challenge," he says. "In this field, big stories almost never came labeled BIG STORY. The fact that businessmen often try to downplay events makes the assignment that much more interesting."

Church brings a variety of experiences to the job. A New Yorker who graduated from Manhattan College in 1952 with a B.A. in English, he took on as his first journalistic beat food and textile production. Later, in Pittsburgh, he covered the steel industry.

As the author of many of the Business section's lead pieces, he has become an expert on the U.S. economy, and he follows Wall Street closely. His previous cover subjects include Henry Ford, inflation and Arthur Burns. The Church cover that attracted most attention was his first, "Inefficiency in America" (March 23, 1970). The article was so well received that Church went out of his way to list all the preparations that contributed to its success. One item that others might have overlooked: he had got his hair and beard trimmed before writing. Since then he has made the pre-cover clip a personal fetish and an office joke. Business Editor Marshall Loeb, who has edited all of Church's cover stories, finds the writer's affection for the whimsical an asset. Says Loeb: "George has the ability to write stories geared to both the general reader and the specialist. He is one of those rare journalists who can handle a tough topic with a bright touch."

Reporter-Researcher Eileen Shields, who worked on this week's cover story, points out that Church's puckish outlook extends to writing--and singing--gag lyrics about the journalist's lot. "His voice is perfectly suited to spoofing," says Shields. "He's a sort of Tom Lehrer, well blipped."

This offbeat approach is also reflected in Church's references to Lewis Carroll, Clifford Odets, the Gershwin brothers and others who do not normally appear in business stories. For instance, Church once began a story about bank closings with the Gershwin lines: "Who cares what banks fail in Yonkers/Long as you've got a kiss that conquers?"

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