Saudis and Jets

To the Editors:

The Saudis [May 22] have proved their sincerity toward us through their support of the dollar and constant efforts to curtail OPEC oil-price hikes. Now it's our turn. I applaud President Carter's display of fairness in this matter; it's about time someone realized that friendship is a two-way street.

Roger Frisby

Rockville, Md.

As a Saudi I thought your coverage of Saudi Arabia was thorough and impartial. We are not used to seeing this type of reporting in the Western press. The Arabs have never asked the West to side with them against Israel; rather, all they have asked for is understanding and impartiality.

A.D. Falih

Houston

Foreign policy pragmatism and oil economics fail to wash over the inescapable truth: to peddle arms in the volatile Middle East subverts our peace efforts there and is both morally wrong and hypocritical.

Joseph E. LaPann

Collingswood, N.J.

Because of a combination of Saudi oil blackmail and Carter/Brzezinski's shortsighted appeasement policy and apologetic propaganda, the Saudis will now get their military jets. But what that country, which still publicly beheads men and stones women to death, really needs is a 20th century criminal code and not the most advanced weaponry made by mankind today.

George Sauer

South Orange, N.J.

Saudi Arabia "hurtles into the jet age," but we could carry them much farther. Over the past four years I have urged NASA to put an Arab on the moon (and bring him or her back). The Saudis can easily finance another Apollo mission, NASA could get more scientific data on and from the moon, and our aerospace industry could be rejuvenated by a few billion petrodollars.

Thornton Page

Houston

Stopping Out Is In

The article "When in Doubt, Stop Out" [May 22] is what the philosophy of education should be all about: complementing formal learning (classroom) with the experiences derived from everyday life.

If this does not help the learning process, what will?

Peter P. Koujoumis New York City

A three-month, tedious, low-paying summer job never failed to reaffirm my belief in the value of completing my education "on schedule." That, and the prospect of repaying my education loans.

Keith V. Abramson

Hartford, Conn.

A detour via the business world resulted in a 38-year stop-out for me. Iona College's warmth and its programs for those coming in from the cold have enabled me to graduate two weeks after my daughter received her second degree.

Thomas A. Ludwig

Larchmont, N. Y.

Parents, Arise!

I, like Tom Hansen's parents, could be sued for lack of psychological support [May 22], although my children did have art and music lessons. How was I supposed to know how to give my children something I had never had myself?

All you great, great, great parents. Get ye up from your graves for your day in court.

Inga K. Gilliland

Stonington, Conn.

As long as we are suing our parents, let us all lodge a suit against Adam, the first of a long line of parents who did not know what they were getting into.

Ralph W. Shoemaker

Sterling, III.

Rebuttal from the FBI

Your story "Discord and Disturbance at the FBI" [May 1] alleges that I was transferred "to the backwater office in San Antonio" in an effort to rid the bureau of hard-core Hooverites, and that many veteran agents believed I urged Attorney General Bell to prosecute Mr. Gray for the Weatherman break-ins to even the score. The San Antonio assignment was one of the most pleasant and rewarding of my career. Further, it is absolutely false that I urged (or even suggested) the prosecution of Mr. Gray or for that matter any other present or former FBI employee in connection with the break-ins.

Your article cited alleged concern on the part of some agents that I have been unable to plug damaging leaks of FBI material to the Mafia. It stated that in Cleveland such leaks resulted in the murders of two FBI informants. It does not mention that the Cleveland FBI office solved these leaks, and has stated that there is no reason to believe they resulted in the murders of any FBI informants. In addition, your article alleges that the bureau apparently took it upon itself to delay investigations concerning Bert Lance in order not to offend the Administration and implies that I was responsible. This is untrue.

James B. Adams, Associate Director, FBI

Washington, D.C.

TIME'S story should not have stated that Mr. Adams urged Attorney General Bell to prosecute Mr. Gray. TIME stands by the rest of the story.

Marfan and Lincoln

Lincoln a Marfan patient [May 22]? Absurd! Marfan's syndrome patients are hollow chested, with weak arms and legs. Yet Lincoln could still demonstrate his skill with an ax only a few months before his death, chopping logs as skillfully as a man half his age, then astounding witnesses by performing a frontier feat of strength: holding the heavy ax at the very tip of its handle and extending it at arm's length. No Marfan patient could possibly do such a thing. Even when Lincoln was shot, physicians who stripped him down to search for other wounds marveled at his muscle tone.

As Lincoln himself might have said, in between wrestling matches, of course: You can't fool all of the people all of the time--much as we love gossip about our martyred Presidents.

Harold Holzer, Contributing Editor, The Lincoln Herald

New York City

As "a Marfan," I was saddened to see the syndrome described only as an inherited skeletal, heart and eye disorder. For it is also true that Marfans are above average in intelligence. Lincoln's qualities of leadership, nobility and power of oration can also be attributed to this disease.

Paul A. Nickl

Middlesex, N.J.

Sun Day

You mentioned the intoning of the Zuni Indian sunrise call on Cadillac Mountain on Sun Day [May 15]. The call of "Arise" (Wah. raho) was followed by a most appropriate prayer: "Mighty Sun God, give thy light to us, let it guide us, let it aid us."

I am convinced these words will be prophetic and we will "delight in the music of the sunlight" more and more as the years pass.

Ginia Davis Wexler

East Sullivan, Me.

It has finally happened in our day: mankind has accomplished one of his dreams. He has managed to remove completely the importance of the traditional Sunday and exalt a new Sun Day. The Creation is now back to being worshiped over the Creator, complete with incantations and "high places" of gathering.

The new high priests must be quite elated.

(The Rev.) Keith Matthews

Brandon, Man.

Bloom in the Cheeks

Re your article on Mae West [May 22]: she says drinking puts spots on your skin. Well, if Mae West is still Mae West, how could she forget to mention the greatest way to maintain your skin and put a bloom in your cheeks--sex.

Surely sex is responsible for maintaining her looks!

Katherine M. Gonzalez

Hermosa Beach, Calif.

The Waddill Case

After reading the account of the William Waddill case [May 22], I fail to understand why he, alone, is on trial. Are countless other physicians who perform abortions less guilty than Dr. Waddill?

Ellen O'Brien

Sepulveda, Calif.

The argument over abortion will never be settled. The most effective course is to concentrate on 1) creating totally effective contraception and 2) developing neonatal care technology so that an embryo or fetus of any age could be nurtured outside the womb or even transferred to the uterus of a woman desiring a child.

Linda Uribe Jurewitz

Williamstown, Mass.

Mary Weaver wanted an abortion from Dr. William Waddill. Weaver got what she wanted: a dead fetus. Her $17 million litigation against the doctor is ludicrous.

Penny A. Demmon

Huntington Beach, Calif.

Cabbages and Navies

TIME notched up a considerable plus mark with the article "Attack on the Navy" [May 8]. There were no distortions of facts or figures but, as a friendly foreigner, I suggest certain clarifications are needed.

Although the Cuban crisis of 1962 proved to the U.S.S.R. the need for increased maritime capability, Stalin had earlier recognized this fact during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39. He had been prevented from supporting the Loyalists by the threat of opposing naval forces. The major naval construction program he initiated withered after the German invasion of June 1941, but in July 1945 Stalin ordered the building of a mighty fleet to protect and support Soviet interests.

The resultant navy has many strengths and a compensating pool of weaknesses. One of its strong points is that, in the event of hostilities, it would not have to protect any sea lines of communication because the U.S.S.R. is self-sufficient in a high proportion of strategic materials, and its people, as a senior Soviet general recently said to me, "can live off cabbages--and we grow good cabbages."

John E. Moore, Captain, R.N., Editor, Jane's Fighting Ships

Hailsham, England

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