Letters, Nov. 22, 1937

Divo Doubted

Sirs:

We think TIME was right in doubting the story of Mr. Miguel Divo which was reported in TIME, Oct. 11 under Transport.

This Gentleman turned up in Barranquilla in late July 1936 with his then Model T Sedan, and two pals. We learned that he had crossed Colombia, from Ecuador on excellent highways as far as the upper Magdalena River, from where his conveyance floated down the River on a very comfortable steamer for approximately 900 kilometers, landing him in Barranquilla, where he covered several of his kilometers on concrete city streets.

The photos attached, show him with us in Barranquilla. Mr. Divo is on the right side of the picture with the writer and a donkey, which may be the one we refer to later on.

Mr. Divo left here according to official customs information on Aug. 3 for Panama.

The ”300 ‘impenetrable’ miles” from Barranquilla to Panama were covered by compass only—true—and he “hacked,” “ferried,” “pontooned” and carried his Ford (in pieces?) on the very sizable “mule” Lloyd’s registered S. S. Venezuela of the Royal Netherlands Steamship Co.

The second companion “under a small wooden cross” must have jumped overboard before reaching Panama in order to have his funeral in the woods of Darien.

We hope this letter clears up some of your doubts. . . .

HENRY E. METRAL Barranquilla, Colombia

Sirs:

Señor Divo was in Panama City during the month of September 1936 and at that time arrangements were made for his continued use of Essolube Motor Oil for the Northern lap of his trip from Buenos Aires to New York. From this point contact was made with our representatives in San Jose, Managua, Tegucigalpa, San Salvador and Guatemala City requesting that the proper courtesies be extended upon his arrival. The HuastecaPetroleum Co. of Mexico was also notified with the request that they in turn contact associate companies across the U. S. border. We, therefore, were most interested in reading of the successful culmination of his “trek” as appeared in TIME.

We realize that you will undoubtedly receive numerous letters expressing both amazement and doubt as to the overland trip from Colombia to Panama through this comparatively unexplored and almost impenetrable jungle. We, therefore, take this opportunity to reassure all such scribes. We have records to show that the pack train was serviced all the way with axle grease and the latest in horse shoes by our service stations, which same extend in an unbroken chain all the way from the Colombian border to Panama City (?). No doubt but that the trail blazed by Señor Divo is the forerunner of the Pan-American Highway through this jungle and we wish to announce that our Service Stations have gained a decided jump on the engineers by moving in prior to the survey of the road (?). . . .

E. H. ARRINGTONS. J. ALFOROD. W. RAMSEYC. I. LANGDONWest India Oil Co.Panama, R. P.

Leering

Sirs:

In catching up on my TIME reading, I came across TIME for Oct. 11, and was interested in the account of Helen Wills Moody.

Besides being a “relentless careerist,” Mrs. Moody was one of those rare persons in the sports world who never permitted the newspapers to make a fool of her.

Worthy of note also is the picture. I can imagine the leering triumph of the photographer who maneuvered himself into position to catch this view.

Equally lofty is the state of mind of your staff who selected it for publication.

V. A. ROBERTSON Hollywood, Calif.

TIME’S picture showed Mrs. Moody making a particularly vigorous tennis shot, happened to show her legs partly exposed. Shame on those who cannot keep their mind on the game.—ED.

First First

Sirs:

I regret the necessity of pointing out an inaccuracy in TIME of Nov. 1, in which the statement was made that Alfred Reeves, general manager of the Automobile Manufacturers Association, as automobile editor of the New York evening Mail in 1902 was the first automobile editor on a daily newspaper in the U. S.

In the spring of 1896 James Gordon Bennett cabled from Paris instructions to W. C Reick, his editorial representative of the New York Herald, to select a staff member to make a survey of horseless vehicles then under construction in the U. S. and to cover fully the development of motor manufacture and sport in this country as a daily and Sunday feature of the Herald.

I was the staff member picked for the job and, following a round of inspection trips to bicycle plants, carriage works and machine shops where the new “toy” was being experimented with, I instituted the first department of automobile news and comment in any daily newspaper in the U. S. and, I have every reason to believe, in the world. . . .

JOHN H. GERRIE San Francisco, Calif.

Gerrie is right, but his column unlike that of Mr. Reeves did not appear daily, often lapsed for weeks at a time. One or two others also preceded Alfred Reeves but not as regular daily columnists writing on automobiles exclusively.—ED.

No Suit

Sirs:

I have called off my libel suit. It suddenly struck me that you might prove what you said to the embarrassment of somebody.

I refer to TIME, Nov. 1 about “Slingin’ Sam” Baugh in which you accuse a “particularly idiotic sportswriter” of hanging that moniker on Washington’s chunker.

Only last week I had swelled with pride when “Slingin’ Sam” himself had given me credit for the handle. Now I’m ducking.

Had planned to sue for the price of next year’s subscription to TIME but it looks too dangerous. You might prove that idiotic stuff—and handily too.

Yours for dropping the “Slingin’.”

AMOS MELTON Star-TelegramFort Worth, Tex.

Careless Reading

Sirs:

I am acquainted with the facts of my husband’s overdrawn checks—and cannot blame those involved—as I understand he had an opportunity to make good. ‘ I, of course, did not know Harold at that time—I was with my show in Mexico where I met him in November 1936.

In the event the prosecutors would accept my declaration of his fine & clear record in the U. S. Army—and his merely becoming involved in Hollywood’s life for the first time & bad company—my husband, for whom I’ve gone through much to save from death begs me to state publicly—that if allowed—we will return to the scene of his errors—and donate our earnings—to the payment of all such debts—until they & our integrity are reestablished.

I—who have never erred in any way and whose reputation is now for the first time involved—beg for the opportunity to return and make good the debts and errors of a youthful stage in the life of an otherwise clean-cut & lovable boy of 27. Since our being together, he has never gambled or drunk—because I never have done either. … I personally was born & bred in the West—and my reputation is flawless. I desire to know why I am wanted in California —if I am. I beg one chance to prove I can & have changed this boy’s habits—and that he is entirely cognizant of the seriousness of his offense—although I was also unaware of “forgery” as a charge.

As he is in Spain a prisoner—have no more to say.

MRS. EDITHE ROGERS DAHL Paris, France

The wife of Leftist Aviator Harold Dahl (captured by General Franco’s Moorish troops,condemned to death, and subsequently pardoned) did not read TIME’S story (Oct. 18) carefully. TIME said California wanted them both: him for three forgery charges, her for a movie contract in Hollywood. But TIME erred: Aviator Dahl is wanted on eight counts for passing rubber checks.—ED.

Centre Facts

Sirs:

Since you made passing reference to Centre College’s former dominance on the Southern gridiron, in your informative Southern football writeup [TIME, Oct. 25], the following facts may enthrall you.

Centre, of course, gained her greatest National distinction in 1921 by beating Hahvahd (often vulgarly referred to as Harvard) 6-to-0, but her other triumphs were impressive. . . . That year Centre had one of her seven undefeated, untied seasons (a “2-U” season as it were). . . . Centre was the fourth Southern team to play Hahvahd and only the first to defeat Hahvahd. . . .

Coach Charlie (“Unk”) Moran, who was mentor of the “Praying Kernels” on their flight to fame, was supposed to have exhorted his men in this fashion just before the kickofi:

“Now remember, boys, while these Harvard people have treated you boys swell, have dined you at the best hotels, put you up in the finest bedrooms, boys, remember this— when you go out there on the field never forget that every one of them Harvard fellows votes the straight Republican ticket.” . . .

ED NACE Altoona, Pa.

Lip Reader

Sirs:

Lest Death come as it etc., let TIME stop annoying this lip reader with nonfish, non-fowl hybrids that do not allow the normal pronunciation of the joined words. RadiOrating may pass but radiorator reads as raydiORator or RADIOraytor; omnibusiness may be OMNIBUSeeness or omniBIZiness.

Last straw is SECommission. This backward moppet, 39, reads first SECcommission. goes back and reads SEEcommission or secOMission; by then, remembers—until next week’s issue—that in last week’s issue, he finally managed to slur it into SEHcommission; by then, also realizes that he doesn’t really give two hoots in Hell what the SEC Commission does and skips the page. . . .

WILLIAM McNULTY Providence, R. I.

Reader McNulty makes his point. Henceforth there will be no moreunpronounceable TIME words, but TIME will be the judge, radiorator will stay but SECommission will be SEC Com-mission.—ED.

Void Filler

As a reader of LIFE, I recognize it as being ostensibly devoted to the pictorial arts, and am willing to permit it an artist’s freedom in the use of words. But as a reader of TIME, I have learned to expect notably correct writing. Consequently when that peculiar word photogenic showed itself in LIFE some time ago, I was inclined to be lenient. Now that it has appeared in TIME (Oct. 25, p. 25), I am inclined to protest.

Your writers have seized upon this somewhat obsolete, but nevertheless respectable word, and have burdened it with a meaning which it never had and which, because of its derivation, it cannot properly possess. Any student of elementary Greek appreciates that this word signifies “born from light” or “arising as a result of light.” It cannot be considered that it conveys the idea, as TIME’S editors wish, that a subject shows to good advantage in a photograph, or “takes a good picture.” . . .

Should TIME desire a word to fill an apparent void in the language, a word with which to indicate a peculiar adaptability for being able to appear to advantage in a photograph, I would suggest a new departure in linguistic concoctions: euiconogenic. . . . Here in euiconogenic, then, TIME will find a word which plainly conveys but one meaning: “producing a likeness well.” . . .

ALDEN W. SQUIRES, M.D. Newton Highlands, Mass.

Let Subscriber Squires improve his knowledge: 1) the rape of old words to fill new needs is in the best tradition of the fine, illogical English language; 2) euiconogenic is not a word, it is a Greek robot.—ED.

Diagnosis

Sirs:

The following are the results of a not-too-painstaking survey of TIME’S Letters section covering 15 issues chosen at random. . . .

Only letters containing “bellyaches” were counted.

Classifications vertically mean Mild Belly Ache, Acute ditto; Cramps and Ulcers are self-explanatory. . . .

“Ulcers” are designated when 1) telegrams are sent; 2) three or more inches of 8-point type are used for reprinting; 3) profanity is used or deleted; 4) a subscription is canceled.

I have tried to prove that sectional pride (civic, etc.) produced the most “ulcers”; I was wrong. Slight on: Sectional Pride Religion M.B.A. 36 %

A.B.A.

CRAMPS 36 % 50 %

ULCERS 28 % 50 %

Slight on : Politics Personal Hero

M.B.A. 12 ½ % 32 %

A.B.A. 12 ½ % 16 %

CRAMPS 32 % 26 %

ULCERS 42 % 26 %

WILLIAM W. PAUL San Francisco, Calif.

Sinister

Sirs:

Please ask the members of the Interstate Commerce Commission how they feel at being pictured (TIME, Nov. 1, p. 63) as not knowing that The Flag of the United States should never be at the left (“sinister”) end of a line, but always at the right (“dexter”), or “military right of line.”

No, the photograph was not reversed, else the map of the U. S., on the wall behind them, would, in such case, be poking its Florida thumb out on the Southwest corner.

As only one end of the rostrum is shown in the picture, it might be there was The Flag at both ends of the line of seated Commissioners, in which instance it would be equally reprehensible, for to have The Flag, at both ends reduces the display to mere decoration —which The Flag never is!

GRIDLEY ADAMS Chairman National Flag CommitteeWeehawken, N. J.

There is a U. S. flag at each end of the I. C. C.—ED.