Letters, Sep. 9, 1940

True Picture

Sirs: Despite TIME, despite the able work of U. S. newspaper correspondents here, the good people of the United States still do not seem to have a true picture of Britain today.

There has just arrived at my house a parcel from California containing: 2 Ib. tea, ½ Ib. gelatine, 8 Ib. sugar, 2 Ib. cocoa, i Ib. powdered milk, 3 Ib. dried fruit.

The cost of these, according to the customs declaration, was $4.88. U. S. postage was $3.32. Customs dues at this end were 45 3d.

So that the senders obviously believe that people over here are hungry. And the senders are well-read people, deeply interested in European affairs.

Here is our position: the 2 oz. per person tea ration is small for some people, and there is talk of its being increased, but we have tea left over; we have sugar to spare, in addition to the extra allowed for jam making; gelatine, cocoa, dried fruit—you can buy as much as you like; and milk—people with children won’t buy as much as the Food Ministry want them to have, even at the under-cost price for children.

. . . But I do believe you will be interested in the conditions of an ordinary family.

WILLIAM J. BRITTAIN Marlow, Bucks, England

Best Wishes

Sirs:

Who are these so-called “neutral” military observers who frequently pontificate in your footnotes? Are they the same false prophets and professional propagandists who told the American people that the French Army was the best (sic) in the world and that the Maginot Line was impregnable? Wow they tell us that the riff-R.A.F. pilots are superior to the Germans and Italians [TIME, Aug. 19]. Whence comes this sudden superiority?

With best wishes for a speedy British defeat! Gott strafe die schmutzigen Englander!

EMIL ADLERMANN New York City

> “Neutral military observers” are soldiers of neutral countries, who sometimes make mistakes but have the benefit of professional knowledge. Is Herr Adlermann a neutral?—ED.

Negro Troops

Sirs:

As a white officer commanding colored combat troops in the first World War, I have read with interest your article in the Aug. 12 issue of TIME relative to the 369th Infantry (colored) New York National Guard. . . .

The 369th was a fine outfit, and I do not wish to detract from its record, which was outstanding. I was a Company Commander in the 371st Infantry made up of drafted Negroes from the South. I respectfully challenge your statement that: “With one exception their battlefield record [negro combat units] was not so good. Exception was Harlem’s 369th.”

The 371st Infantry (colored), the 372nd Infantry (colored) and the 333rd French Infantry (white) with French Artillery combat trains, etc., made up the 15 7th French Division, commanded by General Goybet. I quote from a message sent by him on Oct. 1, 1918 to the Colonels of the American Regiments in his Division:

“Your troops have been admirable in their attacks; you have every right to be proud of the courage of your officers and men, and I consider it an honor to have commanded them. The bravery and the dash of your regiments are the admiration of the Moroccan division and they are good judges.

“Thanks to you during these hard days the 15 7th division has always shown the lead to the other divisions in the corps. . . .

“I have seen your wounded; their morale is beyond all praise.

“To be published to entire command. Signed: GOYBET.”

The 371st Infantry lost 1,047 men and officers killed and wounded, received 184 individual French and American decorations, captured many prisoners, guns and war material, and its colors were decorated with the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, with the following citation:

EXTRACT

“After approval of the General Commanding in Chief of the A.E.F. in France, the Marshal of France, Commander in Chief of the French Armies of the East, cites to the order of the Army: ‘The 3713! R.I.U.S. Has shown, during its first engagement the very best qualities of bravery and audacity which are characteristic of shock troops.

” ‘Under the command of Colonel Miles, it launched itself with a superb spirit and admirable disregard of danger at the assault of a position stubbornly defended by the enemy. It took it by terrific fighting under an exceptionally violent machine-gun fire. . . .’

PETAIN, MARSHAL OF FRANCE.” CHESTER D. HEYWOOD, Captain Company K 371st Infantry Worcester, Mass.

Examination

Sirs:

CONSIDER ATTEMPT TO EXPLOIT PUBLICLY AN UNFORTUNATE CHILD LIKE LINA MEDINA SOMETHING IN THE NATURE OF AN UNCIVILIZED PERFORMANCE. I HAVE NO INTENTION OF PARTICIPATING IN ANY WAY

IN ANY EXAMINATION OR VERIFICATION OF THE CLAIMS THAT COMMERCIAL PROMOTERS WANT TO MAKE FOR HER [TIME, Aug. 19]. IN MY OPINION NO REPUTABLE PHYSICIAN WILL LEND HIS NAME TO SUCH EXPLOITATION.

MORRIS FISHBEIN Chicago, Ill.

>-Dr. Fishbein was not a member of the committee which was to study six-year-old Lina Medina of Peru and her 15-month-old baby boy. That committee has disbanded “until methods can be developed for financing such study without public exhibition of the children.”—ED.

Feeding Civilians Sirs:

Under National Affairs, TIME, Aug. 19, you quote a German broadcaster as follows: “Who in the world ever expected a victor to provide his enemies or former enemies with food, I ask you?”

Answer: Germans did in the Rhineland occupied areas after the Armistice in World War I. I happen to know because I was the American Representative on the Rhineland Interallied Military Commission that provided food for the civilian population. . . .

At first the Germans did not like canned salmon, said it looked like tan shoe polish. I cruised the American occupied area, suggested to the local grocerymen that they put a can of salmon on the counter with some crackers, ask the customers to sample it, tell them of the fat content. Salmon went well after that. . . .

The imagination of the Dictators must be atrophied indeed if they cannot envisage the extremes of desperation that hunger and cruelty will ultimately breed, even among conquered peoples.

L. R. GlGNILLIAT Superintendent Culver Military Academy Culver, Ind.

Conscription

Sirs:

. . . Few will deny that the present-day German Army is probably the best in the world. Give ear to what the man responsible for that Army says of voluntary enlistment. In Mein Kampf (p. 794, Reynal & Hitchcock, 1940 ed.) Hitler says: “… With the enormously increased demands of today that the war service makes upon the individual, a two years’ service is perhaps barely sufficient in order to turn the untrained young man into a trained soldier. On the front we all had before our eyes the terrible consequences resulting for young soldiers who were not thoroughly educated in the craft of war. Formations of volunteers, who during fifteen and twenty weeks had been drilled with iron determination and with infinite devotion, represented nothing but cannon fodder on the front.” (Italics mine.)

Remember that this was written about the first World War, and military science has certainly not grown simpler since then. To bring the bickering about conscription down to earth, the real question seems to be whether or not we will engage in war under any conditions. If the answer is in the affirmative (and I think no one will claim otherwise), is it not merely simple logic to provide ourselves with the most perfect military mechanism we can devise? To do otherwise is to butcher innocent boys when war does eventuate, as Hitler so clearly points out. . . . We must choose now whether we will appease or fight if necessary, because in the training of an army, should the latter alternative be selected, time is of the essence. I for one am not in favor of appeasement, and I am not a legislator, but a young man subject to active service. . . .

MAL GRAVES Syracuse, N. Y.

Sirs:

. . . I’m 25, in excellent health; I expect that I shall be called if the selective service act is passed. I do not object, although I have only contempt for my stupid and inept elders who have let matters come to such a pass.

. . . We young men will not be able to negotiate with the Government when we put our lives in jeopardy; shall the owners of capital be given the privilege of stalling when only wealth is at stake? Let TIME, which has deserted its alleged objectivity to lend support to conscription of human lives, face the issue of conscription of wealth.

TUCKER DEAN Ardmore, Pa.

— Conscription of all wealth that is needed for national defense is a duty that no nation can neglect if it is to survive. But let Reader Dean ponder two facts: i) The Government cannot conscript unbuilt factories. Just now, it is trying to get volunteers to build them, hence some difficulties. 2) Con scripting wealth is a long-established principle of government. Its common name is taxation. One rearmament tax bill has been passed and another is pending. — ED.