Letters, Sep. 27, 1937

Fosdicks

Sirs:

As an attendant of Riverside Church in New York City, of which my wife is a member and as an ardent admirer of its minister, Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick, I was startled and amused to have her point out his picture to me on p. 69 of the Sept. 6 issue of TIME over the subtitle “Rockefeller Foundation’s Fosdick, Money for brains, money for balloons, money for broadcasting.” . . . Inasmuch as you have already inadvertently brought Harry Emerson Fosdick along with Raymond Elaine Fosdick onto the pages of your excellent magazine, I cannot resist telling you something about the father of this illustrious family, Frank Sheldon Fosdick. He was for over 25 years the principal of Masten Park High School* which both my wife and I attended in Buffalo, and was one of the wisest as well as the most lovable educators and leaders of youth that that city has ever known. In his last years as principal his former students, usually well over a thousand of them, were accustomed to banquet annually on his birthday in the big ballroom of Buffalo’s Hotel Statler, and either one or both of his sons, as well as his daughter Edith would come up from New York City on these occasions to assist in doing him honor.

“Pop” Fosdick. as he was affectionately called by his “boys and girls” was one of the grandest men I have ever known. He left the firm imprint of his character on all who were privileged to come under his influence, and no matter to what heights his sons may rise, they will have difficulty in surpassing their father!

OTTO M. BUERGER

New York City

TIME regrets shuffling the Brothers Fosdick, herewith sets them photographically straight (see cuts).—ED.

Sirs: I never was particularly pleased with my face and am quite willing anyone should claim it that wants to. I am fond of my brother, however, and am sorry to have it wished on him. The picture which appeared in TIME, purporting to represent Raymond Elaine Fosdick, unquestionably represents me instead. That is hard on my brother. He really is much better looking than that.

HARRY EMERSON FOSDICK

Boothbay Harbor, Me.

P.S. I am, too!

Money for Meharry

Sirs:

Congratulations on your excellent article! “Fosdick’s First” is almost perfect. May I add one factor that, perhaps, would make your write-up more complete? I make this suggestion believing it is due the Rockefellers to mention this interest of theirs. I refer to their very generous appropriations over a period of years to Negro education, which work your splendid article did not mention.

I know that if it were not for their generous contributions, both to the building of Meharry’s new $2,000,000 medical plant, and also, their very substantial appropriation; towards the maintenance of Meharry Medical College annually, over a period of many years, we simply could not have kept open, this, the only medical college for the training of Negro youth in the vast area west of the Allegheny Mountains and south of the Mason and Dixon Line. . . .

Besides this, they have given to me many thousands of dollars for postgraduate training of selected young Negro medical men, who have returned to Meharry Medical College to teach and help train other young Negroes.

As a white man and an American citizen, I personally consider these generous appropriations towards Negro medical education of the Rockefeller Boards to be among the most constructive activities which the Rockefellers have done in America.

JOHN J. MULLOWNEY, M. D.

President

Meharry Medical College

Nashville, Tenn.

Outback Dentist

Sirs:

Your recent news item about itinerant dentists [TIME, Aug. 30] brought to mind a remarkable itinerant dentist whom I ran across a few months ago in Western Australia. John Dunn, now in his late 20s, Harvard Dental School, class of ’29, went out to Australia on graduation, had a hard time fighting the Depression in Perth. Then, on pure nerve, he pushed up into the appalling open spaces of Northwestern Australia. Today he is the only dentist in an area stretching 1,000 mi. along the coast of the Indian Ocean and 400 mi. inland—a region the size of California and Texas combined—with a white population of perhaps 3,000 people.

He makes a round of his territory four times a year in his Chrysler, over roads that are mere tracks in the bush, visiting sheep stations, cattle stations, pearl-fishing towns on the shore, carrying his equipment with him, setting up shop wherever he stops. One of the mining camps in his district, Marble Bar, has the doubtful distinction of being the hottest spot in the world.*

The income of this Harvardman is $7,000 a year. Expenses run $2,500, dental supplies, hotel bills, but mostly oil and petrol. In the outback, petrol often runs $1 a gallon.

WEBB WALDRON

Westport, Conn.

Nertz to Hertz

Sirs:

Relative to comments of Roy J. Hadley Hertz on the characters and conventions of the Pennsylvania Germans [TiME, Aug. 30], it is inconceivable that this man could abide in the beautiful and clean city of Allentown for ten years and have the audacity to say the things he has, but of course it is possible he has not been accepted.

As a people we are proud of our ancestors and it would not be out of place for Hertz to reflect that his forefathers were probably pulling an oar and singing The Song of the Volga Boatmen while the Pennsylvania Germans were building a safe haven for the likes of him. To Hertz, Nertz, Mertz.

CHAS. T. MERTZ

A Pennsylvania German

Hempstead, L. I.

Progressive T. P. & W.

Sirs:

Will you please refer to the issue of TIME dated Aug. 23, p. 21 under the heading Transport, where you depict the scene of the “Chatsworth Wreck” on the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroad, particularly, the ending of the fourth paragraph, advising the public the Van Sweringen interests had taken the road out of receivership. . . .

In the first place, the Van Sweringen interests never had any part of the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroad, and to me, this is a grave error, as the shipping public has come to know the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroad as one of the progressive small railroads in our country. Further, if you will get the financial report as available to you, you will find we have been an aggressive and progressive railroad. . . .

GEO. G. ORME

Traffic Dept.

Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroad

New York City

Fish Report

Sirs:

In reference to your article entitled “Flight v. Glide” under Animals p. 48 of issue dated Aug. 30, I was surprised to find such a profound discussion devoted to what has been so often and so casually observed in the Fleet by Officers and Men standing long watches at sea. … Having watched them skimming away from the ship’s prow on many occasions I had made conclusions one or two years ago which substantiated the deductions of both the University of Michigan’s Ichthyologist Carl Leavitt Hubbs, and Connecticut’s Trinity College Geologist Edward Leffingwell Troxell.

Do ”Flying Fish” glide or do they fly? Each of the above mentioned observers tells one-half the truth. These fish glide as well as fly. . . . The following are my personal observations, made under nearly “laboratory” conditions. On Aug. 31 at Santa Barbara Island, the U.S.S. West Virginia, was at anchor in the lee of the island during the night. On the midwatch I had rigged a 200-watt cargo lamp, equipped with a reflector, at the side to direct boats to the quarter-deck sea-ladder. The light was 20 ft. above the water line, and pointed directly downward. At least two dozen flying fish of lengths varying from 18 to 24 in. were attracted to this lighted area. At intervals one or two seals came alongside, either in search of a meal, or else to play and sport with the fish. The weather was flat calm— no wind, water motionless, with barely perceptible swells. When swimming easily—not excited—the flying fish used their wings, not so much to assist their swimming speed as to increase their maneuvrability. Their main propulsion is by the very powerful tail fin. . . .

When the seals came into the circle of light the fish were thoroughly frightened, and quickly gained speed and surfaced. As soon as the wings cleared ever so slightly they were flapped in flight—the motion being so rapid as to constitute practically a blur of movement, like the wings of humming birds.

When danger was such as required a long fast “hop,” or straight run at maximum speed, the fish flew near the surface with its body bent downward in a curve from its midsection so that the tail touched the water occasionally, giving it accelerating bursts of speed. The wings move so as to make splash-points with the down-curved tips, at intervals resembling a column of colons exactly as described by Geologist Troxell. This flight ended in a glide with tail touching in a swimming motion several yards before the fish plopped down and submerged. In landing from all flights the tail touches first. When making a maximum-speed, straightaway, low-altitude run from a danger area the speed achieved is apparently in excess of 30 knots.

The point to be made is that the fish can and do fly. They fly or glide at any time in flight, but the glide apparently is always used just prior to re-entering the water. On the night mentioned, with absolutely no wind, swells, or whitecaps to assist a glide no fewer than six or eight, flights were observed that rose to a height of 15 ft. from the surface in a very steep climb, of say 15 ft. altitude within a 60 ft. horizontal flight after surfacing. The fish seemed to fly practically straight up to that height when surprised and frightened by the sudden approach of a seal. The emergence run, conducted at shallow depth, varied in length according to the proximity of the danger. Having once begun the flight the fish seemed to have no sense of direction in the air. . . . All of these observations were made in a notebook at the instant of performance.

With the first faint suggestion of grey-dawn in the sky the fish disappeared and did not reappear at that spot until the next night, although the cargo light was kept burning until sunrise. . . .

Many officers and men can be found in the fleet, especially destroyer personnel, who will affirm that the fish do fly, and who will state that they have observed the wings vibrating or fluttering with a blur of up and down strokes. Destroyer Captains have seen these fish flying as high as destroyer bridges.

Perhaps ichthyologists and geologists puzzling over this 5,000-year-old problem would be intrigued by this information. If you think so please refer me to them.

ENSIGN J. N. SHAFFER, U. S. N.

U.S.S. West Virginia

San Pedro, Calif.

Intriguing indeed is Ensign Shaffer’s able flying fish report, for which TIME’s thanks.—ED.

* Now called Fosdick-Masten Park High School. — ED.

* Last week Marble Bar was in the third month of a beer strike. Draught beer has been reduced to a shilling per 12-oz. pot, but beer drinkers are still protesting the price of bottled beer.