Letters, Jun. 15, 1931

Summer Traveler

Sirs:

. . . . Is it asking too much of your Circulation Department to send the magazine to me care of the Bankers Trust Company, Paris, with the issue commencing a week before July 1 until the middle of August? This is perhaps the only way I can keep up with events in America while I am abroad. I get my regular issues here.

BERNARD M. BARUCH

New York City

The Circulation Department will gladly send TIME to Subscriber Baruch at Paris, and to all other traveling subscribers who will advise TIME of their forwarding addresses.—ED.

Marie’s Automobilism

Sirs:

Your note about Queen Marie of Jugoslavia in TIME for April 20 suggests sending you this more recent incident in Her Majesty’s automobilism.

Certain staff generals have the right, in emergency, to commandeer a ride in any passing car. The other day one of these dignitaries found himself out in the country with a car paralyzed by broken gearing and with an important meeting in town within half an hour. He stopped the first car which came along, headed cityward. It was driven by a lady in helmet and goggles, quite like the dozen or more other Belgrade ladies who drive their own cars, but when the general had stated his request and the lady said “get in” he was horrified to recognize the Queen’s voice. Embarrassed attempts to excuse himself were unavailing. “If you need to get to Belgrade, I’ll take you,” said Her Majesty, insisted upon knowing his address, delivered him at the door. A few days later at a public function the general encountered King Alexander. “I hear you have a new chauffeur,” said His Majesty with a twinkle.

DONALD A. LOWRIE

Belgrade, Jugoslavia

Crosley Anachronism

Sirs:

TIME of May 25 carries an advertisement with historical background for The Crosley Radio Corp. Josephine is represented having a little marital discussion with Napoleon about his Moscow campaign. I wasn’t there with a Crosley but Marie Louise of Austria and not Josephine, was Napoleon’s wife then.

C. SCHILDKRAUT LEE

Cowansville, Quebec

Napoleon divorced Josephine in 1809, retreated from Moscow in 1812. Hereafter, let Crosley Radio exercise more care in preparing advts for historically-minded TIME-readers.—ED.

Hidden Paris Profit

Sirs:

TIME of May 11, just arrived here and welcome as always, has this in reference to the death of Mrs. Whitelaw Reid:

“She refinanced the unprofitable Paris Herald, made it pay.”

So the legend created by James Gordon Bennett the younger is long-lived. It would have given the “Commodore” great joy to know it.

Presuming that by describing his Paris Herald as unprofitable, very costly, a rich man’s toy, he would keep out competitors, Bennett ever emphasized his disbursements, never revealed his takings.

The penurious nobility of Europe made many calls on his purse, as did the many sycophants revolving in the orbit of a rich man. Of such he made society correspondents of the Herald, to two ends. Firstly these people had their entrée in society; secondly, their salaries helped to keep down profits. And the salaries were high. Real newspaper men on the Herald could not aspire to them.

When Alfred Harmsworth was considering publication of his Continental Daily Mail, Bennett sought to scare him by printing editorials on the cost of an English-language paper in Paris. Harmsworth was not scared.

But the legend persists.

Frank Munsey, by the way, paid for the “unprofitable” Paris Herald less by several million francs than the actual cash in the bank at the time to the credit of the Herald account.

G. H. ARCHAMBAULT

Former Managing Editor Paris Herald

Paris, France

Begetter

Sirs:

In last night’s “Jamboree” broadcast a jubilant father of newborn twins averred that “the Lord had smiled” on him, only to be told that the Lord had more than smiled—he had laughed out loud. How He must laugh also at egotists like Chief Justice Russell (TIME, May 25, p. 21) when they boast, not of bringing up but of begetting 18 children!

His Honor strains my credulity by implying that women hanker after repeated child-births. It would be hard enough to believe they do dishwashing from preference rather than as penance for love. If His Honor is typical of Georgia’s ascendant philosophy, it is just as well his State has lost two congressmen. It may help us to make Birth Control effective soon enough to avoid ever having to assign a majority of the House to Georgia, or to establish a quota against immigrants from there.

Fortunately economic conditions are potent. Those wishing to rival, if not to equal, brutes in some ways, such as prize fighting, may possibly be encouraged. Those desiring to emulate rabbits (TIME, May 25, p. 40) or fishes, hardly will be. Indeed, economics seems likely to make Mrs. Sanger far more prolific spiritually than Georgia’s jurist is physically.

O. C. GOULD

Oakland, Calif.

Frogs’ Hail

Sirs:

In the reprint of my ballad, “The Legend of the Bronx” in your issue of June 1, the frogs are made to hail the founder of New York’s northern borough as “Bronch!”—a typographical error of which no intelligent frog would have been guilty. The gentleman’s name was Jonas Bronck.

He was a well-to-do Danish Lutheran who came to New Amsterdam about 1640 and settled on the quiet stream thereafter known as “Bronck’s Kill” from which the Borough of The Bronx derives its name. . . . No, it isn’t very important, but we historians are terribly fussy about these little things.

ARTHUR GUITERMAN

New York City

To Historian Guiterman & Intelligent Frogs, apology.—ED.

Cause-Seeking

Sirs:

Flying men bemoan—and rightly—that no other public activity is so generally misapprehended as aviation. They contend—and not without justice—that the press (hence, the layman) does not differentiate causes and effects in flying. Accidents are accidents—no matter when, where or why.

But if flying men ask others to differentiate, they must do so too. They must—and many of them do—appreciate TIME’S loyalty to facts in air reporting. The latest instance, and the one inducing this letter, was your item regarding Royal Air Force fatalities. The observation that Britain’s frequent accidents are attributable to fear of bombing raids and the resultant development of “interceptor” fighters of high performance and low safety factor, is not only accurate but informative. It indicates, as have other items of the past that TIME given effects, seeks causes. The aircraft industry appreciates such discriminate reporting.

TIME’S proofreaders must, however, occasionally be taken to task. It’s rather disconcerting to find, for example, a Consolidated Commodore flying boat described as a consolidated (lower case c) Commodore. We hope it, and all other flying boats, are consolidated. We know only the Commodore is Consolidated. Likewise, there are many fleet training planes. There is only one model Fleet training plane.

ROBERT B. RENFRO

Editor

The Sportsman Pilot New York City

Shoals of Germans

Sirs:

I notice in TIME of May 18, a letter by D. A. Hathaway, of Santiago, Chile, regarding the uncivil treatment of Chileans by some traveling Americans.

My husband, Dr. P. B. Hardy and myself traveled 17,000 miles around South America three years ago, and we received the utmost courtesy from all South Americans we met.

I speak Italian and Spanish, so that we were enabled to get nearer the people and learn their inner sentiments.

Everywhere we heard complaints from the natives of the rudeness of American visitors, and we had ourselves ocular demonstrations of it, which at this late day still make us blush for the American representatives in South America.

. . . We are disliked all over South America and with reason. And then we wonder that England, who sends her best, the charming courteous Prince of Wales, wins their good will, and that the Germans, who speak perfect Spanish and Portuguese are arriving in shoals. . . .

JENNY C. LAW HARDY

Tecumseh, Mich.

Careful investigation discloses that the three U. S. travelers complained of by Mr. Hathaway—Reporter Ward Morehouse of the New York Sun, Reporter Leo Kieran of the New York Times, Publicity Man W. I. Van Dusen of Pan American Airways—created no such grave incident as suggested by Mr. Hathaway. In their flying trip of 19,000 mi. through 20 countries, hardworking Messrs. Morehouse & Kieran sent 63 and 20 stories, respectively, to their newspapers, constructively describing South American places & peoples.—ED.

Casual Twaddle

Sirs:

I note, under the heading People in your issue of May 25 short commentaries on Coolidge, and proffer this one.

One night last spring, the frail but powerful attractions of Northampton having been harried indoors by the Smith College authorities, I found myself unable to collect myself for retirement, lost in the midst of an evening, conversationally inclined. In a modest confectionery shop I engaged the wizened old proprietor in casual twaddle. Did he know Coolidge? He did not but he was an intimate of the fellow Coolidge had roomed with before he was married. And the roommate used to say—”You know, a fellow couldn’t have a more kind and generous roommate than Cal. Cal used to go out and buy two oranges, come home and eat one himself, and save the other one to eat later.”

BENJAMIN HARRIS JR.

San Angelo, Texas

Burial at Night

Sirs:

In your May 18 edition I have just read some letters, “Burial at Night,” and I want to add my story:

Several years ago a cousin of mine, John C. Sherwin, passed away in Michigan. His brother and I were bringing the body to Aurora, Ill. for burial with those he loved. Our train was delayed by storms and it was dark when we arrived. His old comrades of the Army and friends were still waiting for us and the services were held that beautiful evening with ground white with snow and the moon lighting our path. I have never seen any service with such inspiration and beauty.

MARY F. FERGUSON

Aurora, Ill.

Sirs:

In your column, Letters, H. K. Artkinson states that “Christ was buried at night,” citing Matt. XXVIII; 57.

The “even” referred to was not our “evening,” but some time before sunset when, according to Jewish custom, a new day began. As Christ did not die until 3 p. m., “the ninth hour” (Matt. XXVII: 46), and the burial must be accomplished before the Sabbath, there was need for haste, the reason assigned for the burial in Joseph’s tomb (Jno. XIX: 42). Your correspondent’s point, therefore, that Christ was buried at night is lost. . . .

MRS. R. W. ORR

San Benito, Tex.

On

Sirs:

You must admit TIME is gloriously self-conscious in one respect and that is in its unique use of the middle full name of all those it mentions. But I am on to your method: you look ’em up in Who’s Who. ‘Fess up now, am I not right?

JAMES CUNNEA FITZGIBBON

Union League Club of Chicago

Chicago, Ill.

Who’s Who is part of every good reporter’s gear.—ED.

Display

Sirs:

May we assume that TIME, too, is an addict of Cinemadvertising?

Witness TIME prominently displayed in the “at home” scene of It’s A Wise Child (TIME, May 25).

PALMER C. MENDELSON

Sacramento, Calif.

The copy displayed is that of Jan. 5, 1931, Gandhi on cover. To Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, all thanks for co-starring TIME with Marion Davies.—ED.