Sound George VI

Sirs:

. . . Heartiest Congrats for your excellent story on King George VI. I feel like I know the new monarch 100% better now for which I am deeply grateful after the numerous slurs he has received at the hands of our august press.

CHARLES WISE

Cincinnati, Ohio Sirs: In your issue of March 8, you state "George VI is sound in that in which King George V was most sound, and King Edward VIII by no means sound--Character--and so is Her Majesty." Haven't you drawn your conclusions a little early in the game? Time will tell. David Windsor is in the forefront of the battle for human rather than property rights, and for the spirit of marriage as opposed to the Letter of the Law. He stands in a symbolic relation to his age, and will influence it as his brother never will.

NANCY T. POPE Denver, Colo.

Sirs: ... I take exception to your March 8 feature, pp. 19 to 24, favoring "Albert Undone," poor George VI. This is the most uncharacteristic article TIME has carried, approaching fatuity in some of its uncritical assertions. I can not imagine my favorite editors becoming sycophantic, but if that write-up is not a press hand-out from His Majesty's Bureau of Canterbury Tales, then I am Bumbler Baldwin. Well do I realize that you must depend upon some source for the validity of human-interest reporting, but what proof has TIME that neurologically unstable George VI "today is a better pilot than King Edward ever was?" Or that he excels the Duke of Windsor in any important way, Character included? The young Princesses must automatically be excluded, Edward still being a bachelor. Your enumeration of What George Can Do, and does, is not so impressive as the glossed-over fears concerning What George Can't Do.

His subservience, at any rate, is assured. The photograph, p. 24, of Matriarch Mary with Queen Elizabeth "well in hand" is the most expressive picture of the week. To see it is to understand at a glance the devious story of Edward's unprecedented behavior. In "most vulgar" American, or in any language, that expression on the Queen Mother's face spells "Meddlesome Interferiority." My only consolation is that TIME'S preview has cleared up much of the "Mystery of the Coronation." If Americans do not boycott the ceremonies, then they deserve the low opinion that Mary, churchy Lucy Baldwin and the Archbishops, and No. 10 Downing Street hold of them. Perhaps TIME'S able editors were only pulling our legs, after all, by making of the whole bally business a reductio ad absurdum.

LINCOLN FISHER, M. D., F. A. C. S.

Mansfield, Ohio

Credit to Daughter-in-Law

Sirs:

In the March 8 issue of TIME, in a story on p. 74, TIME correctly credits Mrs. Harrison Williams with several accomplishments, including her collection of porcelains, her clothes, her husband.

But TIME incorrectly credits her with the authorship of the novel, Bright Is the Morning.

This book was written by Mona Williams (Mrs. Henry Meade Williams) and was reviewed by TIME'S able reviewer.

Author Williams is the daughter-in-law of the late great writer Jesse Lynch Williams.

HENRY MEADE WILLIAMS

Carmel, Calif.

TIME'S error was caused by the fact that Mrs. Harrison Williams is also called Mona Williams.--ED.

Baffling Situation Sirs: The incident in your article "I Have," (TIME, March 8, p. 46) was duplicated in my own ministry in 1918. On my first charge, after leaving college, a prominent young lady, member of an influential family in my church, engaged me to marry her. . . . On the eve of the important occasion, the bride and groom were boarding a train when the bride turned to me and said, "Mr. Griffiths, we are leaving for the city to be married by the priest." The groom was a member of the Roman Catholic Church.

Imagine my dilemma I The invitations were already in the hands of the guests and preparations at the home were in full swing--it was to be a great community festival. I refused the bride's request to break the news to her mother, neither would I consent to performing a mock marriage.

However, after consulting my own best judgment, I counseled the frantic mother to continue the arrangements as though nothing unusual had happened.

There were many things at stake--the happiness of the couple--possible family enstrangement and the shock of a keen disappointment for family and friends. Very carefully, I wrote out what I chose to call a Benediction Service. At the appointed hour, the guests assembled and the bride and groom approached the altar. Having made the announcement that we had gathered to add our benediction to the marriage of the happy couple, I opened my service with an invocation and proceeded with a dialogue almost identical with that of the minister in Chattanooga. There was no joining of hands and no ring was passed during the service because the ring was already on the appointed finger. The service being over, the usual greetings were given and the guests spent a happy evening with the family.

However, the next morning, I was greeted by the daughter of my senior deacon with the question, "Pardon me, but did you marry that couple last night?" When I replied in the negative, she turned to her deacon father and said "Didn't I tell you, father?" It took a little' time to explain to the deacon and the community in order to be finally reassured that the Benediction Service was the best solution to a baffling situation.

DAVID J. GRIFFITHS

Mansfield, Pa. Hurdler Hardin

Sirs:

TIME, March 8, p. 59 refers to the two-time

Olympic 400-metre hurdle champion, Glenn

F Louisiana, as being now 21 years of age. How about it? Could this good-looking Southerner have possibly been only 17 when he won his first title in the tenth Olympic at Los Angeles in 1932 in what is generally conceded to be one of the most gruelling of track events?

J.J.PHILLIPS Berkeley, Calif.

Hurdle Champion Hardin was 20 on his last birthday, July 1, only 16 when he won the 400-metre hurdle race, in world's record time of 52 sec., at the 1932 Olympic Games.--ED.

Muni's Beard

Sirs:

TIME, March 15, p. 33, in an article entitled Oscars of 1937" makes the following statement: "Oscar for the 1936 best performance by an actor went last week to Paul Muni, who attended the banquet wearing the beard he used in his forthcoming The Woman I Love." So far so good: But how disconcerting to us who also subscribe to LIFE. On p. 24 of the March 15 issue under "Life on the American Newsfront: Awards" this statement appears: "... Paul Muni, best actor for his work in The Story of Louis Pasteur; he wears a beard while making The Story Of Entile Zola." My, my, let's get together here, boys. Suggest you get together with your neighbors across the hall and decide once and for all. Is it Zola or is it The Woman?

ESTELLE R. KOVACS Pittsburgh, Pa.

Sirs:

In the Academy awards for movie "bests", LIFE lists Paul Muni's beard as the one he wears' in The Story of Emile Zola, TIME, as the one "he used in his forthcoming The Woman I Love." Which is correct?

LEANNA GEDDIE Charlotte, N. C.

When he attended the Academy banquet, Actor Muni had finished The Woman I Love, soon to be released by RKO, was working in The Story of Emile Zola (Warner Brothers). He wears a Vandyke in both pictures.--ED.

Krick's Credit Sirs:

In your article on weather (TIME, March 15) you have erroneously credited the writer with the introduction of the Norwegian theories in the U. S. I should like to correct this statement, if I may. I have been perhaps the first to utilize these methods of weather prediction for industrial purposes, demonstrating I hope that a wider usage is warranted, but the credit for making such a development possible in the U. S. belongs to Prof. C. G. Rossby, now in charge of the meteorological department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Recognition is also due the officials of the U. S. Navy who as early as 1926 saw the importance of developing the Norwegian ideas for use in the U. S. and established contact with those familiar with the methods.

The work at the California Institute of Technology has aided, I hope, in this development, and in stimulating the present growing interest in the subject. IRVING KRICK

Asst. Professor of Meteorology California Institute of Technology Pasadena, Calif.

Stratosphere Balloons

Sirs:

We appreciate your mention of our Harvard radiometeorograph in TIME for March 15. The instruments now being sent up by balloon jointly by us and M.I.T. from Cambridge every morning are enclosed in a small box of balsa wood, and the whole weight is only about one pound. Though the greatest height reached in the present series is 15 miles, the stratosphere has been entered at elevations between 5 and 9 miles on every occasion. The stratosphere is far from being a "calm and weatherless region." We have found its temperatures varying from 50" below zero to 94" below zero F, and changing from day to day. As to wind, balloons keep right on going after entering the stratosphere. Velocities are often in excess of 100 m.p.h.

Air mass analysis, which was invented chiefly by Bjerknes, father and son, in Norway, in 1918, has received considerable attention in the U. S., both within and without the Weather Bureau since that time. It was used in forecasting for a model airway in California a decade ago by the U. S. Weather Bureau and Guggenheim Foundation, and has been employed a dozen years by the U. S. Navy. Thus although this method of forecasting has only recently been brought largely to the public notice, it was well known to meteorologists and used in this country long before 1932, the year in which you say it was started here.

CHARLES F. BROOKS

Professor of Meteorology and Director Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory Harvard University Milton, Mass.

The stratosphere varies in height from about eleven miles at the Equator to four or less at the Poles. One of its chief features is that there is practically no vertical temperature gradient. By describing it as "a calm and weatherless region," TIME meant that it lies above the turbulence, heavy clouds and precipitation which characterize the troposphere or surface layer of the atmosphere.--ED.

One Sound State

Sirs: Nevada, "One Sound State" (TIME, March 8) has much more to say and boast of than is indicated by your article.

Western Nevada can and does boast of its climate. Many a Nevadan refers to it as the "champagne climate" (exhilarating).

TIME errs when it refers to legalized cock lighting. Cock fighting is a misdemeanor, punishable by six months' imprisonment.

Nevada was thus characterized by the lamented Will Rogers: "That's a great State--when you feel that the people around you are taking too much care of your private business, why move to Nevada.

It's freedom's last stand in America. Yet they don't do one thing that other States don't do.

Only they leave the front door open." LLOYD V. SMITH

Attorney and Counselor at Law Reno, Nev.

No Nevada State law specifically bans cock fighting. Cock fighting is banned in Reno by a city ordinance.--ED.

Sirs: Your article, Nevada--"One Sound State" (TIME, March 8) is good with the exception of your statement concerning the climate of which you say: "--hot & dry in summer; so snow cold in winter that even the Governor gets ou and shovels." The climate is so varied in thi; big State that a simple "hot" or "cold" doe: not describe both ends of it at the same time Reno, for instance, does have cold, snowy win ters; but her summers are never hot. While Reno is summering with coolish days, and cooler nights, Las Vegas in the southern part of the state is experiencing hot dry days; but wit! most of her nights cool. So rare is snow ir Las Vegas, that when a light snow covered the ground one January morning in 1930, many of the grammar-school children, and a few high school youths saw snow flakes for the first time m their lives. MRS. A. C. DELKIN Arcadia, Calif.

Year-round average temperature in Northeast Nevada is 46.2DEG, in Southeast Nevada 64.5DEG. Most Nevadans like their State's climate.--ED.

Sirs:

Will concede that most people as well as most important people who have come to "One Sound State" have passed on through. But as a matter of historic interest please advise us who was the first white man to enter Nevada in 1775, or at any other date prior to 1826. Please give references.

ELBERT B. EDWARDS Las Vegas, Nev.

First white man on record to enter what is now Nevada was Francisco Tomas Hermenegildo Garces, priest of the Order of St. Francis. Seeking a route to upper California from Sonora, Mexico, he crossed what is now the State's southwestern corner in 1775. Let Reader Edwards refer to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Dictionary of American Biography, C. A. Engelhardt's The Missions and Missionaries of California.--ED.

Sirs: I have long been unaware of the major assets of Nevada even though I passed through at one time I notice you have a report of my passage in the March 8 issue--"The first white man to enter Nevada passed on through"--"most important people passed through." Since the Senate has resolved to attract a more substantial citizenry I, and the other members of my profession, will find it exceedingly difficult to reject such a hospitable invitation. Perhaps we could be induced to hold our next annual convention in Reno.

The "manifestations of an . . . individualist spirit in paragraph five were undoubtedly conceived in Utopia; all except the easy divorce laws. A wise man will never place himself in a position where divorce is necessary.

In closing let me say that no well informed bum could fail to read TIME. It ranks along with a good Mulligan stew and you know how good that is--or do you? ROBERT BRUCE SHORT

Hobo

Phoenix, Ariz.

and the U. S. A.

P. S. Could you spare a dime?

Dastardly Cads Sirs:

A letter from a recent correspondent of yours m referring to a lady of prominent Virginia lineage, who is the acknowledged fiancee of the Duke of Windsor, makes highly unpardonable use of the word "mistress" [TIME, March 8.] Gentlemen, and Kings whether active or abdicated, do not marry "mistresses," and it is high time that the cheap tittle-tattle of the scurrilous should end. . . . There is a strong sentiment in England as there is here that both lady & lover have been treated in a most unchivalrous and dastardly manner both by Cads Clerical and Cads Temporal, and it is high time that fair play and a more kindly and Christian attitude be evidenced in the matter.

MARSHALL FORREST

Savannah, Ga.

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