Juden Raus
Sirs:
In TIME, Jan. 30 you described in some detail a new game that was supposed to be very popular in Germany-- Juden Raus [Out With he Jews].
Out of curiosity, I wrote to a game and book dealer in Leipzig, asking him to send me one of these games. I have just received his reply. He says there is certainly no such game.in Germany. He is of the opinion that the information must have been obtained from one of the well-known Lu"genmeldungen (falsehood-reports) coming out of Germany. Please advise me where TIME obtained this information, and let me know where one of these games may be procured.
FRED N. CHRISTENSEN
Oakland, Calif.
Let Reader Christensen write to Firma Rudolf Fabricius, Neusalza-Spremberg, Sachsen, Germany. The game is German Patent No. 1,446,399.--ED.
Not Shelved
Sirs:
In the March 13 issue of TIME appears the following statement: "When FSCC's President Tapp was shelved. . . ."
This statement conveys, no doubt unintentionally, an incorrect and unfortunate impression. Mr. Tapp was in no sense "shelved" on the contrary he was a most intelligent and capable man who resigned voluntarily to go into private business. I know that TIME would not want to have its statements reflect unfairly on any individual and I am, therefore, suggesting that you publish this note in justice to Mr. Tapp.
H. A. WALLACE Secretary
Department of Agriculture Washington, D. C.
Fine Woman
Sirs:
Thanks for a reading as refreshing as this on Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (April 17 issue).
That tolerant understanding smile (cover) makes one feel a bit less "scrambled."
A fine woman--a great lady.
J. FREDERICK EMANUEL
Otisville, N. Y.
Sirs:
As her availability, the rectitude of her impulses, her statesmanship and her popularity become increasingly apparent, I wonder how many others may have had the same thought: Anna Eleanor Roosevelt for our next President. It would be an experience to have the country ruled from the distaff side of the house, in terms of women's impulses. And Anna Eleanor Roosevelt looks like the logical solution to the problem confronting the liberal Democrats.
Put me down for Anna.
BRUCE TILDEN
Chicago, ILL.
"My Day" in Boston
Sirs:
Relative to your excellent article on Mrs. Roosevelt (TIME, April 17), can you tell me why the Boston Traveler (owned by the arch-Republican Boston Herald) published her column "My Day" only a few days three years ago and then discontinued it? No other Boston paper publishes it at the present time.
ALBERT A. CONNELL
Watertown, Mass.
-- The Roosevelt family is not popular in Boston. The Traveler carried "My Day" for two weeks in 1936, dropped it because its readers expressed their dislike for the column.--ED.
Miles City Crash
Sirs:
In my opinion an implication was made in your article on p. 42 of TIME, April 10 that the plane in the recent crash at Oklahoma City was a Lockheed. This is incorrect.
I also feel that your reference to Northwest Airlines in the story is wholly unjustified. In cases of this kind why don't you just report the crash and not by innuendo damage equipment which is giving millions of miles of satisfactory service every day all over the world ?
DON BELDING
Los Angeles, Calif.
-> TIME intended no innuendo, meant just what it said: that the Braniff Airways crash (a Douglas plane) and the Northwest Airlines crash (a Lockheed) were outstanding cases of mechanical failure.--ED.
Craps
Sirs:
Mr. Frank G. Menke's account of the origin of craps is wholly erroneous [TIME, Feb. 27] and Mr. Stanley C. Arthur in TIME, March 20, doesn't go far enough.
The father of craps was the English game of hazard, which is of considerable antiquity. The Oxford English Dictionary cites a specific mention of hazard as early as 1300, and say: that according to William of Tyre, who died in 1190, the game was invented by English crusaders at the siege of an Arabian castle called Hazart, or Asart. Hazard is virtually obsolete now, but was extensively played in the U. S. as late as the early 1890s.
For some 800 years throws of two, three and twelve at hazard were called crabs, and to throw one of those numbers was to crab. In France the game of hazard was called krabs, and is so called in a long description of the game in the third volume of the Mathematiques group of the Encyclopeedic Methodique, dates 1792. Craps as we know it today is simply a French simplification of hazard, or krabs, and the word craps, originally spelled creps or kreps, is a corruption of the English crabs. It is so defined in every French dictionary to which I have had access, including the Dictionnaire Analogique de la Langue Franc,aise, and the Dictionnaire General de la Langue Franc,aise.
It is uncertain when this simplification and corruption occurred, but it must have been almost 200 years ago. The Rev. Ed. S. Taylor's famous history of playing cards, published in 1865, quoting from the memoirs of Barere and de Bachaumont, says that creps was one of the principal games played in the gambling houses of the Palais Royal in Paris in the latter part of the 18th Century. In 1818, long before craps was popular in the U. S., the Bibliotheque Historique referred to "one table of craps" as among the frivolities of the gambling houses of Paris.
HERBERT ASBURY
Canada Lake, N. Y.
-Thanks to Historian Asbury for what TIME hopes is a definitive explanation.--ED.
"Philadelphia Scrapple"
Sirs:
In TIME, April 10, your article entitled "Philadelphia Scrapple" presents an array of inaccurate statements and unjustified innuendoes which does not measure up to TIME'S usually accurate and complete reporting. . . .
1) There has been no "brooding and glooming for a whole season" on the part of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The Orchestra is behind its Music Director, Eugene Ormandy to a man. . . .
2) The return of Mr. Stokowski had nothing whatsoever to do with the highly publicized dismissal of Isadore Gusikoff, first cellist of the Orchestra. . . .
3) Cellist Gusikoff was not dismissed by Mr. Ormandy "because Gusikoff 'made him nervous.' "...
4) You say "two other men resigned in sympathy." . . . These resignations were in no way connected with Gusikoff's dismissal. . . .
5) Your reference to my resignation: "he resigned too" . . . creates the most unfortunate and utterly inescapable inference that my resignation was linked with Mr. Gusikoff's dismissal and with lack of faith in Mr. Ormandy. You magnify this inference by putting in my mouth a quote I never said ("Things aren't like they used to be.") . . .
6) The financial condition of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association's present season is in no way alarming. . . .
7) Mr. Stokowski has not, as you infer given any grounds for the suggestion that he might come back next season as chief conductor. . .
ALFRED REGINALD ALLEN Manager
The Philadelphia Orchestra Association Philadelphia, Pa.
-TIME did err in one of these seven points: it was not Harvardman Allen but a member of the orchestra who made the gloomy, ungrammatical remark, "Things aren't like they used t be." For the rest, TIME does not take back what it said.--ED.
Sirs:
As a constant reader and admirer of TIME, I feel impelled to express my surprise and disappointment that an account of recent events connected with the Philadelphia Orchestra should have been as unfair as that which appeared in TIME. . . .
Mr. Leopold Stokowski was quoted in noncommittal remark, but your reporter ignored the fact that in the same speech to the audiences of the Philadelphia Orchestra Mr. Stokowski affirmed that the Orchestra has never been in better musical condition and that credit for this should be given to Mr. Ormandy. . . .
As one of the most gifted and distinguished of the younger conductors in America, Mr. Ormandy deserves something better in the pages of a leading publication than such personal and unwarranted attack.
OLGA SAMAROFF STOKOWSKI
New York City
> TIME made no "attack" on Conductor Ormandy, whom it rates highly but less high than Conductors Toscanini, Koussevitzky, or Reader Stokowski's ex-husband.--ED.
Gannett v. Ickes
Sirs:
In TIME, Feb. 13, in your Letters column Secretary Ickes disputes TIME'S reference to "International Paper Co., which once own stock in the Gannett Newspapers." He asserts that the Federal Trade Commission reported "the name of the firm is International Paper & Power Co." FTC said nothing of the kind. Its final report names International Paper Co. as the concern which, in return for a longterm newsprint contract, helped me to finance the purchase of three newspapers. . . .
When Secretary Ickes made his statement which has been repeated several times, must have had available the official report the Federal Trade Commission (U. S. Senate Document 92, Parts 10-16, Exhibits), which on pp. 773 to 780 reproduced correspondence between the International Paper Co. and me. In every case my letters to this company were addressed to the International Paper Co. and every communication from this concern was signed by the International [Paper] Co. There was never in this correspondence the use of the word "Power."
I am unwilling to split hairs with Mr. Ickes, but he persists in abusing facts so as to connect me falsely with power monopoly. . . .
FRANK GANNETT President
The Gannett Newspapers Miami Beach, Fla.
"Mosquito Fleet"
Sirs:
Under "National Defense," TIME, April 10 issue, appears an article on the recent Navy Design Competition for boats of the so-called "Mosquito Fleet." I am greatly surprised see TIME exploiting one major award winner, casually mentioning another, and leaving out the other three entirely.
As winner of a major award in the 110-foot Class and minor awards in the 70-and 54-foot Classes, we feel rather proud of being the only firm in the competition to have received more than one award. I have always thought Time unbiased, yet I find our name not even mentioned. Why not give credit where credit is due?
A. E. LUeDERS JR. Vice President
Liiders Marine Construction Co.
Stamford, Conn.
>All hail, congratulations and credit to Boatbuilder Liiders. TIME'S account was focused, however, on the newsworthy fact that the U. S. Navy has decided to build another type boat (54-foot and 70-foot "mosquitoes").--ED.
Anagram
Sirs:
My wife went your anagramatic correspondent one better. Instead of scrambl A. HITLER to THE LIAR (TIME, April 10), she transposed it to HEIL RAT.
SVEND PETERSEN
Little Rock, Ark.
Garner's Houses
Sirs:
Was TIME taken in by the Garner build-up when it reported (March 20, p. 13) that "he has recently built with his own money 25 houses for about $2,000 each in Uvalde, the like of which cost FHA one-third more"? I understand that FHA does not build houses, merely insures mortgages on them. ... All of which is no reflection on the Sage of Uvalde.
MELVIN WALKEEN Detroit, Mich.
> Although "FHA houses" has come to be a legitimate, if loose, expression, Reader Walkeen is correct: FHA does not build houses, simply insures mortgages on houses built to its speciftions. Garner partisans say his houses are cheaper, FHA partisans say FHA houses are much better built. Mr. Garner, as is his custom, says nothing.--ED.
Hula-Hula
Sirs:
In TIME, Jan. 30, p. 38 ". . . Fancy skaters have supplanted hula-hula dancers as dinner entertainment. . . ." In TIME, Feb. 20, p. 68 ". . . this time executed in a hula hula skirt and. . . ." H. H. Cleaves in Hawaii, Its People and Customs says ". . . the Hula is a Hawaiian dance. It is correct to say, 'a hula dancer' or 'a hula skirt.' However to say 'hula hula' or 'hula-hula' (with the hyphen) is merely repeating 'dance dance.' . . ." So, in keeping with your present ideas of Hawaii-Hawaii,
JAMES JAMES D. D. O'BRIEN O'BRIEN
Schofield Barracks, T. H.
Whiskers
Sirs:
In TIME [April 10], I noted that somebody from Omaha writes about the "whiskerino" event they are having there for the opening of the film Union Pacific, and the writer's anxiety for barbers and companies manufacturing shaving and hair-cutting accessories. . . .
Let me say that he has a mistaken idea because we in San Francisco had a similar fiesta prior to the opening of the Golden Gate International Exposition. .. . There were more sore faces per San Franciscan than possibly in the whole U. S. and after the fiesta was over, barbers did a land-office business getting faces and hair back into shape again.
WILFRED TUSKA
San Francisco, Calif.
Not Associated
Sirs:
In the interests of truth, accuracy and fair play, may I ask you please to publish a correction in TIME of a misstatement of fact made on p. 57 of the March 20 issue? [TIME said: "For the last few months Manhattan physicians have been bombarded with propaganda drawn up by smart Publicist Edward Bernays, financed by anti-New Dealer Frank Gannett. . . ."--ED.] We have not been in any way associated with Mr. Gannett in the matter referred to. ...
EDWARD L. BERNAYS
New York City
Draft Ages
Sirs:
I am certain that many thousands of your readers would be interested in knowing the range of ages which the War Department has made plans to register for draft service in the event of our becoming involved in war in Europe. . . .
It is probable that the War Department has made no official announcement as to the range of ages planned for conscription and therefore you would not be able to give this information officially. However, there must be considerable "grapevine" information on the subject among Army officers, etc. . . .
A. P. CURTIS
Augusta, Ga.
> TIME'S grapevine information on U. S. draft ages in the event of war: 1st call, 21-30; 2nd, 18-21; 3rd, 18-45 (everybody).--ED.
Sirs:
About the time I was beginning to walk and was fortunate that I couldn't understand it, preachers quoted the Bible and urged young men to kiss a pretty girl, join the army, and kill the wicked Germans. Today we wonder who really started the War, and know very well what a great mess it was. . . .
Now I would be foolish to assume that I was anywhere nearly as learned on international relations as Mr. Roosevelt but I do know one thing. Mr. Roosevelt, if he lives as long as most Presidents, won't live much longer, and so has nothing to lose. But I and my friends have to fight the war. In as much as I am single, 23, and ripe for the army, I'd much rather hear a little reverse propaganda on the whole business. Besides I'd rather kiss a pretty girl without joining the army--I might have the pleasure more often! . . .
JOHN H. STEVENSON Los Angeles, Calif.
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