On Leadership

Sir / Congratulations to the editors and writers for the special section cover story, "In Quest of Leadership" [July 15].

It was rich in philosophy and faultless in style, worthy of the finest essays in the history of journalism.

WILL DURANT

Los Angeles

Sir / There is no doubt that the U.S. could use inspiring leadership, but the country's problems seem to stem from an even more pervasive and debilitating shortcoming. Our people lack a will to excellence. Could the right individual instill that in us?

JOSEPH PUDD

Indianola, Wash.

Sir / The demise of leadership in America dates back nearly 40 years to the time when Franklin Roosevelt stumbled upon the concept that he could be President forever (almost) by having Government confer economic benefits upon the people. The sinister greed that lies beneath the surface in all of us came out in the open and, from that time on, we voted for whatever charlatans promised us the most. Change will come when, and only when, men of character, intelligence, charisma and courage rise up to tell us the truth about ourselves. We may have to wait a long time.

GEORGE F. PLATTS

Ormond Beach, Fla.

Sir / It just might be that Richard Nixon, in a negative way, has been a great teacher. He has demonstrated how dangerous it is to hand over our freedom to a strong presidency. By searching for new leadership, are we admitting our fear of freedom? It would be the finest achievement of civilization if a Martian were to descend and say, "Take me to your leader," and each of us could answer, "You're looking at him!"

GARY TUESCHER

Platteville, Wis.

Sir I Intangible though leadership may be, I strongly believe that our colleges and universities could devise courses and seminars specifically designed to help develop future leaders.

NAT WELCH

Atlanta

Sir / I was surprised that you overlooked these words of Lao-tzu:

A leader is best when he is neither seen nor heard Not so good when he is adored and glorified

Worst when he is hated and despised. "Fail to honor people, they will fail to honor you." But of a good leader, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, The people will say, "We did this ourselves."

If there is any outstanding shortcoming of our national leaders today, it is lack of respect for the would-be followers. We do not need great leaders. We need leaders who will bring out the greatness in all of us.

EDWARD ROEDER

Washington, D.C.

The List of 200

Sir / Your report on the 200 future American leaders [July 15] refreshed my optimism about our country after the depressing backup of the Watergate cesspool.

JUDITH A. KUNKEL

Paradise Valley, Ariz.

Sir / Eighteen women out of 200 future leaders for the nation! As one of them, I see the focus for my leadership becoming clearer than ever.

Five years ago, no leader of a women's liberation group would have been on your list. Five years from now we plan to be 100 out of 200.

KAREN DECROW

President

National Organization for Women

Syracuse, N.Y.

Sir / Your top 200 leaders were a bit too Eastern-aristocracy for me.

FLORENCE MORGAN

Rockton, Ill.

Sir / A cursory glance reveals at least 69 lawyers on TIME'S list of "200 Faces for the Future." Let's hope that these up-and-coming lawyers will be working for reform instead of defending one another in future Watergates.

STEEN TOFTE

Waterloo, Iowa

Sir / Of particular interest to me was the conspicuous scarcity of military personalities on your list.

In essence, it seems that perhaps the uniformed military is not relevant to the goals of a nation.

Interesting...

MICHAEL G. KELLY

Lieutenant, U.S.N.

Danville, Calif.

Sir / This is my nomination for Asinine Article of the Year Award. Your choices may have been young agewise, but your "touchstone" for gauging their "social and civic impact" reflected the very old, male, white, elitist standards that have produced the leadership crisis you deplore.

JUANITA B. WHITE

Richmond

Sir / We will not be led into the future by the Establishment flunkies you give in your list of 200. Emerging leaders will most certainly be dark horses.

KENYON B. DE GREENE

Woodland Hills, Calif.

Sir / While I was flattered to be included on your list of rising young leaders, there were a number of inaccuracies in the description of me. I do not recall that I have ever written anything at all on divorce and celibacy, and my position on abortion cannot be simply described as "for it." I am in favor of legalization of abortion during the first trimester, but also hope that most women will not, on moral grounds, make use of the freedom that they are given legally.

DANIEL CALLAHAN

Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.

Sir / Lowell Weicker, the "state's most highly regarded G.O.P. officeholder"--ha!

Not by anyone I know.

SYLVIA L. WEISS

Bethel, Conn.

Sir / I was disappointed to see that you named Senator Kennedy among future leaders.

I feel, as do others, that he has shown the type of character we are trying to get out of our Government, not in.

CAROL CRUNK

Mobile, Ala.

Sir / Lowell Weicker? Yes. Ralph Nader? Yes. But Barbara Walters? Ye gads, TIME. Take me to your leader.

FRANCES FINCH WEISER

Cambridge, Mass.

Sir / Dan Rather smart alecks the President of the U.S. on nationwide television and is selected by TIME as one of 200 young Americans who can assume leadership roles. Many people have lost their jobs for much less.

CARL BARTLOW

Canton, Ohio

Sir / The omission of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson of Chicago from your list of 200 rising leaders is puzzling. A number of years ago, TIME ran a coyer story on Jackson [April 6, 1970], hailing his accomplishments. Since that time, Jackson, now 32, has grown in stature and popularity.

ALVIN F. POUSSAINT, M.D.

Boston

Sir / How dare you omit Baltimore Councilperson Barbara Mikulski in your litany of leaders? That oversight will come back to haunt you.

MARCELLA SCHUYLER

Baltimore

Sir / Ripon Society President John A. Cairns would be a worthy addition.

JOHN E. BREITER

Mahtomedi, Minn.

Sir / The omission of 40-year-old Senator John V. Tunney of California is absolutely incomprehensible.

HAL ROSS

Los Angeles

Sir / A man to keep an eye on as a national figure in the future is South Carolina's Charles ("Pug") Ravenel, who has caused thousands of citizens to take a new look at politics in this state.

"Pug" stands for "pugnacious."

TIMOTHY CLEVELAND

Columbia, S.C.

Impeachment, Not Indictment

Sir / Your July 22 article, "The Tide Turns Back Toward Impeachment," seems to contain one wrong word, an apparent slip of the typewriter. Unfortunately this undermines your well-taken argument that a President can and should be impeached for certain wrongdoings for which he cannot be criminally indicted. Citing William Buckley, you say that in his column he "imagined a number of fanciful actions for which a President should be indicted," such as commuting the sentences of all federal prisoners or taking a six-month vacation. Surely, Buckley's point, like yours, was that for those fanciful actions the President should be "impeached" not "indicted." Am I right?

WILLIAM L. SCHECTER

New York City

sb Unfortunately, yes.

TIME Examines the Press

Sir / If the Executive, Judicial and Legislative branches of Government, the business and financial communities--and the church --were to undergo the same kind of self-examination TIME applies to the function of the press [July 8] we would be well along the road to realizing the ideal of democracy of which our founders dreamed.

JACK H. CAMPBELL

Morganton, N.C.

Sir / Like the Government, the press should be difficult to live with at times. If the people become so outraged as to pull the watchdog's teeth and silence its bark or do away with it altogether, they may awake some night only to find that they slept too long.

FRANK B. KYLE

Dimmitt, Texas

Sir / It is obvious why the press does not get along with President Nixon: they are too much alike. Both display arrogance; both are incapable of accepting criticism; and both abuse their powers.

WILLIAM O. CRANE

West Vancouver, B.C.

Sir / The bull, having run amuck in the china shop, returns to repair the damage? No way!

BOB QUIGLEY

Saratoga, Calif.

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