Kissinger

To the Editors:

At last we have in Henry Kissinger's White House Years [Oct. 1] a political memoir of world events for the lay person. The excerpt, void of political jargon, punctuated by imagery and vivid characterizations of political figures, moves along like a well-written novel. I only wish my college history textbooks were written in this fashion. Who says that past political events have to be flat and dry?

John Brown

Willingboro, N.J.

Bravo for the wealth of insights in Mr. Kissinger's excerpts. Perhaps I am a typical American who "tends to see international relations in terms of the play of individual personalities," but I wish that Mr. Kissinger would write some of the same type of clear and precise in-depth reviews of world leaders and geopolitical situations on some sort of regular basis.

James W. Allen

Port Orange, Fla.

Even though I am an old Nixon hater, I am appalled at Kissinger's snide and demeaning comments concerning Nixon's private side. While Nixon was President, Kissinger enjoyed all the benefits of power and prestige, as he still does by writing about his White House days; yet now that Nixon is in disgrace, Kissinger administers low blows.

Henry Cabrera

San Francisco

I give up! Who's on the cover of this week's edition?

Don Klein

Vero Beach, Fla.

The pale colors in the portrait of Kissinger on the cover make him look pallid and sickly. You probably chose it thinking the glum look appropriate to the gravity of his memoirs.

On the other hand, the photograph inside is a beauty. The colors are strong and vibrant, just like the man. He looks you straight in the eye and holds your interest. There is a quiet confidence and a seriousness softened by a touch of sadness in his expression. It would have made a great cover.

Masako Y. Lounsbury

East Haven, Conn.

Dealing with Dictators

Strobe Talbott's cynical Essay on "The Dilemma of Dealing with Dictators" [Sept. 24] clearly shows why we are so hated among the Third World nations. Talbott spends all his time telling us which despots we should back and which we should discard, according to our best interests. When a tyrant is no longer useful to us, we should invoke human rights. Only in the last two lines of his Essay does Talbott remember that the people in the distressed countries should have something to say about their own destiny.

Philip Angeles

Pensacola, Fla.

Contrary to Kissinger's pragmatic approach, I think the current Administration's consideration of human rights as a foreign policy is a growing force. Our degree of support for a particular government depends more and more upon its consideration of human rights rather than the type of government.

Bob Isaac

Lakeport, Calif.

It is not the collapse of the Somoza and Pahlavi regimes but their establishment with more than just a little help from official U.S. clandestine departments that should shame us.

Tord Friiso Denver

The Nicaraguans still have a chance to prove that they're better off without Anastasio Somoza. But it's my impression that taking things as a whole, the people of Iran were better off under their previous dictator than they are under their present dictator.

James Watson Edmonton

Religion in Politics

As a churchgoing, baptized Christian, I object to Fundamentalist Jerry Falwell's religion-in-politics campaign [Oct. 1]. He is using the Cross of Christ to pound a political drum. Jesus came to seek and save all people. He speaks to all, regardless of political persuasion. Falwell's view that God loves America above all nations is simply blasphemous.

Luther C. Jones Jr.

East Falmouth, Mass.

Jesus preached a radical way of life that cares for the poor and oppressed, and he accepted the suffering visited upon him by those who could not bear his message. It takes far more courage to love people as Jesus did than to run the quasireligious money mill that Falwell does.

(The Rev.) Peggy McClanahan

Pierce, Neb.

Thank God for a man like the Rev. Jerry Falwell, who tells it like it is regarding America's national sins. As far as I am concerned, there is no difference between the secular and sacred.

(The Rev.) Randy Anderson

Williamsburg, Va.

A cross between Elmer Gantry and Joe McCarthy we can do without.

(The Rev.) Robin Meyers

Summit, N.J.

Falwell and others like him are rendering a great service by spearheading efforts to restore morality to this nation, individually and collectively, and save it from total abandonment to crime, expediency and degradation.

Martin H. Smith Glen

Burnie, Md.

It appears that in the Rev. Jerry Falwell we might have a potential "Christian Khomeini" on our hands. If Mr. Falwell's philosophy were to prevail, what would happen to teachers, preachers and politicians whose points of view differ from his? What would become of schools and textbooks not in harmony with his theology or political philosophy?

(The Rev.) Donald H. Traylor

Petersburg, Va.

Truman's Genius

Hugh Sidey's column [Oct. 1] was the most eloquent praise of President Harry Truman I've ever read. No pomp and circumstance in his presidency. No demagoguery, as with many of his predecessors and all of his successors. Only a common-sense genius to do what had to be done.

Sid Levy

Denver

If comparisons are to be made between Harry Truman and Jimmy Carter, it can be said that both were businessmen, Christians and unpopular in polls. Truman gets more popular and more quotable each year among people who didn't vote for him or wouldn't have.

Charlotte Stein

Edmonds, Wash.

Cheers for The Who

The review Jay Cocks did on The Who at Madison Square Garden [Oct. 1] was one of the nicest and most honest reviews of the group I have read in a while. I went to New York City for the second of those concerts, and Cocks described it like it was. The Who have proved themselves to be the best rock-'n'-roll band ever. I was so touched, excited and happy for The Who and all their fans that words couldn't express my emotions. I'm glad Cocks feels the way I do.

Ellen Campbell

Bloomington, Ind.

Many a day has passed when The Who were the only thing between me and depression. They are a spiritual as well as a musical force.

Robert S. Hepp

Madison, Wis.

Jay Cocks couldn't have said it any better. While other bands turn out whatever is in vogue, The Who remain true to what rock is all about. The Who may be getting older, but when they take the stage they are with us, they are us, the kids, and we love it.

Debbie Weksberg

New York City

I would like to inform Jay Cocks that even though I don't know what a boutique is and have ridden in a limousine only when serving as a young altar boy at a funeral, I can tell the difference between "something scraped off a bad piece of cheese" and the greatest rock-'n'-roll band in the world, the Rolling Stones.

Michael Szerzinski

St. Louis

Obscene Literature

Whether or not the various periodicals involved in the printing of articles by Charles Hansen and Howard Morland are guilty of disseminating classified information on the hydrogen bomb [Oct. 1], it would certainly seem possible to convict them of publishing obscene material. Surely nuclear holocaust and the means of bringing it about are without redeeming social value. Making such information public can serve no positive purpose.

Tim Farrington

Logan, Utah

Begin's Health

Your report "Fears for Begin's Health" [Sept. 24] is regrettable for the serious misinformation it contains. On the basis of the most authoritative examination of the real facts, I am able to inform your readers that contrary to your correspondent's assertions, the Prime Minister did not take a day off from his governmental duties shortly before the Haifa summit with President Sadat; he was not driven to a "secluded laboratory" or to any other location for a physical checkup, and he has never met with a team of "three non-Israeli neurological experts." He could, therefore, never have been examined by them. In particular, the Prime Minister never met with a Dr. Jack Fein. Hence, no such team could have given any medical advice to the Prime Minister.

Following the Prime Minister's release from the Hadassah Medical Center, and after a brief rest period at his home, he resumed his regular daily duties, with the full approval of the two physicians who treated him, Professor Marvin Gottesman and Professor Sylvan Lavie. The story in your report, that the Prime Minister has to put in a shorter working day, or is working less hours, is incorrect.

Given the totally unfounded nature of your report, it is proper that your readers be informed of the above facts.

Dan Pattir

Counsellor to the Prime Minister of Israel

Jerusalem

TIME has rechecked all aspects of its story, which was based on what it believed was firsthand knowledge of a meeting between Prime Minister Begin and three consulting neurologists. TIME was apparently misled as to the meeting and regrets the error. TIME stands by its report that for a period of weeks following his stroke on July 19 the Prime Minister's work load was significantly reduced.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.