Superbabies

To the Editors:

Most people are only dimly aware of the information in your delightful cover story on babies [Aug. 15]. I am a registered nurse in the maternity unit of a New York hospital, and when I talk to babies just out of the delivery room they respond to my voice and other sounds. They see and react to a soothing touch and consistently avoid painful or frightening stimuli. In the first week of life they are much more aware than most people realize.

Susan Gower New York City

Inevitably, scientific research spends millions to prove what sensitive parents have always known: babies are intelligent. Let us hope this knowledge does not violate the kingdom of childhood.

Richard G. Fried Glenmoore, Pa.

A decade ago, when I was ready to leave the hospital with my three-day-old baby, she stared at my obstetrician's colorful tie, and as he began to move back and forth she followed his movements. "You'd almost think she could see," the doctor remarked. Even then I was surprised by his reluctance to accept what he had observed.

Judith L. Mack Glen Rock, N.J.

Are we to infer that Caucasian babies are the only ones who show signs of intelligence at birth? Surely TIME did not intend to give that message to its reading public, even though all of your photographs are of white babies.

Marjorie Tillery West New York, N.J.

Your story on babies really excited me because my wife has just given birth to a splendid baby boy, our first, called Daniel Michael. He is exhibiting the acute sense of awareness and incredibly high level of intelligence you describe. What an unfortunate oversight on your part for not putting him on the cover (8 x 10 glossies available).

Michael F. Schill Cincinnati

After reading your story I wondered how many parents would begin the practice of sticking tongues out at their infants. I did, and my eight-week-old son imitated me beautifully.

Candace Purdom Lombard, 111.

Amending Reagan's Amends If the members of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women looked past the ends of their liberated noses, they would realize that President Reagan gave them quite a compliment when he said, "If it wasn't for women, us men would still be walking around in skin suits carrying clubs" [Aug. 15]. I sincerely hope their attitude is not held by all of America's women.

Richard J. Kikkert Jr. Carlstadt, N.J.

It was bad enough that Ronald Reagan chose to use an ill-conceived bit of humor to make amends to a professional businesswomen's group. But to commit two grammatical errors in one brief remark may bring him a flood of mail from the nation's English teachers. He should have said, "If it weren't for women, we men .. ." It would appear that his grammar is as lacking as his ability to know his audience.

Richard Jeffers Houston

Does President Reagan really need to be convinced by a commission that there are millions of hungry people in the land? Why is it so often the case that those with full stomachs determine policy toward people who have nothing to eat?

Rick Swenson St. Paul

So Agriculture Secretary John Block and family ate on a "food stamp budget" for one week. We are supposed to be impressed. I have never lived on food stamps, but I have seen the struggles of friends who have. How would you like it, Mr. Block, if your infant went hungry because the milk soured and the food stamps weren't due to come for two more days?

Sandra McGee Bellevue, Ky.

Cloned Humanity Charles Krauthammer's Essay on our tendency to believe that everybody is "just like us" is sublime [Aug. 15]. Neither people, as discrete personalities, nor cultures, as macrocosms of small social groups, are alike. The piece is a modern exegesis of an established and immutable truth. When I was an undergraduate 45 years ago, it was labeled "individual differences."

Ralph B. Miller Camp Hill, Pa.

Armenian Deaths

We were shocked and dismayed to read in your coverage [Aug. 8] of the Turkish embassy incident in Lisbon your description of the 1915 genocide of 1.5 million Armenians as an "alleged 1915 massacre." The undeniable truth is that the massacre did take place and that at least 1 million Armenians died (the often cited estimate being 1.5 million).

Leo Sarkisian Public Information Chairman Armenian National Committee Boston

Police Beat

Your article [Aug. 15] on the Police was fantastic. Sting, Stewart and Andy may be sex symbols to a lot of their fans, but they have the brains to make awesome music. Every Breath You Take and every song they make are perfect.

Mary C. Carpentier Milwaukee

The Police are heading away from their style of irreverently mocking our society into an examination of the darkest reaches of the human mind. Before, they seemed untouched by the turmoil around them; now they are consumed by it. Until recently, the Police were my favorite group; now they are a shaky third, behind the exuberance of Duran Duran and the bizarre nonsense of the B-52's.

Pamela Jeanne Maine Stoneham, Mass.

Seagull Strikeout The amused tone of your report on the New York Yankee Dave Winfield incident is typical of the disdain that most people show toward gulls [Aug. 15]. They are among the most beautiful of birds, and their flight is one of considerable grace and agility. If Dave Winfield deliberately aimed at the gull, he should be charged with cruelty to animals.

Anthony Amos Port Aransas, Texas

In the future, any descendant of Jonathan Livingston Seagull's in the Toronto area will have to be mighty gullible to believe that diamonds are a gull's best friend.

Bob Schwarz Allen town, Pa. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.