Letters: Jul. 24, 2006

The Larger-Than-Life President The fifth installment of our Making of America series put the spotlight on Theodore Roosevelt, the warrior, trustbuster and conservationist who helped make the U.S. a world power. Readers looked back with fascination at his accomplishments and fondness for his compassionate character

I found your special issue about Teddy Roosevelt [July 3] very informative, even though I have read more than one Roosevelt biography over the years and have long idolized him. Roosevelt's life shows what can be accomplished with hard work and perseverance. Our leaders could learn a lot from T.R. He was more than a man of action; he had moral fiber and an upstanding character. Even though he had independent means, he never lost sight of the plight of the common man, and he tirelessly fought for causes--such as environmentalism and trust-busting--that are still relevant. MARY F. GOCELJAK-McGOWAN Piscataway, N.J.

Bully for a very enlightening look at one of America's greatest Presidents. Although overshadowed by F.D.R. in more recent times, Teddy Roosevelt not only ushered the U.S. into the 20th century, he also laid the foundation for its being a major player on the world stage. The story of Roosevelt's presidency is a classic example of why history is relevant; it is vibrant and vital, much as was the U.S.'s 26th President. ARISTEA VLAVIANOS Charlottesville, Va.

How fortunate that our nation had a leader as magnificent as T.R. at such a crucial time--the start of the modern era. Sadly, we have not seen the likes of him since. I wonder which of our contemporaries, if any, will grace the cover of TIME 100 years from now. MAYR MALOOL Lake Placid, Fla.

Can anyone picture George W. Bush hauling in an oil company's CEO and handling him the way Roosevelt handled J.P. Morgan? In the next presidential election I will be looking for a pugnacious pugilist who knows his ornithology. Thanks for reminding an old social-science instructor how important T.R. was to the development of today's U.S. GRANT BELINGER Fenton, Mich.

Having Karl Rove write about lessons from the career of Roosevelt was an insult to one of our greatest Presidents. If Rove had been working for one of T.R.'s opponents, he would have slapped together a band of Spanish-American War Veterans for Truth and suggested that Teddy had been sipping Cuba libres on a gunboat instead of leading the charge up San Juan Heights. WILLIAM G. SCHELLER Waterville, Vt.

Hunting on the High Seas

Re "Revenge of the Whale Hunters" [July 3]: Japan's whaling practices are in full compliance with the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. Japan supports the protection of endangered whales and advocates that only abundant cetacean species be harvested sustainably. Japan's commitment to whaling for scientific research is sincere and necessary to establish the proper conservation of whales. In fact, scientific knowledge from Japan has been highly commended by the International Whaling Commission's scientific committee. As the world's second largest donor of official development assistance, Japan provides aid to developing countries regardless of their positions on whaling. That Japan is using "bribery to get its way" is a completely false accusation. JIRO OKUYAMA, DIRECTOR JAPAN INFORMATION CENTER CONSULATE GENERAL OF JAPAN New York City