Letters, Jun. 22, 1942

(2 of 4)

Sirs: May I take exception to your opening sentence in your article "Anticipation at Madagascar," TIME, May 11. You state "For once the British made an effort to get there first." It is a common habit of the English to belittle their accomplishments and to exaggerate those of the enemies, but, we do not like to have our efforts the subject of derogatory comment by our neighbors. Surely the occupation of Iceland, Syria, Iraq, etc. should entitle us to a more complimentary opening passage. May I suggest that "Once again the British have beat the Axis to the punch," would have been a more appropriate expression, and also have helped the esprit de corps.

A. C. JENNING Montreal, Quebec

> Said Winston Churchill, without rancor, when he was broadcasting to the world on May 10: ". . . [it was important] for us to take Madagascar and forestall the Japanese—and be there 'first for once' as they said."—ED.

Buffoons, Timeservers, etc.

Sirs:

It is obvious that one of your prime objectives of late has been the castigation of Congress. The result of this type of criticism has been the spread of the belief that Congress is made up of a flock of jokers and buffoons who are incapable of any sensible action or decision. No one will deny that there is in Congress an overly large number of noisy timeservers, obstructionists and reactionaries, but the majority of our representatives are patriotic, hard-working men. . .. This unscrupulous criticism if carried to extremes will threaten Congress as an institution. Your purpose—that of improving the personnel of Congressקs an admirable one, but your methods are dangerous and distasteful. . . .

RALPH A. KOHN JR. Stanford University Palo Alto, Calif.

Sirs:

Being busy making a soldier, I do not have much time to read or write. But I do read TIME regularly. Your article on Congress and statesmanship so impressed me that I cannot fail to compliment you on it. It was excellent. Every Representative and Senator should read and reread it and awake to the task that lies before them. . . .

PRIVATE B. T. FLEETWOOD Fort Bragg, N.C.

Sirs:

When some of our national legislators faced about so completely after Pearl Harbor, I called them "weather vanes"; when they changed their votes on their pension bill, I thought they were "straws in the wind"; but when they ran back to exchange their X cards for some other type, they looked like "whirling dervishes." I'm dizzy from such leadership!

OLLIE E. HOFFMAN Bern, Kans.

Sirs:

TIME, May 25 quotes from the "pinko New Republic," lists a good many Congressmen whose utterances will not stand light of day at present. However, where is the New Republic's friend Marcantonio ? If I remember, he voted against everything in the way of preparation.

FRANK T. BERTSCHE

Upper Montclair, N.J.

> Congressman Vito Marcantonio of New York, no special friend of the New Republic nowadays, reversed his isolationist stand after Germany attacked Russia, thus got the jump on the other isolationists who maintained their positions right up to Pearl Harbor.