Letters, Dec. 8, 1941

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Men of the Year

Sirs:

. . . I think most people expect to see as the Man of the Year on TIME'S cover one who thrills us with his magnificent and constructive deeds, not shameful and destructive deeds. How about a composite picture of the heroes of the Reuben James, the Kearny and other ships . . . ? How about Churchill and Roosevelt together . . .? There are so many of the army of glorious ones. Make us proud to carry TIME around for a week. . . .

HORTENSE WORDEMAN

New York City

— TIME'S Man of the Year is in no sense an award for merit or heroism. It is an attempt to pick the man whose accomplishments, good or evil, have been most outstanding.—ED.

Sirs:

Personally I think President Roosevelt should be the Man of the Year for all his good work. . . .

JIM SCOBIE

Age 12

Middlebury, Vt.

Sirs:

. . . Man of 1941 is not an individual; he is ten million men. Ivan, the Russian soldier, the first who could stop Adolf Hitler, the immovable object to what the world thought was an irresistible force. . . .

JOHN FELS

Oxford, Ohio

Sirs:

For the Man of the Year, I nominate the Devil himself, in full regalia. By comparison, no other personality can measure up this year. . . .

U. S. DUNCAN

Iron Mountain, Mont.

Sirs:

Devil of the year: Adolf Hitler. Assistant devil: John L. Lewis.

W. G. MARTIN, DEAN

Schreiner Institute

Kerrville, Tex.

Two Little Letters

Sirs:

You do it. The President and his Lady do it. So do Congressmen, generals, labor, and everybody else. We're all using the wrong word.

Two little letters of significant psychological impact stand between national unity and all the shouting and argument. Change two letters in our present national slogan and all of us together would know what we're fighting for. . . .

We say, "America is All Out for National Defense." "Buy Stamps for National Defense.". . . Why not say what we think and feel and mean?

"America is All Out for National Off-fense. "Buy Stamps for National Off-fense." Think Off-fense. Make tools for Off-fense. Pour out our planes and tanks and guns for food for Off-fense.

Hitler is the one who should start worrying about Dee-fense. America is rallying behind National Off-fense, and no two ways about it.

GLADYS TILDEN

Los Angeles, Calif.

No Stooge

Sirs:

I have just returned to the U.S. and my attention has been called to an article in

TIME, July 7, entitled "Pretenders Forward." . . . I must request a rectification . . . of certain misrepresentations contained in the article mentioned.

Particularly damaging to me is the reference to myself as one of "Hitler's stooges, quislings or puppets." There is no basis whatsoever for that accusation. My opinion of Hitler, and all he represents may, or may not, differ in no important detail from that of President Roosevelt, or Rabbi Wise, or for that matter, the editors of TIME. My considered opinion, nevertheless, is that Hitler, and all the forces behind him, will not be defeated by oratorical flag-waving or wishful thinking. . . .