Letters: Sep. 20, 1926

Knew Not

Sirs:

I thoroughly enjoy TIME, but I do not read every paragraph in the magazine from cover to cover. That may account for my singular ignorance which other readers of TIME may not possess.

But while I may be ignorant I kind of hate to have It rubbed in.

I refer to your issue of Aug. 30, wherein you preface various remarks by stating "As everyone knows." These words slapped me in the face four different times while reading your magazine last night.

I did not know that the White House icebox was a primitive one of shaggy lumber.

I did not know that the Diskonto Gesellschaft is one of the four great "D Banks" of Germany.

I did not know that Prince Chichibu of Japan has wintered and disported himself in Switzerland, and that he has survived an ankle strained while skating and ensuing measles.

I did not know that Gregory Zinoviev was expelled during the summer from the potent Communist Political Bureau.

It may be that there are a few other readers who did not know these great universal facts, and who dislike being singled out as the only one who was ignorant of them.

You need not cancel my subscription, however.

HENRY W. DUNN

Long Beach, Calif.

Twisters

Sirs:

I am much interested in the inclosed piece of information [relative to cyclones] from TIME, Aug. 30. It does not however go far enough. What happens when a waterspout crosses the equator? Does it stop suddenly and start spinning in the opposite direction ? Or does it die of convulsions? Or What? I shall be obliged if you will inform me. . . .

W. H. HARKNESS

Glen Cove, L. I.

TIME stated that cyclones spin counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere, clockwise in the southern, due to twist imparted to enveloping air currents by Earth's axial motion (Ferrel's law). No record is discoverable of the hypothetical case posed by Subscriber Harkness. From the nature of its spin and of prevailing air currents, a cyclone usually travels away from the Equator. Should one chance to be translated across the Line it would theoretically be retarded, dissipated, replaced by a fresh one of reverse spin.—ED.

Sirs:

The writer, a recent subscriber to TIME, looks forward each week to the receipt of your periodical, primarily for the wide scope of news it disseminates, its brevity and accuracy. Imagine my surprise when reading your Aug. 30 issue I found a mistake in nomenclature quite prevalent among our country's press, that is, terming tornadoes, cyclones." . . .

Under "Meteorology" in Volume XVIII [Encyclopaedia Brittanica], page 284, at the end of the second column in referring to cyclones, I find: "The term cyclone among meteorologists . . . is equivalent to the older usage of whirlwind, and it is unfortunate that misunderstandings often arise because local usages in America apply the word cyclone to what has for centuries been called a tornado."

The above is sent in a kind spirit.

I shall look forward to receiving your future issues and recommend it to my friends.

BRADNER W. LEE JR.

Los Angeles, Calif.