Letters, Jun. 10, 1935

(3 of 5)

CARL Q. CHRISTOL JR.

Permanent Secretary

Class of 1934

Minneapolis, Minn.

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Trujillo Footnotes

Sirs:

. . . Your article relative to the Dominican Republic in the issue of May 13 carries the sting of personalities which casts a doubt as to the knowledge and sincerity of the author. . . .

President Trujillo is an experienced statesman and politician as evidenced by his election to a second term. He is therefore accustomed and immune to criticism of his official life. But the slurring reference to his ''dubious beginnings," "beige color" and "bastard child" must carry the barbs of insult and embarrassment straight to the hearts of his mother, wife and children.

This writer is a native-born and white citizen of the U. S. and sincerely appreciates the honor of President Trujillo's acquaintance and friendship. I therefore feel obligated to him, his mother, his beautiful and accomplished wife and daughters, his little boy and his six brothers, to assure my fellow Americans that Señor Rafael Leonidas Trujillo and his brothers are obviously of pure Castilian blood and are instantly recognized as gentlemen of education, culture and refinement. . . .

ARTHUR R. MILES

Miami, Fla.

Sirs:

. . . Having visited Santo Domingo in January and February of this year, I have had some experience with the strict censorship enforced there. . . . Judging from the contacts I had and from the general talk I should say your article was quite accurate concerning Trujillo and his super-dictatorship.

Further instances of his power I noted were: prominent private citizens in the employ of American concerns in S. D. are obliged to entertain at least twice annually for Trujillo, his bodyguards, his Cabinet, all their bodyguards, and a goodly portion of his over-sized army, and on supercharged peace visits of the Haitian President and his entourage with cocktail parties costing from $700 to $1,600—the host's house and grounds patrolled by Trujillo's machine-gunners. Since the General Electric Co. has so far escaped Trujillo's control, he is now employing prominent Dominican "ladies" as spies in his efforts to obtain the monopoly of the only paying American concern, and the one that has benefited the natives more than any other.

J. D. AIKEN

Wellesley Hills, Mass.

Diplomacy's Lack

Sirs:

Your article on Josef Pilsudski's death (TIME, May 20) confirms' once more the lack of diplomacy of your leading editors.

However, one should not wonder!

... It would take too much time to point out the many mistakes and misleading statements.

ANTHONY H. MILKOWSKI

Buffalo, N. Y.

Sirs:

. . . No one could object to your calling attention to a walrus mustache several times in one article, if it seems important to you to do so. But when you refer to a great man, newly dead, as "Walrus Pilsudski," you are going beyond the limits of good taste and decency. . . .

M. C. WILLIAMS

Bronxville, N. Y.

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Alcohol-Gasoline

Sirs: