WHEN they choose cover subjects, TIME'S editors often face a problem that might be called the faceless phenomenon. In a complex civilization, where so much is done by committees and teams, there are many important events and trends that are not readily reportable in terms of one individual. Thus it is sometimes best to use symbolic or group covers. But this problem almost never occurs in moments of world tension. Crisis has a face, and trouble finds its man.
When North Vietnamese PT boats attacked American ships in the Gulf of Tonkin for the second time last Tuesday, it was instantly clear...