Forum, Sep. 23, 1974

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With Mr. Nixon irrevocably pardoned, the moral basis for pursuing his co-conspirators is undermined, and the cases themselves are jeopardized. The Executive Branch has rendered the Judicial Branch incapable of performing its proper function under the law. So it remains for Congress to overrule the President, reopen the impeachment probe and thus resolve the question of Richard Nixon's culpability.

James D. Denney

Paramus, N.J.

I nominate J.F. terHorst for Man of the Year.

Jack Gaines

Stinson Beach, Calif.

Wait for Big Brother

The economic situation is extremely serious, but it would appear that we are to be encouraged to curse the darkness and to wait for Big Brother, the Administration, to act on inflation. My firm's management surveys indicate a self-admitted average of 25% nonproductive time amongst managers in industry. As a nation, we lose $16 billion to theft alone—three times the proposed cut in defense spending. However, we can depend on our Government to take care of us—perhaps as it has taken care of the original Americans, the Indians.

Before we end up on a reservation with handouts of corn, let's get off our individual backsides and go to work. Increased productivity would give us needed cash, jobs and lower prices. We need positive, individual leadership, by example, from company presidents, union leaders and, yes, the media.

William B. Gerraughty

North Andover, Mass.

The easiest way to combat inflationary food prices is to apply the old maxim: no ifs, no ands, no Butz...

Clifford M. Crist

Houston

I fully agree that President Ford is earnest in his intentions of holding down federal spending, as is evidenced by his veto of a $47 million health research program. However, in his zeal to instill a "sense of self-sacrifice," Mr. Ford may have overlooked the fact that some people may not have that much to "sacrifice"—especially those whom the health research program was designed to help.

J.A. Aaron

Los Angeles

What Did They Say?

In your issue of Sept. 9, your book review of Carl Solberg's Riding High gives new currency to the false statement that Truman said that "the whole world should adopt the American system." Truman never said anything of the sort. That is a fabrication by Noam Chomsky in his book American Power and the New Mandarins.

Chomsky claimed in a footnote that Truman had said it in a speech given at Baylor University in 1947. An examination of the Baylor speech shows that Truman did not say it or anything like it. The Chomsky invention has been repeatedly exposed.

Arthur Schlesinger Jr.

New York City

The Mexican Reality

Mexico continues to be an island of stability, and not only in Latin America. Regard your own circumstances: in eleven years, one President assassinated, countless riots, assaults and kidnapings, a long and unjust war waged against the will of the people, the highest officials of the Executive Branch on trial, and political scandal as a way of life. The "island of stability" to which your article refers prevails throughout the Western Hemisphere.