Letters, Jan. 8, 1973

(3 of 4)

Sir / It was certainly news to me to see the outrageous statement concerning Margaret Mead's "private life" that was attributed to me [Nov. 27]. The word "shambles" characterizes nothing of the reality, public or private, of Dr. Mead's life.

WARREN SWIDLER New York City

Troublesome Stuff

Sir / Re "Taking Aim at Job Training" [Dec. 18]: critics of this program have a point of view akin to that of gold miners in the old West who threw away "troublesome stuff," which later turned out to be silver. On Jan. 22, 1973, Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier will go up against what was the human equivalent of "troublesome stuff": George Foreman. He was a juvenile delinquent when he heard a public-service "spot" suggesting Job Corps as a solution. He came to Litton Industries' Parks Job Corps Center, and began working toward a high school diploma, which he earned. But he was still an alley fighter who got into trouble. One day the director, Dr. S. Stephen Uslan. said that if Foreman liked to fight, he should get in the ring and channel the energy that way. George went along. Then it was a whole new world. Golden Gloves champion. Olympics gold medal winner. And a visit to President Johnson in the White House, to thank him for having fathered the Job Corps program. which he told the President gave "young people like me a chance for hope, dignity and self-respect."

BARNEY OLDFIELD Director, Special Projects Litton Industries Beverly Hills, Calif.

Help for Addicts

Sir /1 read with interest your piece "A Glimmer of Light?" about drug treatment [Dec. 11]. I also agree with Psychiatrist Vernon Patch that the chances of remaining drug free after leaving most institutions hardly ever amount to more than 3%.

However, the Hoving Home, which I help fund, has a remarkable cure rate. The dropout rate after one month is only 10%. And those who graduate do remarkably well. At the present time, 96% of those who have been out over three years are still clean and living constructive lives.

WALTER HOVING Chairman Tiffany & Co. New York City

The Search for Bormann

Sir / Your report of Bormann's furtive movements about Latin America [Dec. 11] obscures the reason for the search. Perhaps, if you had shown a picture of bodies stacked like cordwood next to the crematory, people would be reminded of why Martin Bormann deserves to be remembered.

LEONARD GOLDSCHMIDT Hartford, Conn.

Pot at Sea

Sir / What is the difference between William F. Buckley Jr. smoking pot on a sailboat three miles out at sea [Dec. 11] to "see what it's like," a 16-year-old girl who tries it "to see what it's like" and gets caught, and a 23-year-old Viet Nam veteran who gets arrested and convicted for receiving a package of grass addressed to his friend?

The girl gets put on probation, suspended from school, treated as "disturbed." The veteran can get no job and becomes an expatriate. And everyone is delighted that Buckley is turning on too.

PEGGY BURT Columbus

Sir / William Buckley's marijuana—was it delivered to his yacht by helicopter or carrier pigeon?