Men of the Year

Sirs:

. . . I think most people expect to see as the Man of the Year on TIME'S cover one who thrills us with his magnificent and constructive deeds, not shameful and destructive deeds. How about a composite picture of the heroes of the Reuben James, the Kearny and other ships . . . ? How about Churchill and Roosevelt together . . .? There are so many of the army of glorious ones. Make us proud to carry TIME around for a week. . . .

HORTENSE WORDEMAN

New York City

-- TIME'S Man of the Year is in no sense an award for merit or heroism. It is an attempt to pick the man whose accomplishments, good or evil, have been most outstanding.--ED.

Sirs:

Personally I think President Roosevelt should be the Man of the Year for all his good work. . . .

JIM SCOBIE

Age 12

Middlebury, Vt.

Sirs:

. . . Man of 1941 is not an individual; he is ten million men. Ivan, the Russian soldier, the first who could stop Adolf Hitler, the immovable object to what the world thought was an irresistible force. . . .

JOHN FELS

Oxford, Ohio

Sirs:

For the Man of the Year, I nominate the Devil himself, in full regalia. By comparison, no other personality can measure up this year. . . .

U. S. DUNCAN

Iron Mountain, Mont.

Sirs:

Devil of the year: Adolf Hitler. Assistant devil: John L. Lewis.

W. G. MARTIN, DEAN

Schreiner Institute

Kerrville, Tex.

Two Little Letters

Sirs:

You do it. The President and his Lady do it. So do Congressmen, generals, labor, and everybody else. We're all using the wrong word.

Two little letters of significant psychological impact stand between national unity and all the shouting and argument. Change two letters in our present national slogan and all of us together would know what we're fighting for. . . .

We say, "America is All Out for National Defense." "Buy Stamps for National Defense.". . . Why not say what we think and feel and mean?

"America is All Out for National Off-fense. "Buy Stamps for National Off-fense." Think Off-fense. Make tools for Off-fense. Pour out our planes and tanks and guns for food for Off-fense.

Hitler is the one who should start worrying about Dee-fense. America is rallying behind National Off-fense, and no two ways about it.

GLADYS TILDEN

Los Angeles, Calif.

No Stooge

Sirs:

I have just returned to the U.S. and my attention has been called to an article in

TIME, July 7, entitled "Pretenders Forward." . . . I must request a rectification . . . of certain misrepresentations contained in the article mentioned.

Particularly damaging to me is the reference to myself as one of "Hitler's stooges, quislings or puppets." There is no basis whatsoever for that accusation. My opinion of Hitler, and all he represents may, or may not, differ in no important detail from that of President Roosevelt, or Rabbi Wise, or for that matter, the editors of TIME. My considered opinion, nevertheless, is that Hitler, and all the forces behind him, will not be defeated by oratorical flag-waving or wishful thinking. . . .

As far as the future of the Ukraine is concerned, I believe that to be a matter for the ultimate expression of the national will of the Ukrainian people. They are, as your history reference books will tell you, essentially democratic. What form their democratic urge will take is for them to decide, when they again attain the power of decision, as they will. They have already suffered far too much from well-meaning and other kinds of meddlers. No claims attributed to me--real or implied--will stand in the way of such expression. . . .

I not only WAS ONCE A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS but I still am.

I am still a retired officer of the United States Marines, having been retired for disability acquired in the line of duty while serving with the Marines in World War I.

I have never BEEN FINANCIALLY backed BY CANADIAN UKRAINIANS or any other Ukrainians, to the extent of one dollar.

I have never received any money whatsoever from U.S. SPECULATORS INTERESTED IN OIL CONCESSIONS. Nor have I FOUND A GOOD LIVING PUSHING [my] CLAIMS TO THE HETMANSHIP TO THE UKRAINE as you state. NOR am I an antique dealer. . . .

J. MAKOHIN

Boston, Mass.

-- TIME erred in indicating that Jacob Makohin, otherwise known as Prince Leon Mazeppa von Razumovsky, was available as a Hitler stooge in the Russian Ukraine, and is glad to record his other corrections. Whatever the Prince's Ukrainian dealings may have been, they now seem to be a thing of the past.--ED.

What Uncle Same Can Do

Sirs:

TIME of Nov. 3 has a letter by Erich Posselt entitled "Mountain in Labor" in which he says some very unkind words regarding Nelson Rockefeller's En Guardia, the Spanish-language magazine put out by his committee on Inter-American Affairs. . . . I wish to say that here in Guatemala I heard only favorable comment regarding En Guardia. True, the magazine shows mostly pictures of the American Navy and Army and of its great defense program. But I believe that these pictures show us down here what Uncle Sam can do to protect himself and us too if need be.

Here in Guatemala we have a splendid airfield and if there should ever be real trouble between Japan and the U.S., the Japs may have an idea of bombing our field to disrupt air communication between Brownsville and the Canal Zone. Then we might be right in the middle of the fireworks and it is very nice for us to see from pictures in En Guardia . . . that Uncle Sam is preparing for all eventualities.

Up in New York where Mr. Posselt seems to live you know darn well what the U.S. Fleet and Army can do. Down here people are not so sure; they have been shown too many pictures of German soldiers and German might; it is good for them to have a chance of seeing in splendid pictures that the other side is preparing too. . . .

HERBERT D. SAPPER

Guatemala City

Idealistic Stephens

Sirs:

We, as students of Stephens College, wish to protest vigorously against your recent article on the National Forum. Your disrespectful references to President Wood, your ridiculous remarks about the aim and scope of Stephens and your wisecracks about Stephens girls were all in the worst possible taste. . . .

We are not "model females," nor are the great majority of us here for the purpose of learning how to catch husbands. There are a few other things in life which interest us. . . .

We are studying at Stephens to learn how to face the problems of modern life intelligently and with poise and self-confidence. In addition to singing, riding, and makeup, we have pre-med courses, journalism, humanities, sociology, mathematics. . . . Incidentally, since reverence toward the spiritual is one of the Ten Ideals by which every Stephens girl tries to live, we are taught to read and understand the Bible, and to apply its philosophy to our everyday problems. So what? . . .

GAIL RICE

ALICE MARTLING

DORIS LEVINE

UNITY URQUHART

MAUREEN HENNESSY

Stephens College

Columbia, Mo.

-- TIME made no wisecracks, and it was not disrespectful of President Wood--unless mention of President Wood's affectionate nickname, "Daddy," was in itself disrespectful.--ED.

Subcontracting

Sirs:

The implication left by TIME (Nov. 17) that President K. T. Keller and Chrysler Corp. blocked efforts of Floyd Odlum to obtain 25% subcontracting on tank production is absurd, unfair to those men and the automobile industry, and unworthy of TIME.

Actually, 75% of the dollar value of the 28-ton armored tanks now rolling out of the Chrysler-managed arsenal represents work done by non-Chrysler organizations. The tank plant is drawing on 700 outside companies, big and little, in 130 cities and 20 States, for parts, supplies and materials.

TIME'S informant is apparently unaware that "the usefulness and practicability of a wide farming out of work has long been exemplified in the normal peacetime organization of the automobile industry." (So stated OPM Labor Division in Farming Out Bulletin No. 5.). . .

The automobile industry is, in reality, the expert integration of thousands of large and small concerns, and its companies to a large extent are the assemblers of parts produced by others. In 1937 for example (latest year for which segregated figures are available), total value of products manufactured in motor vehicle plants was $3 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, whereas dollar value of bodies and parts manufactured under the "farming out" plan totaled $2 billion. In addition, $744 million was represented by accessories and supplies made by "nonautomotive" concerns.

The same policy is in effect regarding the industry's defense work, in spite of the fact that most companies lack enough assignments to absorb the men and facilities that are being released by curtailment of automobile production. Analysis of 104 random defense contracts in the industry shows 45% of the dollar value being let out in the form of subcontracts. . . .

Normal activities of the industry long ago were subordinated to the No. 1 Job--Defense. Greatest need now--more defense contracts.

O. P. PEARSON

Manager, Statistical Department

Automobile Manufacturers Association

Detroit, Mich.

-- TIME meant no dispraise to able President Keller or to the auto indus try. Its point was that Mr. Odlum had allowed himself to be balked on writing a subcontracting provision into the tank contract. In so doing TIME'S story failed to give the auto industry the undisputed credit due it as a master of the farming-out method. But it should be pointed out that the fact that 75% of a tank's dollar value comes from outside sources is not the same as 75% subcontracting. The 75% mentioned includes not only parts but "supplies and materials"-- the value of all the raw materials (steel, etc.) that go into the tank and of all the supplies used in the factory.--ED.

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