The Way It Is

Sir: As a regular listener to CBS news, I heartily agree with you on the authoritative, relevant and objective newscasting by Walter Cronkite [Oct. 14]. When Walter concludes his daily assortment of often unpleasant news with "That's the way it is, October . . . ," somehow I feel this silent remark, "and I can't do a thing about it."

MASATO TAKAHASHI, M.D.

Los Angeles

Sir: Who can forget Walter's tremendous coverage of the Kennedy assassination? I can still hear his emotion-laden voice as he tried to keep control. It was an insight into his character for him to reveal himself as a warm human being; to let the world know that he felt the same as the rest of us during those black hours.

(MRS.) VIVIEN BEIRLEIN

Northville, N.Y.

Sir: Unlike Huntley and Brinkley, Walter Cronkite has no need of "sly side comments" to get his opinion across. The alert viewer can immediately detect his views on any given story by observing his facial expression at the conclusion of an on-the-scene report.

BRYAN WILSON

Waco, Texas

Sir: Americans seem to repudiate stiff-backed reporters who blandly mouth the words, but on the other hand have all the time in the world to listen to a shirt-sleeved next-door neighbor like Cronkite. It would be interesting to see him some night speaking into an old carbon mike from a rickety desk, being televised from an old television camera of dubious condition, and reading from copy that is so red-penciled it's hardly legible. The bets are down that he could still get more across to his news-thirsty viewers than anybody else.

JOHN N. SAVAGE

Toledo, Ohio

Sir: Your cover story on Cronkite points up one terrible truth. Image is the thing. This is true in newscasting, politics and (pardon) the press.

Lincoln wouldn't have a chance today. He was homely, poor and honest and in addition, had an unattractive wife. This would make him persona non grata by today's shallow standards. The build up of unqualified candidates via TV and the news media is disgusting.

(MRS.) D. R. SHOUP

Charlotte, N.C.

Sir: The electronic front page will soon present living war in every cold blooded American home. What more could the American public ask for? I hope the commercials will be appropriate and well timed. I would hate to miss seeing my cousin killed.

CHRIS BUYS

Graduate Student

University of Colorado

Boulder, Colo.

Sir: Let's see on TV pictures of the Viet Cong prison camp where they chained and tried to kill some of their prisoners.

EDWARD CLARKE

New York City

Secret Ballot

Sir: I think there are perhaps very few individuals who cannot identify with your timely Essay on petitions [Oct. 14]. It is very often too great a temptation to sign a petition advocating an issue one is totally unfamiliar with or affected by, merely because uninformed "big names" have publicly endorsed a view and aroused one's status-seeking subconscious. I am a strong proponent of viewing the pros and cons of an issue and then privately voting on the issue. That's when your vote really counts! Public testimonials by inexpert individuals should be limited to television deodorant commercials.

BERTHA J. SWEZEY

North Bellmore, N.Y.

Acting the Part

Sir: Ronald Reagan [Oct. 7] is destined for greatness. He is articulate, intelligent, and above all he has imagination, which this country lacks today. I am sure the California electorate will elect a creative Governor.

FULVIO S. AMODEO

Boston

Sir: Your remarkably prejudiced article on Ronald Reagan failed in all respects except one: it showed that Pat Brown is running scared.

JOSEPH P. WARD

Washington, B.C.

Sir: As a Democrat voting Republican, may I conclude that the difference between the two candidates is that Pat Brown was a politician who turned actor and Ronald Reagan an ex-actor who has become a winning politician.

ANITA SOKOLSKY

Hollywood

Sir: I would like to set the record straight in one area of your fair and objective article. It makes it appear as if I found the Screen Actors Guild "thoroughly infiltrated by Communists." This is not so. There undoubtedly were Communists in the guild, but because of our use of a secret ballot, they were never a factor. Indeed, it was the guild that was one of the leaders in the successful fight to keep the film industry from falling under the domination of other unions that were Communist dominated. I am proud of my long association with the guild, and would not want any inadvertent misinterpretation to cast any reflection on its long, and honorable history.

RONALD REAGAN

Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Art of Medicine

Sir: The article on the new medical technology [Oct. 7] left me ill at ease. The description of the various technological innovations reflected the undying faith of modern man in the science he has created and its presumed efficacy for all fields of human endeavor. Yet, as any man of science would attest, there is a vast difference between faith and knowledge. I suggest that some caution be exercised in the evaluation of the potentialities of the "new technologies of medicine."

ANTHONY F. COSTONIS

The University of Wisconsin

Madison

Sir: When TIME arrives, as an artist I flip quickly to ART. This week my eyes lit first on MEDICINE, and I thought I was in the right place. Medical science is marvelous. And you have opened a new avenue for artists tiring of op, pop or kinetic art--med art.

MRS. WILLIS W. HOWARD

Berwyn, Pa.

Sir: I was pleased to see my wife Roni pictured in full-page color in TIME. The "image of the foetus" on the TV screen has since developed into a beautiful baby girl, named Stacey Wynn, born Aug. 20 in Pittsburgh. We are proud to be the only ones in our neighborhood to have a baby album starting off with a picture at age minus two months.

STEPHEN N. LIPTON

Pittsburgh

Stiff Upper Quip

Sir: Re your recent caricature of the Rev. Malcolm Boyd [Oct. 7]: the Episcopal church can use many more dynamic clergymen like him! However, your closing statement would be more appropriate to Father Boyd's approach if it read: "The possibility in mixing show business with Christianity is that the Word may become the quip!"

A. F. DE GRAFFENRIED JR.

Hamden, Conn.

Sir: I fail to find God a proper subject for burlesque, nor do I perceive sportive fun in Boyd's theological meaning. Any candidates he finds for his saloon conversions will forget the pith of his message when they sober up in the morning, but Boyd will still be hung over in his spiritual vacuum.

ELLIOTT D. HAGLE

University of Chicago

In the Greenhouse

Sir: Actually, the first demonstration of TV by David Sarnoff [Oct. 7] was given in 1930. It was by closed circuit from the studios of RCA Photophone on the eleventh floor of 411 Fifth Avenue, to a Broadway theater packed with the press and theatrical, radio and movie world hierarchy. A young junior exec on the scene at the time, I was recruited to give a five-minute performance under green grease paint, but without rehearsal or direction. It was the golden opportunity for an aspiring actor, but I flunked it completely because of stage fright. Mr. Sarnoff kept me in the doghouse from then on.

JOHN D. LAVIN

New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

No Strings Attached

Sir: I was somewhat surprised to read the statement of Mr. William Steinberg (formerly Buffalo Bill) about quartets in residence in universities [Oct. 7]. It's sometimes difficult for a conductor to accept the idea that outstanding orchestra musicians feel they could be more constructive teaching and performing in the midst of a renowned school instead of being musically dictated to by the gentleman standing on the podium. A vacation it is not, but a relief it is.

ROBERT COURTE

Violist, Stanley Quartet

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor

Bank Deposit

Sir: I was delighted with your report on Bank Street College [Oct. 7]. A '64 graduate of the college, I am currently working with deprived youngsters in Project Head Start, and can attest to the success of the theory of "learning to learn" before teaching others.

DEBORAH P. SILL

Director & Head Teacher

Project Head Start

Lawrenceville, N.J.

The Living Room Couch

Sir: Your Essay on the pop-psych movement seemed very impressive [Oct. 7]. Your criticism of the "movement" itself is justified, but you've got to admit that their hearts are in the right places. As in anything of this sort, one may go to extremes, such as "psycholumnists" and the folks who think that after a 45-minute psychological program, they are fully capable of couching their neighbors and giving them sound advice as to how they may cope with their personal and social problems.

Yes, there are extremes, but is it bad that the people of this society are concerned enough to take the time for self-examination and the thought to criticize those around them? Socrates said that "the unexamined life is not worth living." As for those who are concerned with ridiculous trivia, they are wasting their time. But, as for those who really are trying to better themselves by self-examination and to help those around them with well-placed words of advice, I say, more power to them.

RICHARD H. PORRITT JR.

Hartwick College

Oneonta, N.Y.

Sir: The satire on "pop-psych" was an excellent one. One should be aware, however, that while the cocktail-party set is laughing, the professional world is engaged otherwise.

The stimulus for much of the most exciting and socially relevant research that is currently being done in the social sciences can be traced directly to Freud.

E. E. GREEN

University of Illinois

Chicago

Vot's in the Vodka

Sir: Polish Bison Brand Vodka [Oct. 14]? A Bog-Fog? Better a Yucca-Flats. Merely have at hand four quarts of vodka, 15 3-oz. bottles of maraschino cherries, ten mashed oranges, lemons and limes--plus rinds, 1 lb. of cane sugar, 10 lbs. of ice cubes, and proceed to dump the whole mess into a wastebasket. Stirring recommended.

DONALD J. DAWSON JR.

WILLIAM J. FLYNN III

CHARLES A. MCCLENATHAN JR.

PATRICK J. MCMAHON

Georgetown University

Washington

Sir: I've discovered why the artists of the Hamptons, the Russians and the Poles prefer to drink their vodka "neat." I recently tried to concoct a truly Russian mixed drink--vodka and beet borscht, blended with a dab of sour cream and topped off with a miniature boiled potato. My frothy, fuchsia discovery, dubbed "The Volga Boatman," was a pretty drink. But one sip told me it was aptly named. It tasted like river silt.

WILLIAM SPIEGLER

New York City

Grand Old Sport

Sir: In your sport story on the pennant race [Oct. 7] you say that the very fine and most deserving young man, Mr. Larry Jaster of St. Louis, "set a major league record" by shutting out the Los Angeles Dodgers five times in a row. Seems to me you should do a little research when you make such statements. He only tied the record set by Grover Cleveland Alexander against the Cincinnati Reds in 1916. I believe Larry is a left-hander--Alex was, of course, a righthanded, sidearm pitcher.

If Alex were here he would not even allow me to make this complaint being perhaps a better sport than I. I would not take a thing away from Mr. Jaster, and at his age he has a very large chance to beat Alex's record many times over. He (Alex) has a few more records for someone to aim for and "beat."

I am an avid reader and a longtime subscriber of TIME, but I stand on my right to defend any statements in error, and being a former newspaper gal myself, I still go for research--O.K.?

MRS. GROVER CLEVELAND ALEXANDER

Los Angeles

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.