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To sharp-eyed Donola Hallinan, credit for being the first (and thus far the only) non-professional reader* to nail TIME'S first typographical error on a cover.—ED.
Three-Decimal Time Sirs: Would you please explain the details of how Gar Wood's time was given by you to six significant figures in TIME, March 30? How was any portion of the course measured to a fraction of a millimetre over a distance of a mile and how was the position of the boat determined at two measured points to within a small fraction of a second? Also—were your figures as accurate as precise?
ERICK SELL D'GONS New York City
TIME'S figures were accurate, official. Computation of time records to three decimal places is common to sportdom. An electric timing machine registers to 1/100 sec. the time elapsed between the two points marking off the distance, previously surveyed. The rest is a matter of mathematics (done officially on computing machines).—ED.
Broun, Lament and Gibbons
Sirs:
I may be dense, but read as I will I can make nothing but nonsense out of your People paragraph (TIME, April 13) on Heywood Broun, T. W. Lamont and Cardinal Gibbons. Why shouldn't the Pope call Gibbons Gibbons? Or is that the point, that he did call him Gibbons, thus proving his infallibility? But what's so funny about that? Or isn't it supposed to be funny? But if not, why tell it as an anecdote? And if it is funny—well, I'm sorry but . . .
NEWMAN LAWLOR Cleveland, Ohio
Solution: Stupidity in TIME'S proofreading department, for which a resounding reprimand. Cardinal Gibbons was asked: "Now that you have been to the Vatican, do you still believe in the infallibility of the Pope?" The Cardinal replied: "Well, he called me Jibbons."—ED.
*Colyumist F(ranklin) P(ierce) A (dams), famed precisian, mentioned the matter to TIME in a telephone conversation.