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Doubtless you are not aware of the fact that the library of Princeton University containing more than 600,000 volumes allows its readers access to its stacks. Perhaps there are others and larger ones which do the same but certainly Princeton is ahead of Boston in the race for the position of world's largest.
PHILIP HUMASON STEINMETZ
Union Theological Seminary
New York City
"Turnquotes"
Sirs:
As a magazine that has done more than anyone else except Walter Winchell, and perhaps even more than he, to create a lively, interesting and expressive American language, you appear the most likely promoters for a new word that 1 strenuously propose to introduce.
To those of us who write the news, it seems eminently desirable that there should be a special word to designate the perennial botherations of a stripe that can be really expressed only as an ilk, who, when their published statements get them into trouble, try to worm out by declaring loudly that they have been misquoted.
It is my proposal that in future such bon-hommes be designated as "turnquotes," and that your learned magazine refer to them as such with the permission and the blessing of the author of this word, who begs leave to subscribe himself
RUFUS TERRAL
Chattanooga Times
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Alertness & Dispatch
Sirs:
The alertness and dispatch of the Columbia Broadcasting System in sending the whole nation an account of the Zangara shooting by one who witnessed it at Miami surpass even Fred W. Mizer's unnewshawkliness in failing to recount the affair as it was happening to the audience of WQAM, 1,000-watts (TIME, Feb. 27).
Lining up a network in two hours for a remote control broadcast is a colossal news feat. Two days are the usual minimum for such a hookup.
Congratulations are due CBS. Edwin K. Cohan, technical chief of the chain, on vacation in Miami, reversed loops to New York, offered President-elect Roosevelt use of Columbia facilities, obtained a statement from him for the radio audience, secured an authentic witness, canceled New York broadcasts interfering, notified stations, announced the broadcast in record time for network alignment.
DAVIDSON TAYLOR
Radio Editor
Louisville Courier-Journal
Louisville, Ky.
Exception
Sirs:
. . . In a recent copy I saw an article regarding the motion picture entitled The Big Drive. I take particular exception to this picture because having seen it I realize that portions of it are not authentic in certain respects. There is a section of the film which deals with the bombardment of the famous Cloth Hall. Ypres. The scene purporting to show the actual bombardment of this famous building is not true in any sense of the word. The building has no resemblance as shown to the real thing and is a mislabeled shot.