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In the last century enormous sums have been spent in covering square miles of walls in the different State capitols, libraries and other official-buildings. We cannot go on wasting the public's money on conventional, meaningless decorations and allegories. The time has come when the artist has an obligation and a right to express the spirit of our time and the most essertial problems of humanity, regardless of the fact that a few old-fashioned ignoramuses like it or not. . . .
I think it would be only fair if you would make an effort to undo the harm done to my career (when you published only the detail of destruction) by reproducing the whole panel so that everybody can see that this detail, which shows hatred and destruction, is only a small part of a big symphony preaching peace. . . .
LEO KATZ
Los Angeles, Calif.
TIME does not agree with Leo Katz that the portion of his mural reproduced in TIME, Aug. 5 will damage his artistic reputation or cultural career.—ED.
Sirs:
To Chairman Mrs. George Rounsaville a vote of gratitude for defence of Leo Katz and his colorful and vivid mural [TIME, Aug. 5].
To bigwigs of Los Angeles School System a retort for unjust criticism.
Having viewed and enjoyed this noteworthy mural myself I can truthfully say that as Artist Katz says: "without any frivolity or monkey business. . . ." the work is just what the younger generation wants and appreciates.
H. A. CROZIER Long Beach, Calif.
Fairness to Earth
Sirs:
In these appalling days of unbalanced budgets, the figure 11,046,700 looks pathetically small. However, when it is applied to the number of times that the Earth can be girdled by the 1934 macaroni crop (TIME, Aug. 12), I feel that in fairness to the Earth the figure should be scrutinized a little closely. Mr. Frank Traficanti of the Illinois Macaroni Manufacturers' Association may know his macaroni, but his optimism greatly exceeds his arithmetic.
It is 25,000 miles around the Earth, and there are 5,000 feet to the mile, in round numbers. That means that the 1934 production of macaroni was around 1,400,000,000,000,000 ft. A conservative estimate of the cross-sectional area of the average 1934 stalk of macaroni is 1/100 sq. in., I am sure you will agree. This means that a cross section of one square foot contains approximately 14,400 cross-sections of macaroni, etc. Consequently, the by now fabulous 1934 crop must have contained around 140,000,000,000 cubic feet. Spaghetti and macaroni sink in water: therefore a cubic foot of this particular staff of life weighs at least 60 lb. per cu. ft. This means that 8,000,000,000,000 lb., or 4,000,000,000 tons were produced. Since the average freight car does not carry much over 50 tons at a time, a simple calculation results in the fairish figure of 80,000,000 freight cars; 800,000 freight trains; 2,400 freight trains for each 1934 day. At the retail price of macaroni, 100 a lb., the income of this business was around $800,000,000,000. Perhaps what the country needs is a surtax on the incomes of spagheteers!
ROBLEY C. WILLIAMS
Ithaca, N. Y.