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> There were 30 hawks in Senator Adams' cornfield.—ED.
The American Language
Sirs:
Generally the grammar is pretty good, but, in the issue of TIME, July 24, under Transport, occurs this sentence: "[Mrs. Clara Adams] . . . broadcasted over a Honolulu-San Francisco radio hook-up."
Maybe I am behind the times, for I have been in England for the past six months and have not been able to keep up with the changes being made in the American language. Is it now correct to added to form the past tense of the verbs put, cut, burst, and cast?
THERON E. COFFIN East Orange, N. J.
> In the American language busted has generally replaced bursted.—ED.
San
Sirs:
"Not the same thing a bit!" said the Hatter. "Why, you might just as well say that 'I see what I eat' is the same thing as 'I eat what I see'!"
Similarly, if TIME insists that the Japanese call their mountain "Mr. Fuji" [TIME, Aug. 21], it might as well say that the Japanese call "God" "paper" and "paper" "God" simply because the two words are homonyms (along with the word for hair—all being transliterated as kami).
True, the Japanese refer to Fujiyama as Fujisan; but san in this case means mountain (as does yama) and is written with a character quite different from the san meaning Mr., Mrs. or Miss.
Here they are, though I fear your typesetter may not find them in his font.
san (mountain) san (suffix)
BRADFORD SMITH Hastings-on-Hudson, N. Y. — Smith-san right. TIME so sorry—ED.
Thanksgiving
Sirs: It has occurred to me that President Roosevelt should have advanced Thanksgiving Day to his birthday, January 30. The nation could then really give proper thanks for this glorious thing that has happened.
HOWARD H. MOORE Honolulu, T.H.
Earlier Men Sirs: Most people have felt the urge to write their Congressmen or a "Voice of the People" to comment on passing events. What more apt writers of another day might have said today is pleasant conjecture.
I believe there would be interest in a short feature of quotations of those earlier men with a simple salutation to the individual concerned, as: To-Bob Pastor: He who fights and runs away May live to fight another day; But he who is in battle slain, Can never rise to fight again.
Oliver Goldsmith To Adolf Hitler:
The smallest worm will turn, being trodden on.
William Shakespeare To the G.O.P. Depressionists:
Can anybody remember when the times were not hard, and money not scarce? Ralph Waldo Emerson
EVAN MCDONALD Oshkosh, Wis.
Obituary
Sirs: Among the letters in TIME, Aug. 21 was one from my cousin, Charles A. Storms, on the subject of cancer patients. You may be interested to learn that he died on August 22.
GEORGE S. NEWTON Superior, Wis.