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Sirs: In your issue of Jan. 1, a letter was published from Vincent Sheean attacking Congressman Martin Dies for speaking at the recent mass meeting at Madison Square Garden at which I presided. He wonders where Mr. Dies's loyalties lie. Mr. Dies's patriotism needs no defense. His works speak louder than any words his friends could utter.
Mr. Sheean further says that recently I "wrote scornfully . . . that the Spanish Republican parties 'had been hypnotized by the ideas of the French and American revolutions.' " He asks, "Since when have the principles of the American Revolution become un-American?" As is common with many writers (indeed, perhaps brevity compels it), Mr. Sheean lifts a mere phrase out of its context. The phrase occurs as part of a chapter, one of whose purposes was to show that, however wise and sound the principles of a republic art in the United States, it has been pretty well proved that Spain was not ready for them.
In my book, America Looks at Spain, I said a Spanish scholar told me in September, 1938, that Napoleon's invasion of Spain introduced the ideas of the French Revolution.
"Spain has not been the same since," he said.
"For more than a century, various efforts have been made to impose a 'democratic' form of government on the Spanish people.
It hasn't worked. Most of us are convinced it never will work—not for a long time to come. It has brought bloodshed and sorrow.
Now we are going to lay our plans along different lines." Lest even Mr. Sheean believes that anything I have ever said has been derogatory to the American system, let me remind him that throughout the book from which he quotes I made perfectly clear that whatever forms of government other countries have, I want no propaganda from any foreign country to mar the heritage received from our forefathers. . . .
MERWIN K. HART President
New York State Economic Council, Inc. New York City
Sirs:
Vincent Sheean attacks the Americanism of Martin Dies because the latter appeared under the auspices of M. K. Hart whom Sheean called "a conspicuous exponent of such foreign points of view as that of General Franco's Fascism."
Is that the same Vincent Sheean who signed that letter to the Nation which appeared in its issue of Aug. 26? This letter said that it was a "fantastic falsehood that the U.S.S.R. and the totalitarian states are basically alike." It also said: "The Soviet Union continues as always to be a bulwark against war and aggression, and works unceasingly for a peaceful international order." And this: "Soviet aims and achievements make it clear that there exists a sound and permanent basis in mutual ideals for cooperation between the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. in behalf of world peace and the security and freedom of all nations."
Is the Vincent Sheean, who expressed such ideas on Aug. 26, preaching on Americanism on Jan. 1?
STANLEY ARNDT San Marino, Calif.
— Yes.—ED.
Garner & Eagle
Sirs:
I have just read in the Letters of TIME, Jan. 1, a touching eulogy of Mr. Vice President Garner, based on penetration of his physiognomy, by one Dudley Nichols.