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When you mentioned Arizona's Senator Ashurst orating to the cacti in the Sept. 23 issue of TIME, it prompted us to inform you that Flagstaff, the honorable Senator's home town, has no cacti, being 7,000 feet elevation and in the heart of the largest pine forest in the world. Cacti such as the Senator would lecture to, as you state, do not grow at such an elevation. Flagstaff has neither cacti nor reptiles as one naturally expects in Arizona. . . .
LEO WEAVER
Secretary
Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce
Flagstaff, Ariz.
> TIME would never dream of associating reptiles with Arizona.—ED.
Willkie Friend
Sirs:
After reading the Sept. 30 issue of TIME, I was inspired to write you my thought and what I personally know about Mr. Willkie. I am a colored lad, 23 years old, and am an apprentice embalmer and not a politician. I have taken up my amateur political career for one reason only, the New Dealers are spreading rumors around among the members of my race, stating that Mr. Willkie is opposed to the welfare of the Negro. In my small way I have been walking and talking and telling my people that these rumors are false. It would make a business letter far too lengthy if I went into detail about the facts and difficulties encountered in attempting to get articles published in any of the Negro publications. I will give you the facts about myself and my connections with the Willkie family. . . .
I was born June 16, 1917, in Rushville, Ind., where I lived for 22 years. Rushville was a small town where the colored folks had the same opportunities as the white. Philip Willkie spent most of his time riding around in the city with my grandfather, my brother and myself. We grew to be very close friends. And in this way I became very well acquainted with the rest of the Willkie family.
From personal contact and observation, I was surprised to learn that many colored people actually believed these false rumors that had been circulated about Mr. Willkie and his attitude toward our race. And I have taken a leave of absence from the funeral home where I am employed to tell my people about Mr. Willkie. . . .
Most of my school days were spent in Rushville, where my brother and myself built up an excellent reputation. We were members of the Rushville Junior Band for two years, in the Senior Band for four years, and were also members of the High School orchestra. We also played in the orchestra in the church where the Willkies attended service. . . . We were members of a white Boy Scout troop, and I later became Asst. Scout Master and finally Scout Master for the same troop. . . . I believe that this information, if properly circulated, will be a big help to Mr. Willkie and will kill a great deal of the prejudice the colored people have for him because he was born in Elwood, Ind. . . .
ROY J. EVANS
Chicago, Ill.
Pertinent Thought
Sirs: