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Is it still rank heresy to suggest that a great deal of the pother and nuisance caused by congressional investigations can be traced to one fundamental weakness of the U.S. Constitution of today, namely, its obsolescence ? When, in every other phase of American activity, there is continual renovation and change, it seems a pity that the people of the U.S. should be quite content with a rigid and antique political procedure . . .
H. Y. HALSALL
Santiago, Chile
Roll Call on Tennyson
Sir:
Re the Charge of the Light Brigade and TIME'S [May 10] review of The Reason Why: It's too obvious to be another "story of a blunder" . . . when you reported that "some 700 horsemen" rode, etc., but Alfred, Lord Tennyson sent in only "six hundred." At least, a footnote to keep us straight.
A. LESLIE ESCOFFERY JR.
Lima, Peru — Poet Laureate Tennyson wrote his poem (''in a few minutes") after reading the London Times's account. The Times reported 607; Tennyson used 600 in the interests of metrical smoothness. Later figures, like the returning British troopers, came home more slowly.—ED.
McGoon's Ride
Sir:
In the midst of TIME'S [May 17] reporting of the backing and filling of the world's "great" statesmen at Geneva, Captain "Earthquake McGoon ' McGovern's farewell came as a breath of fresh air and a brief glimpse of greatness in mere man . . .
GEORGE S. KOHLER
Babylon, N.Y.
Sirs: Further note on the "Earthquake McGoon" saga: One evening in Cholon, Indo-China, I was being introduced by Earthquake to his favorite Szechwanese food. With his Chinese plane crew about him ... he told us about his capture by Chinese Communists in West China after his plane was downed. His captors were putting him through a long forced march to their head quarters. In the course of time Earthquake, much better at flying than walking, became so tired that he sat down on the ground, and all efforts to get him to resume the trek were of no avail. Threatened with being shot on the spot, he wearily motioned them to go ahead and shoot him — and didn't budge. It was uncertain what the attitude at head quarters would be, so a runner was dispatched for orders. When he returned, the bulky Earthquake was hoisted aloft and carried to prison by his diminutive captors.
GEORGE THORNGATE Monterey, Calif.