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But we would not get these books and magazines were it not for the American Merchant Marine Library. Certainly if people ashore who are interested in ships knew of the need for books they would help the cause along and send their books and magazines to sea.
A ship's library is accessible to everyone from the Master down to the firemen's mess boy. It is usually kept in the saloon in the custody of that Jack of all trades, the Second Mate. Many a young officer who is on the first rung of the ladder to command owes his push upward to the books sent aboard.
WILSON STARBUCK
Lieutenant, USNR New York City
Confederate Stars Sirs:
In a footnote on p. 16, TIME, April 5 states: "In the Confederate Army . . . there were no grades among general officers."
This is misleading, and. taken literally, untrue. The Confederate Army had, of course, all the usual grades among general officers. Full General, Lieutenant-General, Major-General, and Brigadier-General. It was in the collar insignia that there was no difference, all grades wearing (when uniformed according to regulations) simply three gold stars enclosed by a gold wreath on the lapel or standing collar. According to regulation, the center star was larger than the outer two. A Colonel wore three stars without the wreaths, and a Lieutenant-Colonel two. Thus on the current 4¢ stamp. General Lee is uniformed as a Lieutenant-Colonel, and in your picture on p. 16, as a Colonel. I think, but am not sure, that the difference in grade became apparent from the number of rows of braid on the sleeve of the coat.
CHARLES W. ELLIOTT Major, U. S. Army, Ret. Minneapolis, Minn.
Confederate generals of all grades wore the same collar insignia, the same four rows of sleeve braid.—ED.
Amana Amendments
Sirs:
We wish to thank you for your thoughtfulness to send us a clipping of the article on Amana [TIME, April 12. We certainly appreciate it. We wish, however, to correct certain statements. We take them in the order they are given in the article.
1 ) There was a time when all the houses were unpainted. This has gradually changed and at present the villages are becoming more and more colorful, especially since the reorganization in 1932.
2 ) The statement is made that electricity was postponed until after Christmas in order to use up the large supply of candles poured in the community. The fact is that we do not think that the present generation comprising the Amana Society has poured any candles. Kerosene was chiefly used for illumination before this, and when candles were used for Christmas trees they were purchased outside. It had been the wish of the Society to have electricity in by Christmas but this did not materialize on account of delay of construction work caused by the severe winter weather and the thick covering of ice.
3) The Amana Society reorganized in 1932 and incorporated under the laws of the State of Iowa. There was some talk at first to incorporate in Delaware, but this plan was dropped, and the Amana Society today is an Iowa corporation.