My Letter To The Editor

By Dan Lurie

DEAR Mr. Hoffman: Gee, Bob, I hope didn't make any trouble for you and our sport of weight lifting through the articles which appeared in the newspapers. This all started as a joke. After my rejection for selective service my friend notified the newspapers without my knowledge of his act, as he explained, to see what would happen. Plenty happened, for to his and my surprise reporters and photographers gathered around my house seeking interviews. Was I surprised when reporters kept calling me up all night. At first I refused to speak to any of them because I didn't want anyone to know of my rejection and didn't wish to be kidded by the many fellows who knew me, But the news got around, before long all the neighbors knew about it and it was printed in my home town paper (Canarsie Courier). All this time reporters kept on calling me and I guess it would have been better if I had told all of them my story when they asked for it. For all sorts of stories got around, some of which were carried in newspapers over all the country. When I saw what they were printing I started to talk to the reporters, gave them several pictures and more stories went out. I had no idea that my rejection and the stories would hurt weight lifting, and I am certainly sorry that I started such a mess.

In fact, Bob, I thought that all of this publicity would be beneficial publicity for you, your magazine and weightlifting. People reading the newspapers and magazines, hearing the radio interviews would learn that I did weight lifting and seek to build their bodies too, Why, just in my club alone (Adonis A. C.) we had over 50 new members who joined because of what they read. Most of them knew that I must have had heart trouble before I even touched a weight. I always recommend your system of weight training to everyone I see and am convinced at your system is the best for everyone. When I first started to train I weighed only 120 pounds and built up my body to 165, and I owe it all to you. If it wasn't for your magazine I would not have seen such beautiful bodies and became ambitious enough to seek to build my own body as so many others had done.

Yes, Bob, when I was young I always suffered from a weak heart. Doctors never permitted me to do the slightest bit of exercise. It made me feel that I had nothing to live for. What good was I when I could not even go out with the boys and play ball ? I said to myself: The heck with the doctors. I have only one life to live and that life is not worth while if I cannot be as other boys and take a man's part in this world; if I'm going to die I might as well die happy. So I started to train secretly at school. First with the high bar which started me gaining so that soon my bodyweight was 120 pounds. After ready many of your articles in Strength and Health magazine I decided to take up weight training and try to better myself. After two years of following your system of training, doctors, yes three of them, pronounced me cured of the heart ailment from which I formerly suffered. And you have the right to print this in S. & H.

Yes, sir, I was pronounced all cured. With the report that my heart was at last up to par it made a new man of me, ambitious to improve my strength and my body to an even greater degree and wo win, if possible, new honors in the strength and athletic world. No more need I worry about my condition. Doctors who examined me said that my heart was the strongest they had ever heard. At the induction center I had the surprise of my life when the doctors told me that I still had a slight heart murmur. One doctor called another and argued with him saying that I had an athlete's heart. Of course my heart beat isn't the same as that of the average person (You're more familiar with heart beats than I am). One doctor wanted to accept me for service, another thought I should be rejected for this slight heart murmur their instruments detected. Other doctors were called to examine me all over again. They agreed that my heart wasn't quite as other hearts were, and finally they rejected me. The doctors should know best, but whether my heart beat is quite the same as others or not, one thing sure I have a strong heart or I could not have done the things I have done in lifting, dipping, and a wide variety of athletic sports. That's the simple and complete story.

The reporters tried to make an interesting story which would be accepted by their editors and other newspapers who subscribe to Associated and United Press stories, so they drew upon their imagination to make a story of it. The published stories certainly distorted the facts in every way. If the author of the first article which was so freely copied had ever seen how an induction center is conducted he would have known how impossible were the circumstances of my visit to the center, and my examination, as he described them. He continually lied when he said I showed off my body to the doctors and that I put on an exhibition for a large crowd. How could I have chinned 30 to 40 times in succession and do countless number of dips ? There is no apparatus to chin on or dip in an induction center. Do you think the army has time to stop everything they are doing and watch me exhibit ? Thousands of boys are inducted hourly yet according to the newspaper stories I was supposed to have gathered a crowd, stopping all work at the center. Preposterous. Will you please tell the author of that story through the pages of your magazine that all I can chin is 18 times and I never claimed to do any more, and also that I don't know the first thing about acrobatics and I can't tumble to save my life.

Hundreds of chins, I don't care who does them, will take more than 20 minutes. Thousands of floor dips must take 2 to 3 hours, an exhibition of tumbling and acrobatics must take more than five minutes. So you see, Bob, how silly and ridiculous this reporter made himself in the eyes of people who know. For the entire show he said I put on would have required 4 hours at least.

How could a person make up such lies and then print them ? As soon as my friends read the newspaper articles they all began to laugh and thought the author must have been nuts. They all know Dan Lurie and that's not the person they had read about. In my community I'm known as a quiet guy and there is not one person who speaks against me. I am liked by all who know me and all treat me like a a friend.

The author states I am a worker on my father's moving vans. This of course is true and I have no reason to deny it. When he says I try to show off my strength by oiutworking or outlifting my father's help, he doesn't know what he is talking about. In my family I'm known as a lazy guy, because when I work I only carry the lighter things. Why should I break my back trying to outlift the workers ? My father is the boss and he has workeers to do the heavy, dirty work. So you see, Bob (if I may call you so), everything the newspaper writers wrote is purely a bunch of lies and they can't prove a single part of it.

Isn't it true that I won the most muscular man prize in Cincinnati ? Bob, can I help it if all the best built men were away and competition was easy ? I won it fair and square. I never even dreamed that I would place. I entered just to say I once entered a "Mr. America" contest. I'm telling you honestly it was the biggest surprise of my life. Some thing I always dreamed of but never expected to come true. There is only one Grimek and everybody knows he can't be beaten. I'm sure that if all the best developed men were to get together for anther "Mr. America" contest, like the contests at Madison Square Garden in 1940 and the Arena, Philadelphia, in 1941, when Grimek was selected "Mr. America" and Jules Bacon second, I would never even place. My body is fair but don't compare with such greats as Grimek, Horvath, Como, Essmaker, Goodrich, VOyages, Deutch, Holbrook, Bacon, LaLanne, and many other best built men.

Bob, I'm just beginning to develop my body and in a few more years I hope to improve considerably. I know there is plenty of work to be done and plenty of sweating before I even approach some of your boys in York. I hope this letter straightens out the mess somewhat the newspapers made of my rejection at the induction center. I am sorry if the stories hurt your magazine or weight lifting but I had no control over the newspapers. Never at any time did I think or say to the reporters that weightlifting caused my heart murmur. I would appreciate it greatly if you would find space in S. & H. to print this letter and let everyone know what has gone on. Everything I did was intended for the best.

Yours for a better body,
Dan Lurie
1729 Rockaway Parkway
Brooklyn, N.Y.