I protest

My patience is very nearly exhausted with these people who are paid money and then turned loose on the listening public to disfigure Americans' native speech. Among recent outrages is hebb-ROE-an for Hebron. Already we have become reconciled to Judaya. Those raised on the English Bible, and there are many, hear the Psalms of David, and the narratives of both Old and New Testaments, in the tonalities of normal English speech; they resent innovations with nothing back of them but carelessness, inattention, or plain ignorance.

From Palestine to India. Many pursued careers there, and spoke of Bengal, Madras, Ceylon, and the Himalayas. People who insist on Bengle, MAD-russ, SAY-lon, and Him-MAH-lias may think to put down ''imperialism,'' may think they are doing us a favor; but there are some of us who think otherwise.

In the same way, the Los Angeles TV announcer who spoke of Powell Hindemith may think to show off his knowledge of German. Of course Paul would be so pronounced in Germany. But does the man not know of the lasting effect Hindemith had on generations of Americans on their native soil? To call him Powell is like calling Handel Georg Frideric. Pure affectation.

But pure ignorance must lie behind alley grow (for allegro) and English concert for English Consort. And they are actually paid salaries for these lamentable displays!

To leave the media men and observe normal citizens with their cliches (''no way,'' ''on hold,'' ''one on one,'' ''state of the art''): A small child fell flat on his face on a subway platform. His mother's response to the poor little chap's mishap was: ''no problem.''

Here are things I have heard recently: Noo-Wing-lond. Am lookun FOUR yer. Were my hang knout? (Where am I hanging out?) The sump nelse. (This is something else.)

I heard one subway driver announce Guvver-ment SENT 'er; I almost fell off my seat. Doesn't the man know the word is pronounced Senner? One might take that for granite. T's are nowadays omitted, or converted to D's, as in cuddlefish.

Finally, a keen concern with vowel sounds was registered a century ago by W.H. Gilbert, who rhymed water with Porter, and super with Hooper. He also acknowledged propertee, carefullee. I wonder what he would think of knee-ooze?