Evening star., 1942-04-04
Discusses Report Of Meeting
Protesting A. d. A. Project Site.

To the Editor of The Star:
The story on Page 1 of the second
section of The Star of April covering
the meeting Of the civic groups and
citizens Of Garrett Park, Kensington.
Chevy Chase View, Rock Greek Hills and
Locust Hills protesting the location Of
an Alley Dwelling Authority project on
tract adjacent to Chevy Chase View,
Md. was fair to those who participated
except in one detail. 1t was said that
Mr.. Ihlder was greeted with jeers and
booing by a hostile audience. The
writer, who sat Immediately behind Mr.
Ihlder and two or three seats from your
reporter. can assure you that nothing
of the kind occurred.
A resolution which was read at the
opening OF the meeting formed the basis
of an able counterargument by Mr..
Ihlder, who was listened to with in
terest and attention. When he said
that he had met with and obtained the
approval of our county officials, whom
he assumed represented us, he failed
to name them and 80 or 40 persons at
once asked, Who were they? Who?
Who?" 1t may be that this word was
interpreted by your reporter as "Boo!"
or its equivalent, but enormously.
Editors Note: The Star story did
not say that there was any booing Of
Mr. Ihlder The hostility of his audi
ence, however, was evidenced in other
ways and by the "unalterable opposi-
tion" to the plans expressed in
resolution adopted after Mr.. Ihlder
had spoken0
There was no discourtesy shown Mr..
Ihlder, our guest, who was there by
direct invitation. His good faith never
was questioned and no reflection upon
him or what he said was made or in
tended. The vitally interested group
gathered there wanted the information
that he alone could supply and gave
him full opportunity to present it. The
resentment that he obviously felt in his
listeners was directed not at him, but at
those whom they felt had been guilty
of betraying their best interests.
Approval Of the county officials ap-
parently was obtained from six, all but
one of whom are appointed and have
no responsibility to the electorate. The
sixth, Thomas Hampton, an elected COM
missioner, however, does not hold Office
by popular election as president OF the
Board of County Commissioners, the
capacity in which he represented that
body at the conference with Mr.. Ihlder
in Bethesda. Mr.. Hampton neither
represents nor resides in any OF the
Immediately affected communities and
none of the other five has any personal
interest in their problems. Commis-
sioner Roby, who does represent these
five communities, was not present at
the conference nor did he apparently
take any steps to inform their residents.
Common courtesy alone should have
caused the commissioners to invite rep
resentatives Of these communities to at
tend the conference or to meet with them
subsequently to discuss the plan which
was of vital interest to all Of them.
The raising of the issue of patriotism
at the Kensington meeting on March 81
was most unfortunate in that 1t probably
served to increase any resentment that
already may have existed. 1t is most re-
grettable that the seeming need for speed
was so great that the basic methods of
representative government should have
to be abandoned in this instance.
think it truthfully may be said that II
the type of procedure followed here Is
to be continued, 1t inevitably must be
accompanied by breakdown in the
morale of all those who supply the sinews
Of war and honestly and sincerely are