Evening star., 1945-04-14
Letters to The Star
Readers Express Their Thoughts
On Death of President
To the Editor of The Star.


overseas, mourn the passing of our
thirty-second President of the United
States of America-Franklin D. Roose-
welt.
He led this Nation almost to the
point of triumph in war, but his Maker
willed that he should rest from his
tremendous burdens. To others is given
the last leadership in this great conflict
May God sustain them in the unexpected
summons.
Apropos of this sad event we again
turn to the source of all comfort in the
Holy Scriptures: ITO everything there
is a season, and time to every purpose
under the heaven: A time to be born,
and time to die; time to plant, and
time to pluck up that which was
planted; time to kill, and time to
heal time to break down, and time
to build up; time to weep, and time
to laugh time to mourn, and a time
to dance: time to cast away stones,
and time to gather stones together:
time to embrace, and time to refrain
from embracing; time to get, and a
to cast away; time to rend and time
to sew; time to keep silence, and time
to speak: time to love, and time to
hate; a time of war, and a time of
peace Ecclesiastes iiil-8.
1t was the wisest ruler of all time
who wrote the foregoing words, and it
was his father who pronounced these
i,, tI,o
nation whose God is the Lord: and the
people whom He hath chosen for His
own inheritance"
To us, the living, comes a call of dedi-
cation to an unfinished task in the
world
CHARLES ALLEN RENTFRO.
To the Editor OF The Star.
AS we grieve over the loss of our
President we hear undertones of fear,
worry and doubling over the future of
our Nation. Close on the heels of the
expressions of shock at the news, have
come expressions of doubt as to the
ability of President Truman to fulfill
the pledges and objectives of his
predecessor
But it may be we'll to pause and
reconsider our position as a democratic
people in determining the world of the
future, the world for which we have
been fighting. We must first remember
that we are democratic people. Dur
ing the normal 2Os we may have
forgotten and SO left government to
the politicians. We had no organized
conception of what we wanted OF gov
ernment. Rather, we agreed that the
less government We had. the better
The depression found us, as a Ma
ton unprepared. We had no answer,
no program to meet this unprecedented
crisis. We needed leadership and conf
dence. or rather, reaffirmation Of conf
dence in our own abilities Franklin
d. Roosevelt gave us that much-needed
leadership and confidence. He car
ried us through that crisis and again
through the fearful problems of a global
But he has done more than that. He
has given, for us. expression to our
hopes and desires as people.
We know now the shape of the
world which We would have once the
war is won. 1t would have been many
times easier. many times surer, had
Mr.. Roosevelt lived to guide us to the
realization of that ideal.
Yet we must recognize that it was
not Mr.. Roosevelt who shaped. but
We who shaped and he who gave ex-
preston to these desires. We, as indi-
viduals and as Nation want postwar
world which will be peaceful and peace
breeding. We want security for our
selves and for the world-the security
which stems from the realization of
the Four Freedoms for all the peoples
of the world.
1t Is, then, for us to carry on the
fight. 1t is now our responsibility to
give expression and support to the
desire for the fulfillment of these
objectives. 1t is for us to impress upon
those We have chosen to represent us,
that these are eur wishes. 1t is for us
to choose those who are committed
to these views. This done, we need
not worry as to the future.
JACK A. SERBER.
To the Editor of The star
feel qualified to speak for the Negro
race as whole because I have talked
with my friends. have listened to the
comments of hundreds of other men
and women.
I know that Negro mothers all over
these United States shed tears of sorrow
when the sad news of President Roose-
velt's death was received. I notice that
you have compared his death with that
of Abraham Lincoln. We. too, have
compared the two great leaders. There
never was a President who meant so
much to us as Mr.. Lincoln did until
Mr.. Roosevelt took the chair. We were
proud of Mr.. Lincoln because he had
set us free and we are proud of Mr..
Roosevelt because he has helped to
keep us free.
President Roosevelt worked hard to
strengthen up the morale of our country.
He did all he could to make poor people
comfortable and happy regardless of
color or creed. He fought as hard a
battle as the soldier on the front line,
but he was tired and he shall rest And
his victory shall be won know.
ELSA MYRTEAL HATCHERSON.
To the Editor of The Star.
Let me quote William Morris epic
of the Nibelungen Lied:
"Ard thev uent for the LITTLE rhildre,,