Evening star., 1946-10-28
Letters to The Star
Halloween Mischief Resented
By Kenwood Mother

By Kenwood Mother
To the Editor Of The Star:
As Halloween approaches, I still have
been unable to remove from my home
all the marks OF last years pranks.
Isn't it time to stop this silly custom Of
allowing supposedly well-bred children
to become hoodlums even for night?
Why is 1t funny to destroy property or
make work for other people? Isn't 1t
hard enough to get materials today and
impossible to get labor to replace broken
or marked doors, windows and cars?
We have spent the morning trying,
unsuccessfully, to remove scribbling
from the front door and steps and
sweeping up broken glass each year
after Halloween. I suppose the people
of Kenwood can afford to replace light
bulbs without feeling any money pinch,
but can they afford to allow their little
darlings to become rude and cheeky
ringing door bells and kicking on doors
to demand handout OF food or money?
I could have turned the dog on them,
but I don't think 1t is the children's
fault-parents should use some judg-
ment.
We always have solved the Halloween
problem by giving a costume party for
our five children and they were happy
without being a nuisance. This certain
ly is an easier way to be q decent
neighbor and no more expensive than
footing repair bills.
Every parent should take walk
through Kenwood following Halloween
night and be shocked by the damage
done with red paint on letter boxes,
street signs sawed off, etc. There were
four fires last year. understand that
Kenwood, for its size, was reported to
be the section that suffered most from
this orgy of destruction.
LILLIAN l.. MOSES.
DR.. Johnson Explains Remarks
To the Editor Of The Star:
In the course of my brief remarks at
the Interior Department Auditorium on
Tuesday evening, October 20, I had oc-
casion to express my strong gratitude
that the first Secretary of the Interior,
under whom had served, had respected
the integrity of the internal processes
of Howard University and had scrupu-
lousy supported the policy Of keeping
the institution entirely free from the
invasion Of political considerations In
the matter of appointments. I further
expressed my gratitude to all subsequent
Secretaries Of the Interior and to the
Administrator of the Federal Security
Agency as well as to the members of
Congress, for supporting the same
policy. And I undertook to hold up
Howard University as an example of
an institution in which academic tenure
and academic freedom had been easy
to uphold in view of this public policy.
The writer of the unsigned article on
page II Of The Star for Wednesday,
october %, entitled "Dr. johnson Hon.
ored for Twenty-Year Service As Head
of Howard University" all but conveys
the very opposite impression, that How
ard University may be under political
pressure and that the president of How
ard University is belligerently resisting
it. This is in no sense the case. How
ard University is being treated with
the most thoughtful consideration and
courtesy by all officers of the Govern
ment in this matter. shall greatly ap-
preciate it If you will bring these state
ments to the attention of your readers.
MORDECAI w. JOHNSON,
President. Howard University.
Editors note: The article referred to
cited DR.. Johnson's consistent main-
tenance Of academic freedom at Howard
University, which brought him the
praise Of numerous speakers at the tes-
timonal meeting In his honor DR.
johnson related that Government OH
cial had sought to influence him to
place political appointee on the uni
versity staff nearly 20 years ago, and
that two members of Congress had
subsequently attacked the university ad-
ministration. DIR. johnson did not say,
nor did The Star intend to imply, that
any Government agency at present
threatened the academic freedom OF
Howard University nor that its rela-
tions with such agencies had been
marked by political pressure in the
past)