Some interpreted the actions as "merely rudeness," and others asked for "additional evidence," the professor said.

Kilson said yesterday he gave the letter to The Crimson in order to bring the issue to the attention of the community at large.

"I'm breaking the confines of the department because I think there are some issues which should be of interest to our general Harvard University community," Kilson said.

In the letter, Kilson allowed for the possibility that the incident with Widner was not racially motivated.

"There are of course possible alternative explanations or interpretations of Jennifer Widner's vicious confrontationalist assault on my dignity and status," the letter says.

But "I think I'm right--otherwise I wouldn'ttake this position," Kilson added last night.

In the letter, Kilson wrote that Widner, in hisopinion, "consciously or unconsciously" sought toconfront him in public in order to humiliate himbecause of his race.

"I say without fear of contradiction, DeanKnowles, that had I been one of the White fullprofessors in the Department of Government inSpring 1990, Assistant Professor Jennifer Widnerwould not have dared escalate a minoradministrative issue into a full-blownconfrontationalist assault," he wrote.

In an interview last night, ReischauerProfessor of Japanese Politics Susan Pharr,current chair of the government department, calledboth Kilson and Widner "highly valued members ofthe government department." She also praisedWidner as a "very talented and able junior facultymember" and "a very caring teacher."

"Inevitably misunderstandings sometimes occurbetween people," Pharr said. "I deeply regret tohear that something that occurred more than fouryears ago, and that everyone thought was settled,has resurfaced at this time."

She declined to comment further.

Kilson said he brought the matter beforeKeohane, but the then-department chair did not"adequately" investigate the complaint.

"I was then--four years ago--and remain of theopinion that Robert Keohane conducted hisadjudication function in a perfunctory manner,quite off-handedly," Kilson wrote.

Keohane could not be reached for comment lastnight.

Kilson submitted a copy of the letter to TheCrimson yesterday evening with certain passagesblocked out. He said the redacted passages did notalter the substance of the letter.

Kilson did not include copies of correspondencebetween other government professors and himself.Those letters were, however, submitted to Knowles,Kilson said.

Another professor mentioned in Kilson's letteralso could not be reached last nigh