Evening star., 1943-09-14
Citizens Committee
On Race Relations
10 Incorporate

~ WIViPVIulC
Deciding to incorporate as vol
untary association under the law
of the District, the Citizens Com
mittee on Race Relations, Inc,
meeting last night at the YWCA
tentatively adopted" set of prin
ciples and projects. officers are Il
be elected later.
Wilbur La Roe. temporary chair.
man, reported that Maj. Edward
Kelly, police superintendent, hat
visited the colored areas to explore
the situation. and felt that "oul
committee can be of real help by
keeping him informed as to possible
points of tension"
Reporting that the Police Depart
ment now has colored officers ir
every precinct, and also a coloree
police lieutenant, Mr.. La Roe de-
clared that recognition of the COL
ored people in this matter has tended
to create a better feeling"
Raps Housing Action.
Announcing that District Court
had decided the Army may eject liz
colored families from their homes in
Boiling Field area and asserting the
National Capital Housing Authority
had provided emergency homes for
all but % families, Mr.. La Roe as
serted:
E, Here is another situation where
the Government puts families out on
the street without making provision
for their housing"
asked about Mr.. La Roe's
charges last night, spokesman
for NCHA said today the au-
thority had made arrangements
for rehousing OF all but about 20
families who had indicated they
were making other arrangements
for housing.)
The committee, with about SO
members in attendance, decided it
would be necessary to have a COM
petent executive director and perma-
nent officers. But it left for further
consideration recommendation
that the directors salary be $4,000
a year, with an assistant at 81 300 a
year, and offices renting for $3.50 a
month.
The committee on organization
whose chairman, Vincent Saccardi
was absent on account Of illness,
recommended the establishment of
nine standing committees with the
understanding that the list would
be expanded.
Functions of Committees.
The list of nine included commit
tees on administration, membership
finance, principles and projects,
housing, recreation, community pro-
lection, employment and education
Functions of the committee on
community protection, it was agreed,
would be to study both the long and
short range viewpoint and the prob
lem of race riots and similar dis
turbances growing out of racial
tension. The main committee
would survey the problem of ten
sion, including study of race riots
in other cities, and the causes
thereof.
Our chairman already has been
requested by Maj. Kelly" said the
report, "to keep him closely advised
as to instances of probable fric-
ton"
The Organization Committee ten
tatively adopted set of principles
and purposes and referred them
back for further report and recon-
mendations at the next meeting,
September AZ.
Text of Principles.
Text of the principles tentatively
adopted was presented by a COM
mittee headed by Albert w. Atwood
1t read in part as follows:
"The committee accepts the fun
damental principle inherent both in
religion and democracy that each
individual has unique value In
human society which is not depend
ent on nor related to race, color or
creed. The purpose of the commits
tee will be to implement this prin-
cipie as far as possible in the Dis
trict of Columbia. The committee
feels that America, as the worlds
leading democracy, must live its
principles and, to that end, must
strive for spiritual unity among its
own citizens"
To this end, the committee recon-
mended it strive continuously for a
better understanding between peo-
pie of all races, make every effort to
remove specific areas of tension and
make adequate provision for dealing
effectively and promptly with public
disturbances growing out of racial
tension.
A tentative statement of further
objectives called for: Equal oppor-
tunity for employment of all our cit
izens. Adequate housing for all our
people, this problem being at pres
ent very acute as to Negroes. A def
mite program for increased recrea-
tional and cultural opportunities for
all our people, especially in the cen
tral area. Access by all physicians
to their patients in all hospitals"