Evening star., 1944-10-15
Racial Issue
Battle
Over Charter
Lee and Whiteford
AssoiIed Over Letter
To Colored Voters

AssuiIed Over Letter
To Colored Voters
The Montgomery County Charter
Committee last night charged that
"the political machine run by +.
Brooke Lee and Roger Whiteford
his attorney for many years." was
responsible for 4 form letter sent
on September 26 to colored voters
in the county advising them that
the proposed charter would deprive
them Of the franchise granted by
Abraham Lincoln"
The committee said that the ma
chine politicians Of the county, who
in their desperation over the certain
success Of the charter movement,
sent grossly misrepresentation let
ters" to fighting men, has now
raised the racial issue In most
distasteful FORM"
The committee said that while the
letter to servicemen was credited
to the Citizens Committee to De-
feat Charter, the form letter to
colored voters wa ssent under the
letterhead of a new organization
the Committee Of Colored Voters to
Beat the Charter.
'Curious' Arguments.
ut is apparent from the text Of
the letter." the committee said
that no intelligent colored person
could have dreamed Of such q cur
ious assortment of familiar anti
charter arguments. It Is equally
clear that the same crowd that in
spired the letter to service people
has again attempted to put words
into the mouths and thoughts into
the minds OF innocent people who
deserve better treatment"
The committee said the letter read
in part:
'This year lot OF smart outside
folks who live in Chevy Chase and
Bethesda and Woodside Park have
gotten together behind a new con-
stitution for Montgomery County
that they call charter
This new charter takes most OF
the value and Importance OF our
vote away from us in future county
elections, first by not letting us vote
for any Of the pair county officials
who will run the county government
every day and who will either serve
or refuse to serve our people every
day.
Second by outlawing the ponti-
cal parties. Democratic, Republican
and Socialist, and all other parties
in any county election after the
charter is passed"
Issue Over Statement.
Meanwhile Alex. K. Hancock
Montgomery County controller, and
John B. Diamond, county treasurer
took issue with a statement by John
F. Willmott in which he said the
first county manager in Virginia
had uncovered q deficit of $3.50, ,OOO
and challenged the "so-called Citi-
zens' Committee opposing the
charter to get down to brass tacks. .
The statement" Mr.. Hancock
said, appears to have been made
for the purpose Of having those who
hear 1t or read 1t infer that q SIM
liar condition exists in Montgom-
cry County, and I therefore con-
slider 1t q direct attack against me
as controller of Montgomery
County.
Not only are all funds in the
hands Of the county treasurer pro-
tected by internal check in the form
OF controlling accounts kept in my
office" Mr.. Hancock continued, 'but
financial records of the county are
audited by departmental investiga-
ticns made by my ONCE and annual
ly by outside certified public ac-
countants."
From my approximate six years
as county treasurer" Mr.. Diamond
said, am sure that the public
funds of the county are intact. 1
know that the general procedure
now followed in the Federal Gov
ernment and in the governments of
States and large municipalities is
In actual daily operation here in
Montgomery County to protect the
collection, the deposit, the safekeep-
ing and distribution of county
funds"