Evening star., 1944-07-28
2MoreGroups
Enter Housing
DisputeHere
Citizens Council
Asks Probe of
Deckmon Committee

WI oSl0CAOildl ktOuPS VOudy Nll
tered the revived public housing dis
pute.
The Citizens Council on Commu
nifty Planning, headed by Mrs. Will
liam Howell Wells, temporary chair.
man, called for an investigation O.
the Federation of Citizens Associa,
tion's housing and Rent Contro
Committee, headed by Joseph H
Deckman. At the same time, tht
Home Builders Association of Met.
ropolitan Washington came out ir
support of the Deckman committee.
charges against the Washington
Housing Association.
The Citizens Council, which is eX.
pected to file incorporation paper.
shortly, is an outgrowth Of the city.
wide housing conference, held May
l3 at the Chamber of Commerce Of
the United States, which was at
tended by representatives of 81 or
ganizations.
The council declared today its
purpose is the furtherance of COM
munity planning and the improve
ment of housing and neighborhood
conditions in Metropolitan Wash
ington. The organization said it in
tends to carry on an educational
campaign to keep its members and
the public informed of the truth on
housing and city planning"
Among the councils members are
Mrs. Dorothy Bourne, Mrs. Max
Lorenz, Mrs. Benjamin Howes, Eu-
gene Klaber, Rev. Francis McPeek
Mrs. Anita Sufrin. R. H. Horad,
Mrs. Lydia Roberts and Waldron
Faulkner, who is only temporarily
connected with it.
Mud Singing Charged.
In its statement the Citizens
Council accused Mr.. Deckman of
singing" and expressed doubt
whether his committees attack on
the Washington Housing ASSocia-
tlon represented the thinking of all
members of the Federation" 1t
declared the Washington Housing
Association is member of the
Community Chest because it has
been found that it's work entities
it to support by the community"
The Home Builders Association
Is an organization of private build
ers and related interests, headed
by Myron Davy, president of the
River Terrace Co., and with James
c. Wilkes as its council. The asso-
citation has contended throughout
the controversy over slum clear
ance that private enterprise should
90 all the construction and Gov
ernment should retire from the field
The association in its statement
today referred to the Washington
Housing Association as front for
the National Capital Housing Au-
thority," and said no other organiza-
ton has gone to such lengths to
defend and justify socialized hous-
ing. 1t accused association repre-
sentatives of offering negative sug-
gestlons intended to embarrass and
smear the witnesses for private
enterprise" at hearings before the
Senate subcommittee investigating
housing problems.
The statement granted the hous-
Ing associations right to attempt to
inform the public of implications
involved in any legislation before
Congress on the subject of housing
but said I'VE do not believe the con-
tribution to the Washington Housing
Association by the Community Chest
was ever intended to be expended in
a campaign of deliberate misinfor-
nation, nor to promote Govern
ment competition with private en-
terprise, and especially by garrulous
methods"
Harry Wender, president of the
Federation of Citizens Associations
said he did not want to get en-
brolled in the current dispute, but
that the federation took full re-
sponsibility for everything its COM
mittee had done up until the release
OF Mr.. Deckmans most recent letter
He said Mr.. Deckman would have
to assume responsibility for that.
Receives Anonymous Letter.
Mr.. Wender said he had received
an anonymous letter on the housing
situation, in which the WASHINGTON
Housing Association was mentioned
but that the organization or in
dlVloual responsible for the letter
was not identified. He said he had
read the letter at the Senate sub
committee hearings several months
ago and at that time had called on
the author to identify himself but
that no one had come forward. The
letter is in his files.
Mrs, Hilda Cloud. a vice nresi-
dent of the Citizens Council IN
Community Planning, said her eroup
doubted whether Mr.. Deckman's $
committee represented the citizens
OF Washington and that she had
talked to several members of the
federation who told her it did not
represent their views.
We feel that there is definite
need for some public housing in
Washington" She said I'VE are very
anxious to have private builders do
some building but regard with some
skepticism the claim they can do
everything" w
Mr.. Deckman said he did not in.
tend In his open letter Tuesday to
imply that the Federation of Citi-
zens' Associations was attacking the
community Chest. but that the
southeast Council of Citizens Asso-
Citations had gone on record. as he
said. Mr.. Deckman said the latter
organizations resolution. condemn
Ing the Washington Housing Asso-
cations afflliation with the Chest
had been forwarded to the proper
officials.
AS for his federation activities
Mr.. Deckman said he had received
unanimous approval of that BODY on
three occasions in appearing before
the Senate subcommittee. and that
IN the present flare-up was acting
we'll within his authority.
(nvo Thse A~,..>