The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-10-12


 comments from the White House.
 Mrs Julius Talmadge, President General of the National OAR, re- fused to comment on MT. Truman's statements. Her secretary, Mrs. Frederick Shondau, said that "as far as the society is concerned, the matter. is closed"
 Boards Decision
 The decision to continue to bar Negroes from the hall was taken by the OARS Executive Board, com posed of officers of the organization, and upheld by the society's national board of management which Is here in annual convention.
 Mrs. Schondau said the action of the OARS executive board yester- day in upholding its right to bar Negroes from the hall was final. She said the OAR would not review its action.
 Mrs. Truman sent Powell the fol- lowing te'egram:
 Tn acknowledging your telegram of Oct. II may call your attention to the fact that the invitation to which you refer was extended and accepted prior to the unfortunate controversy which has arisen.
 Personally, I regret that a con- flict has arisen for which I am in nowise responsible. Tn my opinion my acceptance of the hospitality is not related to the merits of the is- use which has since arisen.
 T deplore any action which denies artistic talent an opportunity to ex- press itself because of prejudice against race or origin.
 (Signed):
 "BESS M. TRUMAN"
 Previously, the White House had released the following letter from MT. Truman to Powell:
 T have your telegram in which you informed me that your wife, Miss Hazel Scott, has been refused the use of Constitution Hall for concert on Oct. 20.
 Artistic talent is not the exclu- sive property of any one race or group. One of the marks of dem- ocracy is its willingness to respect and reward talent without regard to race or origin.
 We have just brought to a suc- cessful conclusion a war against to- talitarian countries which made ra- cial discrimination their state policy. "One of the first steps taken by the Nazis when they came to power was to forbid the public appearance of artists and musicians whose re- ligion or origin was unsatisfactory to the master race
 Private Enterprise
 T am sure that you will realize, however, the impossibility of any interference by me in the manage ment or policy of private enter prise such as the one in question"
 Asked whether the President | meant to compare the Nazi racial policies with the action of the OAR, White House Press Secretary Charles c. Ross said MT. Truman's letter would have to speak for It. self
 The OAR, meanwhile defended | it's right to bar Negroes from the hall as a matter of individual nb- erty."
 The OAR executive committee, meeting behind closed doors yes- terday, voted unanimously to con- tinue in force rule adopted in 1882 requiring that the words white artists only be added to leases for the use of Constitution Hall"
 In a statement issued after the meeting the OAR said Constitution Hall was its own private building and that, while 1t recognized the right of any citizen to request the use" of the hall 1t "also reserves its right to grant or deny a request for its use"
 Miss Scott's manager said earlier that the hall had been promised the former night-club entertainer for Oct. 20 but that the date had been cancelled when the OAR learned ' that Miss Scott was colored. Sen. Robert P. Wagner, D., N. Y, joined Mead in vigorously protesting the ruling at the time.