Evening star., 1945-08-09

Those opposing the rule conf
thority to direct policy assigning
others to colored and are prepared
sary. On the other hand, the boal
accordance with the law.
Complicating the problem is a
custodian of many acres of Distric
recreational land-that any FEEDER
al land administered by the Recrea
ton Board shall be open to all tn,
people," without reference to rae,
or color.
4 Caught in the wise of this double
pronged attack on the basic admin
istrative structure, majority o
the Recreation Board has said
Our policy has been that hande'
down to us by law and tradition
If it is not what most of the people
want, it is for them to say sc."
Factors Involved.
Involved in the controversy arr
these factors:
/. The structure of the recreation
system is clouded by dual jurisdic
ton. All or parts of IA units op
Grated by the Recreation Board ar
located on Federal land which th'
Interior Department contends Il
open to all races. In the board
program of ultimate expansion
Federal land would figure in a
least 30 units. 1t is on these land
that the Interior Department In
sists on no segregation.
2. While the Interior Department
has threatened to withdraw th'
use of it's lands to the Recreation
Board unless they are opened tt
all races, there as yet has been M
directive for unrestricted use o.
swimming pools-two OF which ART
under Interior Department jurisdic'
ton. This also applies to four pub
lie golf courses on Federal land
where the Interior Department di
rects colored people shall be al
lowed to play, but has not made
point of insisting on unrestrictet
use of shower rooms and other ia
cilities.
3. Harry S. Wender, Recreation
Board chairman, has answered thu
Interior Departments threat tt
withdraw with a counter question
How would it be possible for th'
board to operate its program on
semi-segregated basis?.
Based on Public Law.
4. The board bases its segregation
policy on Public Law 534 (Seventy
seventh Congress) which Mr.. Wen
der said specifically spelled ou
that the recreation program shoult
be operated on colored and whit
basis as set up by National Capita
Park and Planning Commission be-
fore the board was created"
S. The Citizens COMMITTEES
Against Segregation In Recreation
embodying % colored and white
organizations, is attacking the dua
system with vigor and is taking
steps to test segregation through thu
courts.
6. The Executive Committee of the
Federation of Citizens Associations
acting for 10 member groups, unani.
mously adopted resolution OF it,
Recreation Committee urging con-
tinuation of the dual recreation
program. The resolution urgec
members to attend Tuesdays hear.
ings.
7. In the background of law anc
tradition on which the Recreation
System was devised, the Board o1
Education's 83-year-old law o.
segregated public schools influenced
policy making. A large proportion
of the Recreation Departments 164
units are located on school grounds
Centers Around 36 Words.
The controversy centers around
36-word paragraph contained in tht
"by laws, rules and regulations
adopted by the Recreation Board a
its June IL meeting. Known a!
Chapter Nv, Section %, the regu.
lation reads:
Recreation programs for white
residents shall be conducted in re.
gions AT and in designated city
wide centers. Recreation program!
Tor Negro residents shall be con-
Quoted in regions OK and in desig.
mated city-wide centers."
That statement of policy not onl!
brought down upon the heads of th'
Recreation Board a storm or pro.
tests and demands for hearings from
antisegregation but also created
minority element on the boart
itself for the first time in its three
year history.
Mrs. Alice c. Hunter, colored
beard secretary, and Irving c. Root
who as superintendent of Nationa
Capital Parks (an Interior Depart.
ment agency is an ex-oft1cio voting
member, moved that the clause bt
stricken out and were outvoted
| 8 to 2. They were outvoted by the
same count when the bylaws wer,
adopted.
Offered Minority Report.
Mrs. Hunter submitted a lengthy
minority report, citing the section al
discriminatory and questioning tn,
boards legal authority ito grant th'
use of public property on the basi'
of race, color or creed" Mr.. Roo
dissented on the grounds that, a.
the head of an Interior Department
subsidiary, he was bound to upholt
the principle that the park system
of the Nations Capital is for th'
benefit and enjoyment of all tn
people of the United States" r
Voting for adoption of the by
laws were James E. Schwab, vic,
chairman of the board and chair
man of the Bylaws Codificatioi
Committee; Mrs. George A. Garrett
one of the four citizen members ap'
pointed to the board by the Dis
trict Commissioners, and Walter L
Fowler, District budget officer rep.
resenting the Commissioners on th'
Board. Neither c. Melvin Sharpe
the Board of Education member
nor his alternate, Robert A. Maurer
was present. Since there was n,
deadlock. Chairman Wender did no
vote.
The repercussions of that meet
ing we're felt almost Immediately
Protesting groups and Individual
asked for hearings at the Jul,
meeting. The requests were denies