Evening star., 1945-08-09

policy Of racial segregation which
years, Is under attack. At 2:30 pl
public hearings In response to the
testing segregation.
Those opposing the rule cont
thority to direct q policy assigning
others to colored and are prepared
sary. On the other hand. the boar
accordance with the law.
Complicating the problem is al
custodian of many acres Of District
recreational land-that any FEEDER
al land administered by the Recrea-
ton Board shall be open to all the
people," without reference to race
or color. &
Caught in the wise of this double
pronged attack on the basic admin
istrative structure, majority OF
THE Recreation Board has said:
Our policy has been that handed
down to us by law and tradition.
II it is not what most Of the people
want, it is for them to say So"
Factors Involved.
Involved in the controversy are
these factors:
/. The structure of the recreation
system is clouded by dual jurisdic-
ton. AL or parts of IA units OPP
Grated by the Recreation Board are
located on Federal land which the
Interior Department contends is
open to all races. In the boards
program of ultimate expansion
Federal land would figure in at
least 80 units. 1t is on these lands
that the Interior Department in
sists on no segregation.
2. While the Interior Department
has threatened to withdraw the
use OF its lands to the Recreation
Board unless they are opened to
all races, there as yet has been no
directive for unrestricted use OF
swimming pools-two of which are
under Interior Department jurisdic-
tion. 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 a
point of insisting on unrestricted
use of shower rooms and other ia
cilities.
8. Harry s. Wender, Recreation
Board chairman, has answered the
Interior Departments threat to
withdraw with a counter-question:
How would it be possible for the
board to operate its program on a
semi-segregated basis?.
:. Based on Public Law.
4. The board bases it's segregation
policy on Public Law 534 (Seventy-
seventh Congress) which Mr.. Wen
der said specifically spelled out
that the recreation program should
be operated on colored and white
basis as set up by National Capital
Park and Planning Commission be-
fore the. board was. created"
S. The Citizens Committee
Against ASegresatcN IN Recreati9F,
embodyihg 28 @df4 and whioe
organizations, Is attacking the dual
system with yigor and is taxing
steps to Test s fsS Stion through the
s. The Execnaivl Committee ofthe
Federation Of Citizens Associations,
acting for 10 member groups, unani-
mously adopted 4 resolution Of Its
Recreation Committee urging con-
tinuation OF the dual recreation
program. The resolution urged
members to attend Tuesdays hear
ings.
Z. In the background of law and
tradition on which the Recreation
System was devised, the Board of
Education's 83-year-old law of
segregated public schools Influenced
policy making. A large proportion
of the Recreation Departments l64
units are located on school grounds
Centers Around 36 Words.
The controversy centers around
36-word paragraph contained in the
"by-laws, rules and regulations
adopted by the Recreation Board at
its June IL meeting. Known as
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 programs
ior Negro residents shall be con-
Quoted in regions G-K and in desig-
mated city-wide centers."
That statement of policy not only
brought down upon the heads OF the
Recreation Board a storm or pro-
tests and demands for hearings from
antisegregationists, but also created
a minority element on the board
itself for the first time In its threer
year history.
Mrs. Alice c. Hunter, colored
board secretary, and Irving G. Root
who as superintendent of National
Capital Parks Can Interior Depart
ment agency Is an ex-ofncio voting
member, moved that the clause be
stricken out and were outvoted
5 to 2. They were outvoted by the
same count when the by-laws were
adopted.
Offered Minority Report.
Mrs. Hunter submitted a lengthy
minority report, citing the section as
discriminatory and questioning the
boards legal authority ito grant the
use of public property on the basis
of race, color or, creed" Mr.. Root
dissented on the grounds that, as
the head of an Interior Department
subsidiary, he was bound to uphold
the principle that the park system
of the Nations Capital is for the
benefit and enjoyment of all the
people Of the United States"
Voting for adoption Of the by
laws were James E. Schwab, vice
chairman of the board and chair
man Of the Bylaws Codiflcation
COMMITTEES; 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 the
Board. Neither G. Melvin Sharpe
the Board Of Education member
nor his alternate, Robert Al. Maurer
was present. Since there was No
deadlock. Chairman Wender did not
vote.