Evening star., 1945-08-10

hensive plan, as suitable and desirs
recreation system"
For added support Of the law, Mr.
Wender pointed to the Senate and
House District Committee reports on
the bill creating the board which di-
rected: THE board Is required to
recognize coordinate authority and
responsibility of white and colored
personnel in the administration of
the respective programs of recrea-
ton in accordance with the present
plan Of the Community Center and
Fairgrounds Department"
Created in 1924.
What was the plan" which the
Recreation Department was directed
to follow? For an analysis it is
necessary to return to 1924 when the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission was created as an inde-
pendent agency for the "compre-
hensive development of parks and
Fairgrounds of the National Cap
ital."
In 1928 a committee was author
lied by the commission to draw
plans for recreation system for the
District, embodying the Fairgrounds
and parks which had been under the
supervision of the Board of Educa-
tion's Community Center and the
District Fairgrounds Department,
and proposing many new areas.
Members of the committee and
organizations they then represented
were Maj. L. E. Atkins, chairman,
assistant Engineer Commissioner !;
DR.. H. B. Learned, Board of Educa-
ton; S. E. Kramer, assistant super
intendent Of schools; Miss Sibyl Ba-
ker, Community Center director;
Mrs. Susie Root Rhodes, supervisor
of Fairgrounds. Richard Tennyson,
Fairgrounds Department; DIR.
George F. Bowerman, public libra
rian; Mrs. c. w. Herbert, assistant
librarian; E. D. Hardy, United States
Engineers; Capt. E. N. Chisholm, jr.,
Off1ce of Public Buildings and Parks,
and Charles w. Eliot, II, National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission.
Followed Is Years.
The fruition of two years work by
this committee was a Proposed
Recreation System" setting up on q
map of the District rs recreation
centers and designating 20 as for
whites and six for colored. Adopted
by the commission, the plan has
been followed for Is years with only
minor alterations. 1t embraced
school Fairgrounds and buildings,
District Fairgrounds and certain
Federal land assigned for recreation
purposes by the now extinct ONCE
of Public Buildings and Parks, an
independent agency.
1t is this jig-saw structure the
Recreation Board asserts it must
operate on segregated basis by
mandate of Congress, and from
which the Interior Department is
threatening to- withdraw Federal
parks in its jurisdiction. The Rec
reation Board doubts whether such
Federal lands under its control can
be withdrawn and has appointed
committee to study the matter.
Only on those Federal lands
where the Recreation Board has in
stalled its program under a director
Is there a dispute. In such areas as
Rock Creek Park, the Ellipse, Monu-
ment fields, the Sport Center and
West Potomac Park, the Recreation
Board is concerned only In that it
issues permits for picnics and other
entertainment. In these it is first
come, first served to white and COL
ored alike. Neither is the question
raised as to whether a group is
mixed. ...
Applies to Other.
The permit system also applies to
the Mall, Monument Ground and
White Lot tennis courts, all on Fed
eral property and unsegregated.
There is no jurisdictional wrangle
about the four public golf courses;
only the paradoxical policy of semi
segregation.
theoretically, segregation never
has been practiced on the Anacos-
tia, East Potomac Park, Rock Greek
Park and Langston golf courses. The
courses are on Federal land and
are operated by a concessionaire
under contract with the National
Capital Parks.
Although the Interior Depart
ment has in recent years supported
the rights OF the colored to use all
golf courses, it never has insisted
on unrestricted use of locker and
shower rooms.
An Interior Department spokes-
man familiar with the recreation
policy said one reason for this was
that lockers are rented on a yearly
basis and none is available for the
casual player.
Prefer Langston Course.
He pointed out, as did DR.. E. B.
Henderson, chairman of the Citi-
zens' Committee Against Segrega-
tion in Recreation, that most colored
golfers preferred to play on the
Langston course, which was con-
structed specifically for their use
several years ago.
"Only once was there any trouble
at golf course and that was as q
direct result of paid agitation by a
colored group" the Interior De-
partment of1cial said.
"A colored Interior Department
employe sought to use a locker room
at the East Potomac course. In the
disturbance that followed he rushed
to the Interior building and de-
manded police protection from
Secretary Ickes.
He was escorted back to the
course by police, but did not play
aoa in Later hn. ssrasaf n, {Nl,ioo no