Evening star., 1945-11-12
Letters to The Star
Judge Haste Reopens Discussion
Of Recreation Boards Policy

manner, is undertaking to keep the pub
lie informed concerning the present
controversy over the racial policies OF
the District of Columbia Board of Rec
reation, I am submitting certain COM
ments upon the attempted justification
of the boards policy as stated by James
E. Schwab, member of the board, in q
letter published In The Star on Oc-
tober /.
The burden of Mr.. Schwab's letter is
that in expressly prohibiting white per-
sons from using certain recreational
buildings and areas. and Negroes from
certain others, the board is doing moth
ing new, but rather is cleaving to what
Is old. At best, it is not a persuasive
argument that an evil should continue
because 1t has existed in the past 1t
is particularly disturbing to find men,
bers OF board charged with the re-
sponsibility of making new policies for
the improvement of our recreational
system thus slavishly bound by the past.
If such Is to be the boards mental at
titude toward change, it may well be
questioned. quite apart from the present
controversy, whether the board serves
any useful purpose.
Says Congress Opposed Restrictions.
More particularly Mr. Schwab ignores
the fact that Congress, In setting up the
Board of Recreation, clearly indicated
its intention that the board not be re-
quired to impose racial restrictions in
public recreation. Such restrictions were
written into the bill as originally pre-
sented and considered, but Senator NOW
Mr.. Justice) Burton on the floor of the
Senate moved to strike out all of the
racial restrictive provisions. The Senate
unanimously accepted this change and
the House concurred. The expression OF
legislative will was plain. The Recrea-
ton Board is deliberately ignoring that
expression of congressional will.
At recent hearings the board was fully
advised of the great amount of un-
segregated recreation which occurs in
the District of Columbia. Mr.. Schwab
of persons participating in unsegregated
activities is relatively small On the
contrary, If we include spectator sports,
as we certainly should, such as baseball
and boxing, and take cognizance OF the
unsegregated pattern Of working, eating
and other activities In the Government
service, 1t is quite apparent that this
community does and will accept un-
segregated activities on a very large
scale. The notion that hundreds Of
thousands Of Washingtonians who eat
in the same Government cafeterias, sit
side by side on streetcars, rub shoulders
at baseball games would find 1t intoler-
able to play on adjoining tennis courts
or to use tennis court just vacated by
q member Of another race is preposter-
Gus.
Mrs. Hunters Proposals Explained.
Mr.. Schwab is unfair to himself when
he suggests that he cannot understand
the amendments to the boards regula-
tions proposed by Mrs Hunter, a men,
Der Of the board. Mrs. Hunter very
plainly proposed two things: First, that
organizations which have white and
colored members or wish white and col
ored persons to be permitted to attend
activities under their sponsorship, should
not be excluded for this reason from
using facilities under the Jurisdiction of
the Board of Recreation. The need for
such an amendment becomes clear when
1t Is considered that the board has re-
fused to permit colored and white citi-
zens to use a building under its juris-
diction for meeting to discuss the i'm
provement OF race relations. 1t has
refused to permit the use of a public
park for concert merely because both
colored and white singers would partic-
ipate. Mr.. Schwab knows these things
and must understand that Mrs Hunters
proposed amendment is aimed at pre-
venting them. The simple fact is that
Mr.. Schwab and majority Of the men,
bers wish to continue to prevent any
such uses of public recreational facili-
ties. The second of Mrs. Hunters pro-
posed amendments would permit any
resident Of the area which playground
or other public facility serves to make
use of that facility If he SO desires. We
know that there are facilities serving
areas where all Of the residents are
white and others serving areas exclu-
sively colored. These would not be az
fected. However, 1t 10 proposed that
where colored and white citizens live
together in an area, neither group should
arbitrarily be excluded from the public
facilities serving that area. Any other
rule seems so clearly contrary to the
legal and moral obligation of Govern
ment oficials in the National Capital
that there is no occasion for elaborate
argument.
Urges Ideal Of Unity.
Finally, it seems time and past time
that officials conducting public enter
prises in Washington should deal with
this city as our National Capital and
not as backward, provincial and un-
enlightened community, oblivious and
Indifferent to the position OF this Nation
IN the world Of today and tomorrow.
We hope that Americas influence will
be toward uniting rather than dividing
the peoples Of the earth, toward pre-
venting rather than stirring up final
war for the destruction OF human civili-
zation as we know 1t. Our country
cannot exert constructive influence
toward harmony and confidence in the
family Of nations so long as thousands
Of representatives Of other nations NOV
ing in and out Of Washington read such
items as Mr.. Schwab's letter and observe
the public practices Of racism which he