Evening star., 1946-11-21
Grant Regrets
News Release
On City Heads
Commissioners Get
Full Apology From
Park Planning Chiei

Park Planning Chief
Maj. Gen. y. S. Grant III, chair
man OF the National Capital Parl
and Planning Commission, today ex
pressed regret, to Commissioner
Guy Mason and Gordon r. Youn,
for a misinterpretation of commits
sion news release which led tn,
two city heads to protest on Tues.
day, that they had been committee
erroneously. on matters of Distric
policy.
Gen. Grants apology was in tht
form Of a 500-word letter which
said he desired to correct any in.
formation enormously given or in.
terpreted and he was entirely ir
agreement" that they had made NJ
official commitments whatsoever.
Gen. Grant said he believed his
reply ended the controversy.
On Tuesday Mr.. Mason and Gen
Young angrily denounced the plan
ming group for disseminating news
that the city heads and commission
members had agreed to Distric,
legislative program which included
slum clearance, sports arena and
of street parking facilities for pub
lie buildings.
The statement in question was
made to reporters Monday by Thorn
as S. Settle, Planning Commission
secretary.
Whether or not disciplinary ac-
tion against Mr.. Settle was in or
der remained unanswered, as did the
question of possible change in the
press relations policy of the plan
nerS. Gen. Grant refused to COM
ment on these subjects.
The text of Gen. Grants letter to
the Commissioners follows:
I'm response to your joint letter
OF yesterday, can only express the
sincere and. strong regrets of the
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission that any state
ment should have been made by q
member Of its staff, which could in
any way be understood or inter-
preted by the press as indicating
opinions or actions ON your part
contrary to the facts. With the
commissions expression of regrets
go my personal apologies as the
member more directly responsible
for what the staff does and does not
DO. I can assure that there was no
Intention whatsoever to misinterpret
the facts.
Our commission is entirely in
agreement with you that at Mon
day mornings meeting you did not
commit the Board of Commissioners
as such to any action or policy
whatsoever. Indeed, the fact that
two members of your board will
not commit the board to any major
decision is a matter of such we'll
known uniform practice that it is
very difficult to understand how any
statement by a member of our staff,
however loosely worded, could have
been so interpreted.
News Policy Stated.
"As our commission at its meet
tngs discusses matters of major inn
portance to the people of the Ma
tional Capital and its environs, and
1T makes recommendations thereon,
it has from the beginning been felt
desirable and only fair to the pub
lie and to such agencies, as might
be interested and have through in
advertence perhaps, or lack of fore
sight, not been asked. to participate
in the discussion, to inform the
newspapers Immediately after each
meeting of the substance of the sub
jectS considered and the recon-
mendations made. This has been
found to be the only practicable
way to give the public the informa- :
ton to which it is entitled.
at is certainly deeply regretted
that in this case any information
was released that could possibly be
SO used as to cause you the least
embarrassment. I can assure you
that nothing could have been fur
ther from my wishes or the inten-
ton of our commissions secretary,
who met with the representatives of
the press, than such an outcome.
Experience shows that such mis-
chances and misunderstanding do
occur from time to time, whatever
the precautions taken to avoid
them. The impossibility of avoid
ing such mischances is evidenced
by the fact that I personally gave
the correct reason for canceling the
trip Tuesday afternoon and yet an
incorrect inference was drawn by
one newspaper.
Information Is Withdrawn.
"Over long period of years the
news as to our commissions meet
ings has been handled in the same
way by the same staff member with
out heretofore giving rise to such a
protest. AS the District Confmis-
sioners must themselves have ex-
perienced similar mischances in the
past, it is hoped that this will be
recognized as an unintentional er-
ror in an otherwise pretty good bat
ting average, and not be permitted
to affect adversely the cordial rela-
tionS between our two commissions,
the cooperation of which is so i'm
portant to the District of Columbia.
1.-The discussion Monday morning
was entirely exploratory and for the
informal and frank exchange of per-
sonal views on subjects of mutual
interest and appertaining to our
respective duties. In order that the
views so exchanged may not be
misinterpreted as commitments on
your part, any information errone-
ously given or interpreted to this
effect is Withdrawn and copies of
this letter are being given to the
local papers"