Evening star., 1947-11-10
Legislator Charges
|Citizens' Federation
Actually Runs D. {.

Representative hieul, DcIitoS1 dl
of New York charged today that 6
"self-appointed" group heading the
Federation of Citizens Association:
was actually running" the District
government.
He attacked the federation in
statement to the press in which he
served notice he would introduce
any necessary legislation to carry
out the recommendations OF the
Presidents Committee on Clvl.
Rights.
The federation has taken excep-
ton to the report of the Presidents
committee which singled out the
District as an example OF discrlm-
ination against minorities.
Hope for Passage Small.
Mr.. Klein, a member of the House
District Committee as well as OF
the Education and Labor Commit
tee, said he had no hope for passage
of any of these bills in the Republi-
can-controlled Congress. Their in
PRODUCTION, however, he added, would
place him on record and serve as
a pledge to the people that "the
Democratic Party Is the party which
believes in and practices American
democracy"
AS member of the District Com
mittee, he continued, II am espeei
ally interested in the recommends
tions to introduce real democrac.
in the Nations Capital, to OUTLAW
segregation and restrictive cove
lnants. and to provide for greater
home rule.
"At the present time, a self
appointed group heading the so
called Federation of Citizens Asso
Citations is actually running th'
local government of the District
The undemocratic nature of tina
junta is shown by recent comment!
Of the retiring president, Clifford
Newell
"To break that power we mus
enact positive legislation guaran'
teeing the full rights of citizenship
to every resident of the Nation!
Capital"
Newell Makes Reply.
Asked to comment, Mr.. Newell
said he had never regarded Mr.
Klein as an "aetive member" of tn.
District Committee.
II am not acquainted with any.
thing Mr.. Klein has done for the
betterment Of the people of the Dis
trict," Mr.. Newell added.
Mr.. Newell said he was pleased
that Mr.. Klein suddenly is taking
so much interest in District affairs
II trust he will be just as active
helping us get a remedy for oul
taxation problems" he said.
Mr.. Klein apparently referred tc
remarks of Mr.. Newell before the
Brookland Citizens Association Oc-
tober Is, when he advised white
home owners not to sell their prop
erty when colored persons moved
into the neighborhood. Mr.. Newell's
thesis was that the colored people
eventually would return to neigh
borhoods where they could better
carry out their obligations to theil
own race.
John H. Connaughton, new Fed
Grafton president, had no comment
at this time, but said he might have
something to say after studying Mr.
Klein's statement.
Hall Praises Report.
The report of the Presidents
Committee on Civil Rights was
praised yesterday by Woolsey w
Hall, president of the District Fed
Grafton of Civic Associations, in q
broadcast over Station WQQW or
an Americans All" program spon'
sored by the Institute on Race
Relations.
The work of the institute was out
lined by speakers as the organiza-
ton inflated its series of broacasts
over WQQW. Among those partici-
pating in the program were Mrs
Velma William, a member of the
District Board of Education; Mrs
Ida Fox, executive secretary of the
Committee for Racial Democracy in
the Nations Capital, and Miss Kate
Alfriend, executive secretary of the
Americans for Democratic Action
Tomlinson D. Todd, director OF
the institute, also spoke. The COM
mentator was Walter l.. Sutler.