Evening star., 1948-12-12

Cite Education Need II
End Segregation Here
.. The need for education to enc
segregation practices in Washing.
ton, as charged by the Nationa
Committee on Segregation in the
Nations Capital, was cited last
night by several community leaders
as a member of the committee pre-.
dicted an early court test on segre-
CATION here.
Charles H. Houston, Washington
attorney and a member of the re.
search committee that prepared the
91-page report, indicated he woulc
seek a court ruling on whether the
Civil Rights Act of 1875 applies in
Washington.
Mr.. Houston said he also was
looking into the mystery" of the
reported disappearance of an equaI
rights statute passed here in 1877:
by the city's Legislative Assembly.
Capper Would End Segregation.
Senator Capper, Republican, o.
Kansas, who is retiring from Cong
ress. declared that personally g.
would end segregation" here. HI
added: However, in the long rur
It is going to be a matter of edu'
cation, of mutual understanding be-
tween different races and among thu
individuals of various races" Sen
ator Capper continued:
IT hate to say this, but there are
large number of District residents
who have inherited certain socia
prejudices. I would like to think
that those can be overcome all al
once by legislation.
But permanent changes in socia
habits are a matter of gradua.
development and come from chang
ing the outlooks on life, instead ol
Just passing and changing regula-
tions."
Says MoreS Change Slowly.
Mrs: Henry Grattan Doyle, presi.
dent of the Board of Education
observed that the report failed tc
emphasize the fact that the social
mores (of the community change
very slowly"
She added that the report ap-
peared to criticize every force ir
the city whereas many of these
forces are helping to bring about
greater tolerance"
Commenting on the reports state
ment that Negro children were
forced to double up in local schools
Mrs. Doyle estimated there were
about 1900 pupils attending school,
on a part-time basis and that they
are nearly evenly divided between
white and Negro children. Due tC
an increase in population, school
building has not been able to keep
pace with needs of both whites and
Negroes, she pointed out.
Calls Report Exaggerated.
Chairman Dworshak of the Sen
ate subcommittee on District appro-
priations, who was defeated for re-
election, told a reporter he thought
the segregation report was greatly
exaggerated"
He said that while social scien-
fists may envision the ideal condi-
tions, we must be realistic IN OH
approach to the problems"
He noted that at Gallinger Hos
pital free treatment is extended to
about 80 per cent of all its patients
and almost rs per cent of patients
are coloFe6 This indicates that
they ARE receiving exceptionally
fine treatment" Senator Dworshak
said.
Senator Dworshak added that a
need for improved facilities for COL
ored school children is generally
recognized and that this was out
lined In detail in the recent report
of the Strayer survey. This report
undoubtedly will lead to improved
facilities, he predicted.
O'Hara to Study Report.
On the House side, Representative
OHara, Republican. of Minnesota,
member Of the House District Com
mittee, said he would give serious
consideration" to the segregation re-
port, although he was not yet ready
to voice an opinion on the issues
raised. He added that ahe planned
to remain on the District Com
mittee and promised to give my
usual sincere and sympathetic
study to problems of the city.
The report brought from Repre-
sentative Rankin, Democrat, of Mis-
sissippi, comment that it reads
like a message from Moscow" He
said a large number" of those
whose names are attached to the
report are known to be" members
Of Communist-front groups.
Senator McGrath, Democrat, of
Rhode Island, a member of the Sen
ate District Committee, disclosed
that the segregation committee had
conferred with him at length prior
to publication of its report. He said
he was not, however, verifying the
accuracy Of the report, especially
In view of exceptions taken in Ger
tain quarters to some parts of it.
Senator McGrath, who Is chair
g