Evening star., 1948-06-01
Mann Resigns
From Political
School Group
Hits Nomination of
Own Candidate for
Arlington Board

Harrison Mann, chairman of the
Arlington County Democratic Ex-
ecutive Committee, today an
nounced his resignation from the
county's Citizens Committee for
School Improvement, charging that
it had been converted into a po-
litical group.
Mr.. Mann, who has been active
in the school group since it's incep-
ton. said his decision to resign
came after the meeting last Thurs
day when the Citizens Committee
authorized the nomination of its
own candidate for the county board.
The Democratic leader declared this
action placed the committee di-
rectly into politics. He said since
the now announced aim of the group
was to put up candidate to op-
pose the candidate of the Demo-
cratic Party, Il cannot remain in
the anomalous position of being
affiliated with this group"
The Better Government League,
Mr.. Mann charged, played a major
part in the committees adoption Of
a resolution introduced by County
Board Chairman Daniel A. Dugan
to place candidate in the county
board race. In his letter of resig-
nation, he said this course of action
was not wholly unexpected" since
he foresaw it "at the December
meeting last year when the Better
Government League showed up full
force and took over"
Says 1t Lost Enviable Position.
He said the league achieved its
objective last Thursday night when
Malcolm D. Miller, president; Mr..
Dugan and Harley Williams, former
league president, had full direction
OF the meeting, along with certain
influential members who have de-
veloped political ambitions"
Mr.. Mann said he felt the COM
mittee could have used great in
f1uence in revealing the position of
all county board candidates in the
fall election with respect to better
schools.
a
non-political body would have been
enormous" he said, but this did not
suit the purpose of the Better Gov
ernment League party. Today the
Citizens Committee has lost this
enviable position; it has lost its
effectiveness in sincerity of pur-
pose as body whose sole interest
is dedicated to the improvement Of
schools. 1t has become just one
more partisan group, grinding the
ak of the league party"
Action Criticized.
Mr.. Mann said that while the
citizens committee decided to select
a county board candidate under the
guise of nonpartisanism, Better
Government League strategists were
careful to see that the resolution
adopted last Thursday night would
not permit the citizens committee
to indorse the best available candi-
date but indorse only a so-called
nonpartisan candidate"
The Arlington Democratic Execu-
tive Committee decided to place a
candidate in the county board race
this year after the county Repub-
lican Committee announced its in
tention to support a candidate in
that election. Last year the county
board election was conducted on a
nonpartisan basis when the major
parties abstained from supporting
candidates. The Better Government
League had pressed for action in
the Virginia General Assembly this
year for legislation establishing
county and school board elections as
nonpartisan permanently. Mr.. Du-
gan was elected to the county board
as an independent several years ago
with the support of the Better Gov
ernment League.