Evening star., 1948-12-12
2 THE SUNDAY STAR Washington D. c.
DECEMBER u. t9N

Committee, promised to give further
study to the report insofar as 1t
fits in with the previous recommen-
dations of the Presidents civil rights
message to Congress and the report
of the Civil Rights Commission.
He declined to discuss what course
of action for civil rights in the
District might be pursued by the
next Congress.
From Clifford H. Newell, former
president Of the Federation of Citi-
zens Association, came the observa-
tion that, judging from accounts Of
the segregation report, "it appears
to be a rehash of the Civil Rights
Commission report" He said that
he had not read the full report, but
might have something to say on
the matter at a meeting tomorrow
night of the Glover Park Citizens
Association.
Members Praise Report.
Citizens associations were charged
in the report as pursuing a policy
Iof "contalnment of Negroes" since
the l920s and of being front for
the real estate interests" 1t also
charged that segregation here is
the result of a calculated policy by
community leaders as a matter of
good business" The Washington
Board of Trade was singled out for
criticism in this connection.
Officials of the Federation of Citi-
zens Association and the Board of
Trade asked for more time to study
the report before deciding on
whether to comment on its contents.
On the other side of the issue,
there were these comments last
night:
Mrs. j. Borden Hartman, a men,
ber of the segregation group, de-
clared it was "a splendid report" "
She said that so much light is
thrown on the situation, I think it
should do some good"
DR.. E. Franklin Frazier, another
committee member and head of the
sociology department of Howard
University. said it was "a first-rate
job" that should help organize pub
lie opinion on the problems here
Statute May Have Been Repealed.
Meanwhile, Corporation Counsel
Vernon E. West told a reporter he
planned to look into the question of
what happened" to the civil rights
statute of 1872. This required equal
rights for Negroes in hotels, res
taurants, barber shops, bath houses
and ice cream saloons"
Mr.. West said the statute might
have been repealed in an act of
Congress setting up the District
Code of 1901. The 1872 law was
passed in the days when Washing
ton had home rule. He added that
the law might have been repealed
as result of the Supreme Court
decision of 1883, which declared in
valid a Civil Rights Act of 1875, in
sofar as it applied to the States.
This act declared that all persons
were entitled to equal accommoda-
tionS and privileges in the country's
inns, public conveyances and places
of public amusement.
On the other hand, Mr.. Houston
feels that the issue has not been re-
solved so far as the District is con-
cerned. Il have not found any de-
cision of the Supreme Court spe-
cifically addressed to a civil rights
case arising in the District" Mr..
Houston declared, with the excep-
ton of the two recent restrictive
covenant cases-Hurd versus Hodge
and Urciolo versus Hodge"
,.., Copies Available in Chicago.
He stressed that he would seek
a court test only after exhaustive
study of~the law" f.
:. A spokesman for the Segregation
Committee announced last night
that copies of the report henceforth
would be available only at commit
tee headquarters. 1901 Ellis avenue,
Chicago IS, Ill. Earlier, it was re-
ported that copies could be pur-
chased at the Office of Robert Ma
than Associates, 3 Thomas Circle
NV. The spokesman said that
several members of the committee
staff had used this Office during
preparation OF the report but that
they were no longer there.