Evening star., 1949-11-12
Chapman Favors
Board Control
Of Recreation
Successor to krug
Wants Transfer on
'Bosis Of Progress

Non facilities in Washington from
Athe Interior Department to the
District Recreation Board is ia.
syored by Oscar L. Chapman, the
Snew Secretary of the Interior.
( In his first press conference late
yesterday, after President Tru-
sman selected him to succeed Sec
sretary Krug, who resigned, Mr.
EChapman declared it is not neces-
ssary for the department to be In
sthe recreation business"
+ He said, however, that, when
The Interior Department releases
tits control over golf courses, play
grounds, swimming pools and
sother concessions here, this should
sbe ION the basis of progress and
development In that field"
Mr.. Chapman. strong civil
rights advocate. was asked if he
meant by that remark "non-segre-
cation"
What I have just said is ade-
quate." he responded.
Participated in Planning.
+ Generally speaking. Mr.. Chap
anan said. he plans "to follow
Through on the Krug policies" in
working out the transfer OF recre-
alton facilities. He said he had
Participated in many Of the plan
hing conferences in regard to this
transfer.
4 Although Mr.. Krug said he was
quitting effective the end Of this
month, Mr.. Chapman is expected
to assume his new duties at the
start of next week.
Mr.. Krug's letter of resignation,
made public yesterday, assured the
President that II want to help in
every way to carry out your West
ern development program in the
1850 and 1852 campaigns.
Mr.. Krug has not said why he
is leaving the post he has held
since February. 1916. Several
times in the past year he has in
dicated he would like to return
to private life. He is understood
to have an interest in a Tennessee
textile mill.
Personnel to Stay Unchanged.
In recent months there have
been strong indications that the
President had been displeased
with some of the administrative
actions of his youngest cabinet
member. The exchange of Tru-
man-Krug correspondence on the
resignation did not reflect this.
At his news conference, Mr..
Chapman said department poll
cies and personnel would remain
unchanged. He said he had given
no thought to selection of a new
Undersecretary.
Mr.. Chapman said the Interior
Department will continue to favor
Western reclamation development
and, resources conservation gen..
orally. - .ft.e
He said it will continue to fight
for Federal ownership of sub
merged land, for irrigation and
power development of the West
he especially mentioned Califor-
MAS Central Valley, for establish
ment of a Columbia Valley Au-
thority in the Pacific Northwest
and for the principle of regional
development-whether under ar
authority or some other method
in the Missouri River Basin.
Basic Agreement Was Signed.
On the recreation question, the
Interior Department and the
District Recreation Board sev-
eral months ago signed a "basic
agreement" which provided for
the operational control of certain
park recreational areas by the
board if segregation was not intro
duced.
The basic agreement also said
the other recreational facilities
operated by the Interior Depart
ment through concessionnaires-#
golf courses, bicycle concessions,
boating concessions and such =
would be transferred to the local
body as soon as separate agree
ments could be worked out in each
case. Negotiations now are under
way for transferring the golf
courses from S. G. Leoff1er to the
Recreation Board.
Swimming pools were not men
toned in the basic agreement. A
stalemate apparently has ydevel-
oped in this matter. and no nego-
tiations are under way at present
to effect the transfer of the five
pools operated by Interior.
Active in Civic Affairs.
Mr.. Chapman's long public
service In the department here,
since he was appointed Assistant
Secretary by President Roosevelt
in 1888, has brought him into
contact with many phases of Dis
trict affairs. He has been active
in many civic groups devoted to
the development OF the dignity
and worth of all Americans, ire
spective of color or religion" it
was pointed out In a biographical
sketch released yesterday.
He was one of the principal
sponsors of the concert by Marian
Anderson. famous Negro singer, on
the steps of Lincoln Memorial
on Easter, 1889, after the OAR
had denied her permission to sing
in Constitution Hall, and the Dis
trict School Board had refused to
make high school auditorium
available.
Mr.. Chapman was one of the
incorporators of the Citizens
Committee on Race Relations in
Washington and now is actively
participating as a member of the
committee raising money for the
United Negro College Fund.
He also has been active in the
Washington Community Chest.
Hosmer Heads Arlington
= A~s:>s.1II Eund Nrivn