Evening star., 1949-02-07
Federation Hits
Biased Report
On Segregation
Committee Charged
With Untrue Picture
Of Housing Conditions

|
day by the executive board OF
the Federation Of Citizens Asso-
Citations against the picture OF
race relations recently painted by
the National Committee on Seq
regation in the Nations Capital.
The 91-page report published
in December by a 90-member COM
mittee charged that segregation is
more stringent here than it was
half century ago. largely because
of calculated policy pursued by
community leaders as good busi-
ness"
In taking exception with this
finding, the association board said
that:
| l. The committees picture of
housing conditions "is absolutely
untrue in every particular.
2. Instead of printing all the
facts. good or bad. the report dis
torted the picture so that people
outside the District would have
little information as to real con-
ditions.
Repeal of Law Opposed.
8. Overnight repeal OF segrega-
ton laws, as proposed by the COM
mittee, will not work. Instead "the
solution of the problem will come
by cooperation to overcome racial
tensions and by a mutual under
standing on the part of intelligent
persons of both races who are
willing to sit down and discuss the
situation and the ways and means
Of improving it,"
4. A fair employment prac-
tices act and elimination Of seq
gregation in the schools, advo-
Gated to improve relations. in
stead will bring about chaos.
further infame both races and
add fuel to the fires of racial mis-
understandings.
The board noted that "since
publication of the booklet the
committee has withdrawn or re-
pudiated certain passages, includ-
ing a mistake in the identity of
a president of the Federation of
Citizens Associations, a statement
involving the Washington Ca
thedral EpiscopaD and an Incl
dent alleged to have happened In
a Catholic church."
Excess Is Charged.
"The sponsors Of this booklet
have evidently failed to realize
that any minority group seeking
to right certain alleged wrongs
must appeal to the fairness and
open -mindedness of members of
the majority. who in the last
analysis will determine the issue.
No lawyer ever won a case by in
sulting the judge. Some of the
statements in the report will be
resented by a large segment OF
the population.
Instead of confining them
selves to a dignified approach to
the problem and its solution, its
authors have excoriated individ-
uals and organizations that may
desire to improve the position of
the Negro in the Nations Capital,
but will lose enthusiasm for it
after reading the document"
The board members said they
always have hoped for better
understanding between the races
and that they do not agree with
the committees statement that
race relations are worse than they
were some years ago.
THE reader of the report is
Immediately impressed by the fail
ure of the committee to attribute
any animosity to the Negro race, :"
the report continued.
One-Sided View Seen.
According to it, all the evils in
the situation are the result of the
white mans intolerance and moth
ing is said as to the Negroes part
in perpetuating the alleged evils.
Failure to recognize the realities
will not help in solving the prob
lem.
Several instances are cited
where Negro citizens have been
publicly Inundated and insulted.
No one can truthfully argue that
these are anything but isolated
instances which do not represent
the desires and intentions Of the
whites of the District.
I'VE could in turn cite innumer-
able instances of violence perpe-
trated by Negroes against whites,
and we could point to certain
parts of the city where no white
woman would dare walk after
dark, but these situations. we be-
lieve, are not condoned by the
great mass of decent and self-re-
specting Negroes in this COM
munity."
The statement took note Of the
committees analysis of housing
conditions, with special reference
to charges that Negroes were
forced to live in "ghettoes" and
substandard houses because Of
white covenants"
Covenant Situation Defended.
1T has time and again been
stated that the covenants are not
intended to operate against Ne
groes as such, but are designed as