Evening star., 1949-05-19
Justice Officials
hayShun Ruling
On Fairgrounds
Issues OF Control
And Segregation
Foce New DeIoy

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determine tSr question q cssn~
uoi ;hc lAyeeG Ql.s>EHsss areGnd
that IL ~hetavr The ps}sat play-
grounds sto1.6 sc operated ca
q noU~eefesatea bass a. ihs IN
tsiiog Department demands or
continue under the current srs-
reEat!on palleacs ~ the Reegea-
,lcn Depa tment
Plea 4 Months oia
TIE question wAs posed tn ihe
Justice Department r4Ent months
ago by Assistant SecTrtArs al tire
Interior { daatd Davidson
Assistant SolieGo, General
George T Washington aasd today
that h!s once Is not bound 10
MAKE = ruling and That There are
many instances where the courts
o. Congress should der ide
Asked sheu the lustsre Depart
ment atll decide Ahrther q -
eoing 10 pass oh the question. AT.
Washington said he had no
comment
We are stl1 working on II lie
said We have had countless
memoranda We have received
material from a good many people.
We have to he ftgh,
Ruling h. Recalled
The question AROSE last summer
when MaNtin a White interior
Department solicitor. ruled that
control Of the recreation areas
lies with the Interior DEPARTING
II this opinion Were upheld any
Use OF the land as Fairgrounds
By the Recreation Board would
depend on whether the board met
conditions laid down hs the Ma
tionai Park Service of The lntrrier
Department
And the Interior Department
repeatedly has demanded thai the
Recreati ton Board abolish segrrsa-
ton on the piasFrounds
Much has happened since the
Justice Department started It's
consideration Of the control usies.
tion.
The Park and Planning Com
mission late las, month voted In q
surprise move To eliminate the
racial designations from ,ts ofTieial
recreation system map.
Demaray Issues Statement.
A. r. Demafay. as aetins di-
rector Of the National Park SerF-
ice. said at the time
The action se took passes the
bail for maintaining or ending
segregation where II belongA~~to
the District Commissioner and
the Recreation Board They are
the ONES who are enforcing seE-
reeation."
Mr. Davidson. after the COM
missions decision. promptly wrote
Recreation Board President Harry
8 wender that since the com
mission had abolished racial des-
ignations, the board vas no longer
under compalslon to maintain
Segregation.
Policies Overhsuled.
Since the Justice Department
began its deliberations the Rec
reation Boards policies also have
undergone soms oysThsuilae The
board last week voted 70 opefsts
tao Fairgrounds here on = hi-
racial basis this summer As an
experiment
The board voted ta alloE the
Friends Meeting Of Washington 10
try the intsrfAeIsi experiment ss
the Quaker eroup had requested.
but under supervision of tho Hsc~
reatscn Department
Latest development In the lons
Interior Recreation Board con-
troyery. which spread 10 tennis
courts and solf links. too. came
yesterday WHEN frytnE e Root,
superintendent Of National Beard
Parks and Interior Department
representative on ting Recreation
Beard. said he vii call for vote
al the board nsSi Hsssting on
whether Segregation Is 70 BE- sool"
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