Evening star., 1949-10-12
Funds Sought TO Build
Non-Segregated Pool
AT Fort Stanton Park

al TOH yIdnIOn FdIk
President Truman has sent a
request to Congress for an i'm
mediate appropriation of S175,0 900
to build a new swimming pool in
Southeast Washington, a project
of the Interior Department which
might help the deadlock over use
of the Anacostia pool, closed last
summer over the racial segrega-
ton issue.
The new pool, to be located in
Fort Stanton Park, would be COM
pleted in time for next summers
swimming season if Congress ap-
propriates the money. A. E.
Demaray, associate director of
the Interior Departments Ma
tional Park Service, said it would
be operated on a non-segregated
basis.
The request for funds was
presented to Congress yesterday
by Acting Budget Bureau Director
F. j. Lawton. He accompanied the
request with an explanation that
the pool was needed in Southeast
Washington to relieve the con-
i gested conditions at Anacostia
pool"
Didn't Consult Board.
Harry S. Wender, chairman of
the District Recreation Board,
said he knew nothing of the plans
for the new pool until after the
request had been introduced in
Congress. He said this was an
other example of the Recreation
Board being left in the dark about
local recreation matters.
I'VE at least should have been
consulted" he declared, explain
ing that the board had long-range
plans for the development OF the
city's recreation areas.
Mr.. Wender, however, said he
: was in favor of the construction
OF the new pool-even if the board
was not consulted-because it was
badly needed.
He said he hoped the Interior
Department gets the funds-which
will be direct Federal appropria-
tion to the Interiors National
Capitol Parks office-and he also
hoped that eventually the Recrea-
tion Board and the Interior De-
partment could work out an agree
ment for the board to take over
operation of this new pool and the
six others controlled by the
Interior Department.
Closed After Disturbance.
The Anacostia pool was closed
shortly after the swimming season
opened last summer because of
racial disturbances there when
colored swimmers tried to use the
pool, which normally had been
used by white persons.
Although the Interior Depart
ment for several years has
operated the six pools on an inter-
racial basis, in actual practice
only Bannecker and Francis were
used by colored persons. Last
summer colored swimmers began
rpsing McKinley pcal. and con-
tinued to do so sdufnfg the sum-
mer with a minimum of incidents
but Anacostia was closed down.
:, The request for the new pool
was regarded as the Interior De-
partnaeat's answer to the dead
lock that. developed, over the
Anacostia- pool. az -" -
= In Colored Area. ~
Fort. Stanton is In neighbor-
hood largely of colored families.
It is believed the hope of the In
terror Department is that the pool
will be used by colored swimmers
and that Anacostia will revert to
its former status without incident.
Meanwhile. negotiations between
the Recreation Board and the In
terror Department for transfer
ring the operation of the pools
to the local board are at a stand
still.
Mr.. Wender said the new Fort
Stanton pool may not solve the
Anacostia problem for the Interior
Department because the trouble at
Anacostia was caused by group
Of outside agitators."
He said the mere presence of an
other pool in the area might not
deter these groups from persisting
in their efforts.
Mr.. Wender said he had a tele-
phone conference with Assistant
Interior Secretary c. Girard Da-
wilson last night and that MIR. Da-
wilson was hopeful an agreement
could be worked out for the board
IN foko p1,or o,1oro %i4, 80 49, -~~1