Evening star., 1949-06-24
Depiorex Gradual" Philosophy
In Dealing With Racial Issues

VETERAN AND FEDERAL EMPiOSE,
DepIores Gradual" Philosophy
In Dealing With Racial Issues
To tas EajssE ei rst ssAT
The letter of June H. signed 1ue ions
D c. Resident" presents the most danger
Gus and deceptive type Of argument con-
eerning racial segregation because 1t cloaks
the argument In the guise Of reason and
good will In that guiSe, therefore. II seems
more acceptable than II the argument wric
presented by an svowed eigot-
Residents" main arguments are theSe:
The ma lority OF WaShingtons residents pre-
fer segregation. therefore. legislation OF de"
crees banning segregation would. be against
impulses and past customs the fact That
Washington is the Capital is irrelevant 10
the whole question and what Is important Is
how the residents OF the city feel about
it, the only fair way to handle the se-
grega,ion question" is by "A referendum
taken among the lehtfe residents OF Wash
tnoton" utalics mine. the present eontro-
versy between the Interior Department and
the Recreation Board concerns - purely
local affair" with which Federal Depart
ment" and "a New York ConsreASman'
should not be concerned.
First, no referendum has yet been taken
to disclose the preference OF the majority,
that segregation would be retained" he,
does not disclose There never has yet
been the slightest indication THAT where
mixed groups are permitted TO meet the
financial success OF any enterprise Is Jeo-
pardized or affected Ten thousand per
sons attended Judith Andersons "Medea
at the Sylvan Theater, thousands upon
thousands OF meals are served daily In
Government cafeterias in which segregation
does not occur the largest playground
In town-Grifnth Stadium-~is attended
faithfully by hundreds OF thousands each
year so. too with Uline Arena. and Con-
stitution Hail. etc. etc. What better evid-
ence does Resident" have concerning the
feelings OF the majority OF Washing toniansT
Anti-Democratie Doctrines Scored.
Second. expressly and implicitly. Resi-
dent" recognizes that morality. right think
ing democracy and brotherhood" require the
gradual and eventual abolition OF sesreea.
tion. What then are etnese .impulscs" and
.customs" which rnuxk n So cherished as
to prevent the prcseMt-1 tafnu,ent of the
desired ends2 Bieotry. prejudice and the
racial doctrines of men who speak with
HitlerianN echoes. In other feids OF human
activity, men who stand UP and voice anti
moral and anti-democraiic doctrines IN the
belief that they represent the majority
are given but Nhmited audience and no ssm-
pathy by the conniunity and their doctrines
are irnpatiently dismissed. Yet whenever
the anti i-moral segregation Issue Ia raised.
we are asked. by those who represent them
selves as reasonable" 10 do things "gradu-
ally because las Resident says great
strides have been made In the past 30 10 10
years" This must indeed be a great source
OF comfort to the little boys-white or
Negro-who look longingly into the play
grounds set aside for members OF the othcr
kA&~t M
understand why they are allowed 10 De
together on the streets but not In the
Fairgrounds. or TO the tired Negro shopper
who must stand for her meal at the down.
town Ave -and-ten hot dog stand: or to the
sick Negro whose doctor cannot attend her
in almost every hospital in the city.
Gradual" action when we deal with
human activities means constant denial ana
rapid decay. Gradual" change as thus advo-
Gated has almost invariably been urged by
those who would yield nothing except when
subjected to the pressures of those who
urge immediate change. The strides" which
have been made In these 80 10 rs years
can be shown in almost every instance TO
have been occasioned by the demands OF
those seeking fair treatment for minortties.
rather than having been yielded voluntarily
by those who say they believe In gradual
change The gradual change Of such people
motion of the glacial drift-and would
contain about as much warmth
Sees states Rights as Meaningless.
Third, the fact that Washington is the
Nations Capital underscores the issue as
nothing else could. For here the great cry OF
the Southerner-States rights-can have no
meaning. Here the national policy OF our
democracy fairly can be effected and consia~
tutionaliy imposed Residents" reference
Gafx q nNe4nfnEtE&N
as applied 10 the District. Incidentally. the
New York CONGRESSMAN to whom he refers
may we'll be the same Congressman whose
single handed efforts caused the abrupt. put
long sought after change OF policy by the
National Capitol Park and Planning Com
mission which confessed that the racial
designations In fits master plan Tor the city
were wholly unwarTanted by iaw.
Finally. the bias underlying "Reaidentk
letter In shown by his suggestion than any
referendum held on segregation should be
taken among the white residents OF wash.
ington Thus. the Negro population. which
exceeds 90 per cent Of that Of Warrington.
is to be denied by Resident" q voice in
determining the laws and policies governing
its own status / submit that no right
thinking human could concur In waiting
until Resident" gradually rids himself Of
such hypocrisy.
Segregation In uneconomic. &nti-social and
immoral No one should be required 20 await
fts Abolition. g. WALTER SHINE.
Not Hyxsersral Aseut -Hystesia"
Aboss CsMmunisss and Sykes
70 the Kdstor sf Tns star
There's q lot Of myxteria about tnas hys-
terra we hear about / simply cant hnd
among nay acquaintance any cne xfso ss
hystsricai about Communists or spses
am forced 10 conclude that th* only Goes
who are hyssers0al are certain admanistTA-
ton ofhcials who don't relish xfai ID oesnx
disclosed. certain columnixs& xho consist
ensly follow the administration line. and
few Communist sympathszers who hass
something TO hide. In ether words. tnnss
VINO are hysteyicai ore not very numerseaL
Z D. W.