Evening star., 1949-12-04
Southern Papers Blast
Truman for Ruling Of
FILA on Segregation
BY the Assoeiatsd Press

lIA VII JCyICyoIIVh
BY the Associated Press
Southern newspapers yesterday
leveled sharp criticism at the
Governments new move to curb
racial and religious discrimina-
tion in housing accommodations.
The Federal Housing Admin
istratior announced it is amend
ing its rules and would forbid
FILA aid to builders who file COW
enants racially restricting use or
occupancy of a property.
Editorial comment in the South
included:
Montgomery ~tAla.) Advertiser:
This. we believe, is Truman's
most ruthless tyrannical act. Withs
the zeal of a religious bigot, with
the unsparing contempt of a
Thaddeus Stevens, with the gross
political gain motive of a two-bit
ward heeler, with the cynical cal
culation Of the grossest Pharisee
this pennyweight Caesar has
terminated FHA housing assist
ance to a fourth Of the Nation"
Held Hurting Slum Project.
Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register:
"By denying Federal financing as
sistance in demonstration of any
home or homes project where there
are to be racial restrictions. Mr..
Truman is doing terrific injury to
those he may think he is helping.
What he is doing. if he did but
know it, Is to make 1t virtually i'm
possible for colored persons in the
South to benefit from slum clear
ance projects. There are few, if
any, cities in the South where
housing boards or municipal gov
ernments will seek projects of this
nature if it is understood that
whites and colored will live side
by-side there.n.~...~
Fort Myers fla News-Press:
1.-THE barring Of Federal housing
assistance to projects where segre-
CATION Is practiced has been pro-
posed in Congress every time a
housing bill has come up and such
amendment has always been de-
feated.
"Yet it should cause no surprise
that the administration now does
by executive order the very thing
that Congress has repeatedly re-
fused TO sanction. The history
and nature dt Government sub
sides is that Government control
Invariably goes along with the
Government dollars and the con-
trolls are pushed treven farther.
Those who look to the Govern
ment for subsidies must be pre-
pared to accept Government con-
trolls of every nature"
Negroes Seen Deprived.
Lakeland (Fla.) Ledger: 'Presi-
dent Truman cannot possibly be
uriaWare of the fact that any at-t
tempt tu operate a housing project
IN the South on a basis Of nom
segregation would be a stupid and
tragic undertaking. Thus, the
only conclusion is that he Is stub
bornly set upon q course he knows
is contrary to common sense. The
pit of it is that such a policy will
not only deprive thousands Of Ne
gro families Of better housing but
will also reopen old wounds made
by the indefensible civil rights
program"
Tampa Tribune: This non-
segregation housing edict. evi-
IDENTIFY emanating directly from
the White House, is an unpro-
voked and unnecessary afiront toI
both Southern tradition and
Southern practice. 80"
Thomasville tGa.)a Times-En-j
terprise The rule win not have
anysmaterial effect except in thel
South and it was for that reason
that it was designed and in-'l
stalled by the President. It Is
a thinly vieled effort to add
further confusion to the States
Rights issue. :"
Public Order Seen Threatened.
Newport News (Va.) Daily
Press: 1.-THE policy attacks other
propositions that are of equal I'M
portance to the so-called civil
rights of citizens. It threatens
the stability Of public order. It
Is arbitrary and obnoxious, If not
arrogant, enforced through the
lever of public funds subject to
disbursement and use, according
to law. by elected or appointed
officials"
Norfolk (Va) virgifiian-Pilot:
''It would be an unspeakable
tragedy if the rulings impact
upon the effort to repair a grave
housing deficit happened to be
seriously adverse. Any effort
to disturb the separation of the
races in public housing projects
would effectively block the hous-
ing program. Giving the Negro
decent housing is an attainable
objective in the South. The
-