Evening star., 1949-07-13
Recreation Unit
Restudies Bylaw
On Segregation
Will Meet Tonight to
Bring Amendment in
Line With Krug Views

DIlnS 1HhSnuHHSHl I'LL
Line With Krug Views
The District Recreation Board
and the Interior Department ap-
peared today to be as far apart
as at any time in the last seven
years on the question of segrega-
ton at swimming pools in the
District.
The boards bylaws committee
is to meet at 7 o'clock tonight to
consider again amending the by
laws in line with the ideas of the
Interior Department as a basis
for the transfer of Interiors S
swimming pools and other recrea-
ton facilities to the board.
Board Chairman Harry S. Wen
der made his position clear: II
the board operates the six pools
it will be on a segregated basis.
Immediate adoption of pro-
posed new bylaw was rejected by
the board yesterday, and it was
voted to refer the subject back to
the bylaws committee. The COM
mittee had acted on the question
once before at a meeting July 5.
Wording of Proposal.
The proposed bylaw to take the
place of the present Section %
of the bylaws, under where there
now is segregation. reads:
The board will make every
possible and realistic effort toward
the removal of racial segregation
in public recreation in such
sequence and at such rate OF
progression as may be consistent
with the public interest. public
order and effective administra-
ton. The board. by majority vote
of the whole board. shall from
time to time issue necessary
orders to the superintendent to
implement this policy"
The first sentence is the same
as the policy declaration the board
adopted June IA.
In the discussion. Mr.. Wender
said he was prepared to vote for
the new bylaw, but in difference
to James E. Schwab. chairman OF
the Bylaws Committee. he would
vote to refer the matter again to
the committee. Mr.. Schwab hac
asked for recommittment. He said
he believed the board should not
act without study. He referred to
such action as buying a pig in a
poke
Mr.. Wender said then that, II
the new bylaw was adopted. II
was his opinion the board still
would have paramount authority
to make policy.
Krug's Statement Recalled.
After the meeting. Mr.. Wender's s
attention was called to a passage
in a statement issued yesterday by
Interior Secretary Krug, which
Mr.. Wender had read to the
board. together with a letter from
Mr.. Krug. The passage in ques-
ton said: This proposal (refer-
ing to the proposed new bylaws
section will not permit the i'm
position of segregation on any
facilities now operating on a non
segregated basis e."
The six Interior pools have beer
operated on a nom segregated
basis. although originally only two
of them had been patronized by
colored swimmers. A third pool
Mckinley, recently was taken over
by colored swimmers. When they
attempted to patronize a fourth
the Anacostia pool. disturbances
and Mr.. Krug ordered the
pool closed.
Referring to Mr.. Krug's state
ment that the proposal would not
permit the imposition of segrega-
ton, Mr.. Wender said: THAT
statement is not what the Sec
retary said to me-" He said also
that his position is that the pools
would have to be on a segregated
basis if operated by the Recreation
Board.
Minutes of Meeting Disclosed.
The minutes of the bylaws com.
mittee meeting of July S, made
public at yesterdays meeting, dis
closed that the committee had
proposed that section %, the seq
regation provision, should be
changed to read:
THE designation for use of areas
and facilities as administered by
the Recreation Department, in.
cluding a regional and CITY, wide
plan. and any changes therein
shall be approved by a majority
vote Of the whole board at a stated
hiCCGlIls.
This did not meet the approva,
OF the Interior Department, al
though Mr.. Wender said yesterday
he had thought it embodied what
Secretary Krug wanted.
The bylaws committee also hac
recommended that the policy
statement of June IA be made
part of the bylaws in another
chapter.
1t also was disclosed that. al
the meeting of July 5, the com.
mittee adopted a statement that
if the six pools were taken over
from Interior, they would be op.
Grated on this basis: The Franci.
and Banneker pools for colorec
residents and the Takoma, East
Potomac, Anacostia and Mckinley
pools for whites. The board also
would continue it's present policy
regarding the three pools it now
operates: Dunbar for colorec
swimmers, and Georgetown anc
RoSeda1e rools for vhita su,iy,,