Evening star., 1949-12-09
School Program
Seen Speededby
Arlington Ruling
Bios Clearance Allows
Work on Facilities
At Hoffmun-Boston
By John v. Horner

for Negroes may be speeded,
rather than delayed, by a Federal
Court ruling that Arlington does
not discriminate against members
Of that race in public schools.
This seeming paradox is due to
the expressed desire Of county au-
thorities to get on with a construc-
ton program which will add $780,
900 worth of Improvements to the
physical facilities at Hoffman
Boston School for Negroes.
In an opinion filed yesterday in
District Court. Alexandria. Judge
Albert v. Bryan ruled that
provides substantially
equal educational opportunity for
white and Negro pupils. He said
there is no evidence Of racial bias
in the school system.
Court Takes Note Of Plans.
Judge Bryan stated, however,
that conditions at Hoffman-Bos-
ton could be improved In several
respects and he noted that plans
have been made to do so.
Commenting on the decision,
School Supt. William A. Early
said disposition of the case enables
the Arlington School Board to
proceed more confidently with its
construction plans.
with guidance from the court"
he said, we can be more GER
tain that we are acting properly
in making the improvements
planned. In sense, we have been
waiting for this decision, to be
sure of our ground"
Supt. Early said the county will
spend up to $750,000 in new con-
struction at Hoffman Boston.
Among the Improvements will be
vocational shops, gymnasium, q
cafeteria. clinic rooms, home eco
nomics facilities, toilets and
showers. A swimming pool prob
ably will be "roughed in" but not
completed at this time. An ath-
letic field is to be developed on
recently acquired land.
Plaintiffs May Appeal.
Whether the colored plaintiffs
will be satisfied with this program
remained uncertain, however.
Leon A. Ransom of Washing
ton. one of four colored lawyers
who brought the case against
Arlington, said Judge Bryan's de-
cision may be appealed. Mr.. Ran
som said he had not received q
copy of the opinion and there
fore could not comment specifi-
cally. He said he would confer by
telephone with his associate at
torneys, Oliver w. Hill. Martin A.
Martin, and Spotswood Robinson.
of Richmond, before deciding
about the appeal.
Lawrence w. Douglas repre-
sented the county.
The case is one in a series Of
discrimination suits brought with
the help of the National Associa-
ton for the Advancement Of
Colored People. It is regarded as
of great Importance in Virginia
Jurisdictions other than Arlington.
and may have application to situ-
ations in other States.
Underlying Issue.
Underlying the court issue Is
the practice of racial segregation.
Virginia. like other Southern
States. requires separation Of the
races and therefore must main
tain a dual school system.
To achieve school segregation,
Arlington provides high school
facilities for 1900 white pupils at
Washington-Lee, and for only 26
Negro pupils at Hoffman-Bos
During trial of the suit, the
colored attorneys argued a Negro
child must have every opportunity
offered whites. They noted that
Washington-Lee has a football
team and a cadet corps. Even II
Hoffman-Boston had just one boy
student, the attorneys said, the
school should make provision for
football team. and a cadet corps.
The plaintiffs also had con-
tended that to equalize facilities,
summer school should be in
stalled at Hoffman-Boston with
teachers sitting in the rooms even
though not one pupil applied for
summer instruction
Judge Bryan termed these
empty offerings" On this point,
he wrote:
1.-The court does not believe
that the failure of Hoffman-Bos-
ton to make empty offerings Is
discrimination. Deprivations fall
ing within the prohibition OF the
14th Amendment must be actual
as well as logical"
No Intent to Neglect
Judge Bryan's opinion sustained
the Arlington school authorities
on every major point. Summarize
ing, he wrote that "it is clear
from the evidence that there is
no intent. purpose or policy" in
Arlington to neglect or discrimin-
ate the Negro schools.
He said there was "unchalleng-
ed testimony" that elementary
Negro children are housed better
than whites of the same class and
asserted that this reveals "an en-
tire absence of intent to discrim-
mate between races in the
schools
Judge Bryan. who is widely
known for brevity and clarity In
decisions. used Is typewriter
pages in this instance. He re-
viewed the testimony and argu-
ments on every important point.
comparing Washington-Lee with