Evening star., 1950-08-20
D. {. Told To Gef
ReadyToHand|e
10000 els Daily
Community Services
Asks for Committee
To Work Out Program

day to act now to meet the needs
Of an estimated 10000 servicemen
on leave here nightly, through
formation Of a city-wide commit
Tee under United Community
Services.
The proposal was one of a series
contained in an extensive report
made by Milton Feitelson, execu.
tive director of the Philadelphia
Service Organization. He began
his five-week survey a week after
the invasion of Korea and inter.
viewed more than 100 persons.
In releasing the study. UCS said
it had been approved by the De-
fense Department. It added that
the survey was initiated by the
UCS' recreation and group work
section ito learn what off-post
services Washington could and
should provide for men and
women in uniform"
Action Awaited.
However, UCS made 1t clear the
recommendations had not as yet
been acted upon by UCS or its
sections.
Mr.. Feitelson declared at the
outset of his report:
washington in particular. aS
the Nations Capital, should make
every effort to expose the thous-
ands Of military personnel in its
midst to the best influences Of our
democratic ideals.
ITO achieve this goal in any
military area demands full parti-
cipation of all segments of the
community. All groups - in
dustry. labor. religious. fraternal,
social and governmental - should
participate in the planning Of
services for the military"
He commented that "it would
seem that the military i'm
pact on Washington is much
greater than is now APPARENT to
organizations and civic leaders Of
this community" then added:
"The impact is both social and
economy
To meet this challenge" Mr..
Feitelson recommended:
IA community wide military
service committee, representative
of all organized segments Of the
city, should be established ito en-
list, coordinate and channel the
resources of Washington" to best
meet the needs of service person.
mel. both present and future"
2Immediate steps should be
taken to provide a co-ordinated
information bulletin of resources
and facilities currently available
to military personnel.
3-A military advisory commit
tee representing al branches Of
the armed forces should be set up
at once and assured of a place on
the city-wide community COM
mittee.
Name Suggested.
On the first point, Mr.. Feitel-
son suggested the name of Service
Personnel Recreation COMMITTEES
and urged that it be under the
aegiS of UCS, with full repre-
sentation of both white and Negro
organizations.
He proposed that committee
staff of perhaps two persons be
created. It's duties would include
serving as a clearing house for all
military requests for services. It's
budget requirements, he sug-
gested. should be provided by
UCS through the Community
Chest Federation.
Through this type of overall
committee planning. it will be
possible to properly gear the re-
sources of the city of Washing
ton to the needs of the military
for as long as these needs exist"
Mr.. Feitelson stated.
Autonomy Stressed.
He said the city-wide commit
tee should co ordinate the
excellent" professional services
available in such groups as the As
sociated Services for the Armed
Forces. the YWCA, District Recre-
alton Department, the American
Red Cross and the Army, Navy,
Marines and Airmen's Club. Mr..
Feitelson added this comment:
1.-THE identity and autonomy Of
the operating groups. as well as
that Of all cooperating resources,
must be maintained and not sub
ordinataed to any one part of the
total city-wide group"
In connection with his second
proposal. the surveyor said there
were indications that a special
section in each paper should be
set aside for servicemen's informa-
ton, similar to the practice fol-
lowed by newspapers during World
War IL"
Housing Shortage Noted.
Mr.. Feitelson said key military
personnel he had met with had
held that housing is "one of the
most serious problems" for serv-
icemen. He said he found there
was a shortage of adequate hous-
ing" for military personnel and
their families, both on posts and
in nearby communities.
In addition, he was told that
!ents are too high for the allow
ances permitted military person.
mel" On the other hand, the
surveyor said he found mo Sc
rious problems regarding" school,
ing for service children.
Mr.. Feitelson interviewed pub
tic officials, executive and leaders
of community planning bodies,
clergymen. youth-serving and So
cial welfare leaders, labor officials,
civic and fraternal leaders, COM
mercial recreation authorities,
women's groups, educators and
others who come in contact with
l. s.A -X-l.