Evening star., 1951-10-15
Firen1en's S Local
Votes 664 10 5
For Segregation
Integrotion AssoiIed; /;
Group Represents
81 Of BIoze Fighters

~ OF DI0Ze TI9nfeFS
District firemen representing
more than three-fourths of the
total department strength today
were overwhelmingly on record as
opposed to the so-called personnel
integration plan.
The vote of nearly all the mem
bership of the Washington local,
international Association of Fire
fighters (AFL), which held a spe-
cial session yesterday, was 664 to
35 in favor of continuing the
30-year policy of racial segrega-
ton in the department.
The District Commissioners
have adopted the "integration"
plan recommended by Fire Chief
y. A. Mayhem to mix colored and
white assignments in the depart
ment. But in tha face of opposi-
ton by Representative Davis,
Democrat, of Georgia, the city has
deferred putting the program into
effect until after Commissioner
F. Joseph Donohue returns from
an out-of- town trip on October 20.
Davis Supported 663 to 81.
Just to make the record COM
plete. the firemen's union also
supported. 663 to 81, Represent
Iative Davis resolution to set aside
the Commissioners mtegration
order. and. by 693 to 2, the same
ICongressman's resolution requir-
ling competitive examinations for
appointment of all officers of the
force.
The District branch of the Ma
tional Association for the Ad-
vancement of Colored People,
meanwhile. has written to Repre-
sentative Davis protesting his in
Itegrating bill.
The NAACP letter, signed by
Stephen Gin Spottswood, said
that Moscow this morning re-
joices in your BILL" and added
that integration in the Army and
Navy has been accomplished
without any undesirable re-
suits"
Opposition Promised.
Calling the bill "anti-American'
and non Constitutional" the as
sociation's letter states that the
INAACP will oppose the measure
with all the resources at our COM
mand."
The firemen's union deferred
action On a proposal for a 40-houl
week, to supplant the present aver.
age 60-hour tour of duty.
According to union spokesmen
it was felt that action now on that
issue would hamper the union.
efforts to preserve segregation
Purpose Of the 40-llour week de.
mand is to enable firemen Il
spend their sleeping hours a
home rather than at the fire sta.
tions.
Close Relationships Cited.
Although newspapermen wer,
barred from both union meeting,
one for the night shift and on,
for the day shift-yesterday, i
was learned that the nub of thu
anti-integration feeling is tht
white fircmen's objection to shar.
ing a fireman's close quarters with
Negroes.
1t. Alvin e. Davis, president o1
the f1refghters union. stated tht
majority case this way:
THE public and the Commits.
sioners apparently don't realizt
that f1remen on the job live like
members of the same family.
"On duty hours. the men eat to.
lgether, sleep in the same small
bunk room, play cards togethe
and shoot the bull together.
Living Together Stressed.
"Other people can talk of ideal.
and principles all they please. bu
this idea of living with some on.
of another race is something elss
again. They don't think of that
From what the boys said a
these meetings today, they-ant
I know, I-believe in the idea o
equality.
But it's not something any on,
can cram down any ones throat
That was tried with prohibition
TITS got to come gradually
What we feel now may be differ
ent five or 10 years from now"
AS things stand at present, tn
relations between white and Ne
gro personnel are good" accord
ing to 1t. Davis.
But if this integration thinl
goes through, it will only meal
segregation inside the station
houses" he said.
IA Were to Be Assigned.
l Under the Commissioners orig
inal plan, IA Negro firemen wer
to have been assigned in pairs t.
seven white firehouses.
Speaking as an officer, 1t. Davi
said that if any Negro firemen ar
assigned to his company he wi
see that they are treated right.
But I won't be able to tell tn
other men to associate with tn
colored men," he said. II can
tell them they must get along wit
the colored men-or else"
Isolation of Negroes Predicted.
The result, he said, would b
that the Negro firemen would b
isolated from the others when h
eats and sleeps in the station dur
ing the long daily duty hours.
Although some members wer
bitter in criticizing Chief Mayhew'
statements that Interrogation
would be economical and that a.
earlier sample poll" of the 1,04
firemen showed they favored tn
proposed new order, both meeting