Evening star., 1952-08-17
Truman Aide Sees
Residence Rule for
Planning Body Met
Question Considered
Before Appointment Of
Lonhun as Chairman

OeIOtS appointment VI
Lonhun as Chairman
A White House spokesman yes
terday said the question of
whether a District man should be
named to the vacancy on the Ma
tional Capital Planning Commits
sion was studied carefully before
Or. Joseph D. Lohman was ap-
pointed.
President Truman appointed
Dr. Lehman, of Chicago, on Fri
day and designated him chairman
of the Planning Commission.
Donald S. Dawson, administra-
tive assistant to President Tru-
man. said:
The law was studied carefully.
It was decided that the post could
he filled without the recommended
tion of the District Commissioners.
There are two District resi-
dents on the Commission now. It
was felt, that met the requirements
of the law"
New Member Added.
Apparently a number of persons
thought that the vacancy was
supposed to go to District resi-
dent, selected from three nominees
Of the Commissioners.
The Planning Commission was
reorganized by a new law in July.
It added one citizen member,
bringing the total to five. The
other seven members of the COM
mission are Government officials
serving ex-ofhcio.
These ex-offlcio members are the
District Engineer Commissioner,
the head of the National Park
Service, the Army Chief of En-
gineers, the Commissioner of Pub
lie Roads, the Commissioner of
Public Buildings and the chairmen
of the House and Senate District
Committees.
The citizen members are John
A. Remon of Washington. who has
been chairman: Hilyard r. Robin
son OF Washington; Frederick Big
ger of Pittsburgh, and Albert P.
Greensfelder of st. Louis.
President Names One.
The new law requires that two
of the members be District area
residents and that one of these
two be named by the President
from three nominees recon-
mended by the District Commits
Sioners.
The general feeling in the Dis
trict was that the added citizen
member was the one to be nomi-
mated by the Commissioners.
Members Of the Planning Com
mission staff apparently believed
. this also.
Mr.. Dawson said the question
was tossed around quite a bit be-
fore the decision was made that it
was not necessary to appoint a
District resident to the existing
vacancy.
Commissioner F. Joseph Dono-
hue said the city heads had not
nominated any one for the va
cancy. He admitted there was a
certain amount of confusion as to
whether the Commissioners were
supposed to.
In any case, it was resolved in
favor of Dr. Lohman, a man
known to Washington residents
for his work in the racial relations
field.
Headed Segregation Group.
DR.. Lohman, who is connected
with the University of Chicago,
was the staff director of the Ma
tional Committee on Segregation
in the Nations Capital in 1948.
This committee issued highly
critical report on segregation IN
the District.
It claimed, among many things,
that segregation here was a CAL
culated policy pursued by the
leaders of the community as a
matter of good business. The
Washington Board of Trade and
other local organizations were
mentioned as the guilty parties.
The following year DR.. Lohman
was in Washington acting as ad-
visor to the Interior Department.
then trying to put an end to dis
orders that resulted when SWIM
ming pools under the departments
jurisdiction were opened TO all
races. DR.. Lohman held seminars
for Park Police and others on how
to deal with racial minorities.
Board Is Silent.
The Board of Trade reserved
comment on the charges then.
officials of the organization also
reserved comment yesterday on
DR.. Lohman's Appointment.