Evening star., 1952-08-16
Planning Board
kConfusedb by
lohman Nanlino
Chicago Mon Picked
BY Truman to Head
Commission Here

A' AOAAAAoAAs NA0CdSO 1dCS IC1d'
tions specialist, to the Nationa
Capital Planning Commission has
revealed a confusing aspect Of the
new law recognizing the COM
mission.
DR.. Lohman was named to the
commission yesterday by Presi-
dent Truman. He also was desig-
mated chairman.
Apparently a number of people
in the District, including some of
the staff members of the planning
commission, were expecting Dis
trict area resident nominated by
the District Commissioners to be
appointed.
Situation Outlined.
Here's the situation.
The planning commission, by a
law that went into effect last
month. now consists Of IL mem
bers. 1t used to have 10 members.
The old commission was made
up of four citizens appointed by
the President, four ex-officio
members (the heads of the Forest
Service and the National Park
Service, the Chief of Army Engi-
neers, and the District Engineer
Commissioner, and the chairman
of the House and Senate District
Committees.
The new commission was
changed to include five citizen
members. The Forest Service
chief was dropped, and the Com
missioner of Public Roads and the
Commissioner of Public Buildings
added.
What the Law Stated.
The law stated that the five
citizens should include two who
are bona fide residents Of the
District or its environs. In addi-
ton, it said, one of these two
residents of the District area
should be appointed from among
three nominees submitted by the
Commissioners.
Since the law went into effect,
the planning commission staff has
stated publicly that the additional
citizen member was to be nomi-
mated by the Commissioners.
Apparently the White House
thought differently. For DR.. Lob
man is neither a resident of the
District area nor a nominee of the
Commissioners.
Commissioner F. Joseph Dono-
hue said frankly there is confu-
sion on just what should have
happened.
He said the commissioners took
the matter up at a recent meet
ing and tried to decide whether
they had to nominate some one
or not. He added:
"Since there was state of con-
fusion, we decided to sit tight.
Since no one asked us to nomi-
nate, we didn't"
Calls 1t Accomplished Fact.
Regardless of whether the ap-
pointment was right or wrong, Mr..
Donohue commented, it is an ac-
complished fact and he is not
going over to the White House to
raise the issue.
John A. Remon, who has been
chairman of the planning COM
mission and will be replaced in
that job by DR.. Lolman, took
different view. Mr.. Remon re-
mains on the planning commits
sion, but not as chairman.
Mr.. Remon pointed out that
the new law requires that two
members be from Washington. Mr..
Remon is a District resident, as
is Hilyard R. Robinson, another
planning commission smember.
There are two," Mr.. Remon
said. THAT fills the requirement.
of the law. I think the appoint
ment was in accordance with the
law"
He said the spirit of the law
was to see tnat two local men
were on the planning commission
and that, since that is the case,
President Truman could appoint
any one else he saw fit.
Other Citizen Members.
The other two citizen members
are Frederick Bigger of Pittsburgh
and Albert R. Greensfeld of st.
Louis.
DR.. Lohman will join the plan
ming commission with a reputa-
ton that has preceded him to-
Washington. He is well known here
for his~work in the race relations
field.
In 1948, he was head of the staff
of the National Committee on
Segregation in the Nations Capt.
tol. This group studied the race
problem in the District and issued
a highly critical report of segrega-
tion practices here.
In 1850, he came to Washington
at the request of the Interior De-
1oortYnnnf m ha1n handle tho die.
orders that broke out when the
public swimming pools here were
opened to all races. He has been
advisor to the Interior Depart
ment on racial matters for four
years.
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