Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-26
End Of Segregation
AT Army Schools
Would Affect Fairfax

Would Affect Fairfax
The intention of the White
House to wipe out segregation
in schools on Army posts will in
volve Fairfax County which runs
segregated schools at Fort Bel
voir under contract.
President Eisenhower yester-
day announced the one remain
ing case of race segregation in
Federally operated schools on
Army posts would be ended at
the start of this fall term. The
school is at Fort Benning near
Columbus, Ga.
But, throughout the South,
Army posts have schools which
are operated by the States I'M
der State regulations. They are
segregated.
Fairfax Affected.
Fairfax County falls in this
category. The county runs a
school at Fort Belvoir for 532
white children. The county re-
ceives payments from the Fed
eral Government for this service,
under a public law administered
by the United States Office of
Education.
The law is designated to COM
pensate local communities which
lose tax revenues because of Fed
eral installations. In the case
of Fort Belvoir, for instance, the
Federal land is not taxable but
the local community must pro-
vide schools for a large number
of children.
Without the law the county
would have to educate these
children without compensation.
Complaining Factors Noted.
The White House announce
ment said such cases would be
taken up next. It conceded there
are "complicating factors" in
schools operated by State au-
thorities on Federal property at
other posts.
A note to Defense Secretary
Wilson from President Eisen-
hover, released in connection
with the announcement, said
Army commanders are taking
up with local officials the ending
of segregation in these cases. It
added:
IF such Indignation is not
achieved, other arrangements in
these instances will be consid-
cred"
White House Press Secretary
James G. Hagerty declined to go
beyond the Presidents word
when asked what these other
arrangements might be.
Solution in Law.
The fact is, the problem has
been solved already in a number
of places through use Of lit
tie publicized section of the law
which allows Federal payments
to the communities.
Under this section, when the
local school system cannot pro-
vide school facilities, the Office
of Education steps in and gets
into the school business.
1t happened at Quantico, Va,
several years ago. Prince Will
liam County operated schools on
the Marine base there until a
colored student was enrolled.
The county then said it couldn't
operate the schools any longer
because of the State ban on nom
segregated schools.
Delegated Authority.
The Office of Education took
over. 1t delegated to the Navy
the powers to run a school sys-
tenn. The budget is set and
approved by the Office of Educa-
ton. The base has it's own
Board of Education, hires it's
own superintendent and teachers.
A new elementary school has
just been completed with Federal
funds.
The elementary. school has an
enrolment of about $50. Some
IS students go to a base high
school. Neither institution is
segregated.
Presumably this same section
Of the law could be used to
make the other arrangements
indicated in the White House
announcement.
COl0red Children Moved.
Until today, Fairfax County
also operated school for IS
colored children at Fort Belvoir.
These children were transferred
today to the new Drew Smith
School at Gum Spring, Va. This
new colored schools enrolment
is 234.
Fairfax County school officials
said their agreement with Fort
Belvoir is for the use of buildings
on the post. The buildings are
used in accordance with State
laws concerning segregation,
school officials said.
Because of the State law, the |
county would be unable to agree
to operating non segregated |
schools on the post, school Of
ficials pointed out.
Attend Other Schools.
About 80 high school children
from Fort Belvoir attend the
Mount Vernon High School. An
other 10 or Is colored high