Evening star., 1955-01-31
Serving the Boys Welfare

Serving the Boys Welfare
The basic problem in the controversy
over segregation or immediate desegrega-
ton in the Metropolitan Police Boys Club
Is psychological rather than racial.
Given more time to readjust their own
thinking, in line with current developments
on many fronts, there is little doubt that
the clubs 175-member board Of directors
would f1nd practical method of beginning
program of desegregation. Threats and
abuse, on the other hand. serve only to
strengthen the boards resistance. Com
posed of rather successful business and pro-
feSSional men whose work for the boys
club is wholly voluntary, the board is not
one that responds easily to political and
propaganda pressures.
Board members contend that they are
guided by their concernsfor the boys well
fare. It can be argued with some truth
that the welfare of the colored boys is not
best served in segregated system. But it
is better served than If there were no clubs
at all. For If the club system is abandoned,
1t will be much longer before it is sa1vaged
In some other form than IL the natural
processes of more gradual change were
accepted within and outside of the existing
organization.
The Metropolitan Police Boys Club was
founded by former Chief OF Police Ernest
w. Brown, in 1884, using the old Fifth Pre-
cinct station house. Major Browns idea
was to persuade the boys that the police
man was friend, not an enemy, and to
provide facilities and leadership in recrea-
ton and sport nowhere else available. The
idea proved popular with the type of peo-
pie whose support is necessary for success.
There are now about o. 600 boy members,
$4,000 of whom are colored. There are eight
clubs operating in the city and two summer
camps in st. Marys County, Maryland.
There is an annual budget Of some $350.000,
raised by public contribution under direc-
ton of the board Of directors.
problem faced now by the board Is
In raising this money, of which about 95
per cent comes from white people, Some
contributors are telling the board that un-
less there is integration they will not con-
tribute; but more are said to have told the
board that if it bows to pressure" they
will stop contributing. At any rate, it is
well known that controversy of this sort
tends to dry up the sources of such reve-
nue., regardless Of the reasons.
Members of the board. with striking
unanimity, have told The Star that had
they been left to themselves, steps would
already have been underway toward some
integration program Maybe that can be
taken with grain OF salt. But there is
little doubt that every public demand on
the board-expressed in terms that scold
rather than persuade-seems to diminish
the likelihood of response. The clubs In
town are located in colored areas, or In
racially mixed neighborhoods. There is the
argument that to integrate them in one
step and in the midst Of the controversy,
would result merely in changing the white
clubs to colored clubs. That seems to have
happened at the former No. 10 club, which
used the facilities of All Souls Unitarian
Church, and is now being operated by the
church. The clubs directors took the
unfortunately precipitate action Of aban-
doning the club under the church's insist
ence that segregation be ended.
The Government, local and national,
controls both the police and number Of
the properties used for club houses. Gov
ernment agencies are under pressure from
various groups to end the segregation on
public property. The Government holds the
whip hand. But the clubs directorate is not
responsible. to oflcialdom move to
enforce abandonment Of segregation under
duresS may also mean abandonment of
most Ii not all Of the clubs--a truly Pyrrhic
victory, to be avoided only by considerable
restraint and wisdom on both Sides