Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-12-16

lie Whbuitlbtuu CilleI OF Tie
NAACP has called on President
Eisenhower to "insist" that the
District Commissioners reverse
a dangerous trend away from
democracy" here.
Eugene Davidson. president
of the District Branch Of the
National Association for the
Advancement Of Colored Peo-
pie, declared racial indignation
has not progressed here during
1857. And he blamed the Com
missioners for this "stagnation. "
He told a small audience at
an annual meeting OF the
branch last night that wash
ington can be on the eve Of
its darkest hour: for when
progress stops. retrogression
fills the vacuum and we move
in the direction of Commits
sioner tRobert) McLaughlin's
'barbarity Of slavery"
Mr.. Davidson, who was
elected TO his sixth consecutive
term as president Of the Dis
trict branch at the meeting
which was held in the Turner
Memorial Church. 600 ! street
NV. spoke on The State Of
the Nations Capital"
Opening Of Talk Sets Tone
Opening phrases Of the
speech set its tone: "In these
times OF unprecedented world
tensions. II is becoming APP
pallingly evident that America
lags in the moral leadership
which should be. by concept
and tradition. her role"
Although he touched ON a
number OF points at which in
tearation has faltered here, he
cited these particularly:
Standing like three little
fortresseS holding out against
the inevitable march OF democ-
racy and hosting flags OF re-
action TO encourage the forces
OF a dying era tarep the WASH
ington Redskins. the Central
Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton and the Metropolitan Po-
lice Boys Clubs.
"Impotently overlooking the
stagnation Of progress in
the Nations Capital. Is the
Board Of Commissioners Of the
District Of Columbia. Its sorry
record Of 1857 is one of inaction.
wrong action and reaction"
Inaction. Ne said. '.precipi-
tated the trial" Of Police Chief
Robert v. Murray on discrimi-
naticn charges. resulted in a
suit for pouring taxpayers
money into a segregated Boys
Club and has maintained a
segregated IRE department. in
tegrated on paper only. for all
the world to see"
Wrong actions" cited in.
cluded clearing Chief Murray
and the police department Of
brutality and discrimination.
Threat Seen In Trend
He likened the trend in the
District to that preceding ere
alton Of police state.
Our darkening picture
now suggests that the President
OF the United States hear
from the Commissioners them
selves their defense Of our
charges Of retrogression IN the
District Of Columbia: that he
insist that support Of segrega-
ton be abandoned: and that
the Commissioners take posi-
tive and immediate action TO
reverse in 1858 a dangerous
trend away from democracy"
Only IS persons turned out
to hear Mr.. Davidson's report.
and TO elect these other officers
for 1858: Byron Allen. vice
president; II. Carl Moultrie.
secretary. and Rufus Byars.
treasurer.
Mr.. Davidson pointed cut
that "vestigeS of racially diff
ferentiated planning and func-
tioning continues in the Dis
trict public school system. He
cited a Board of Education de-
cision to maintain "the former
Armstrong High School as a
senior high school for boys
with performance scores"
All students there are Negro.
he said. and the physical plant
is faulty. D. c. Teachers Col
lege. too, has been held back
by board refusal to authorize
granting of a masters degree.
he said.
The most fragrant evidence
of lack OF progress during 1857
has been in regard to the en-
ployment and upgrading OF