Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-10-03
BY JOHN BARRON
Star staff Writer

SNeA SNoAA "AANNA
Roye Lowry, an Arlington
County Board candidate, last
night suggested that abolition
of the county's only Negro high
school may be necessary.
Estimating that it would cost
SIS million to 50 million to ex-
pand Hoffman-Boston Hig h
School to accommodate the fu-
ture influx of colored children
now in lower grades, he de-
clared:
The basic question we are
going to be faced with is
whether we want to invest SIS
million to SO million as the
price of prejudice. In the end,
1 think we are going to have
to come to Hoffman-BoSton as
a junior high school"
Mr.. Lowry made his COM
ments as he. Democrat Will
liam Wetmore, Republican
Kenneth Ludwig and Independ-
ent Julius Bremen appealed for
Negro votes at a meeting Of the
Nauck Citizens Association.
Il don't think we are ready
for this sort of thing this year
and l don't think we could sell
it next year." said Mr.. Lowry,
the candidate of the non-par-
tisan coalition. ArlingtonianS
for a Better County.
Sees Two Choices
But in the long run. we
are going to have to determine
whether to spend more money
in that place or allow more
Negro children To attend white
high schools"
Arlington last spring adopted
a policy of assigning pupils to
school on the basis of where
they live and regardless of
race. However, the greatest
concentration of Negroes in
the county is in the attendance
area served by H of I'm n :
Boston.
Mr.. Wetmore said he does
not know what should be done
when the some 1000 pupils
now in Drew-Kemper school
reach high school age. but
added:
IF money will solve the prob
lem, will vote for the necessary
appropriations to do what YOU
people want"
Sees Area of Need
Describing the Nauck area as
one Of the most neglected in
Arlington and in immediate
need Of new streets, sidewalks
and storm sewers as we'll as
added elementary school facili-
ties. he asserted:
Il feel sincere obligation to
the areas of this county where
citizens, taxpayers like me, do
not have all the benefits l have.
I will make no promises I can
not keep. 1 will not compromise
myself to get elected. But will
pledge that 1 will not forget
this neglected area nor will
forget any other neglected areas
of the county"
Mr.. Ludwig charged that
continuing deficiencies in the
Nauck area, which he termed
greater than anywhere else in
the county, result from failure
of the ABC to fulfill promises
made annually to Negro voters
during the last four years when
it has controlled the County
Board.
Referring to the fact that
many elementary school chill
dren currently have to attend
classes in an admittedly in
adequate annex to Drew-Kem-
per, he asked:
And where do your children
go to school? Some are in a
building that was considered
not suitable for the education
of other children and, conse-
quently, closed. But it is now
reopened for your children. The
School. Board. which also is
controlled by ABC'ers, has
spent more than $50 million in
the last four years. Do you
think you have gotten youl
share?"
Mr.. Bremen continued to
urge defeat of all but a $475, 00C
item of a proposed $6.5 million
bond issue, part of which would
be used to create % more school
rooms for elementary pupils in
the Nauck area.
He also sniped at his oppo-