Letter from Secretary of the Interior Julius Krug to President Harry S. Truman with Attachments

me. 3 OF THE RIOR 4-7-49 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Feenile, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON 25, D. C. APR 4 2 APR - 4 1949 05 PM '49 RECEIVED My dear Mr. President: As you know, the policy of the Department of the Interior is to administer recreational areas within its jurisdiction on a non- segregated, non-discriminatory basis. For a long time now, this policy has been seriously undermined in the District of Columbia by the policy of racial segregation which the District Recreation Board pursues on park lands assigned to it for purposes of super- x189 vised recreational programs, as well as on areas assigned by other land-owning agencies. The Board follows its racial segregation # policy solely as a matter of administrative discretion and not because of the compulsion of any act of Congress. Since park lands within the District are associated in the public mind with this Department, I find myself inevitably identified with practices and policies which I do not approve and I know you do not approve since they are directly contrary to your Civil Rights Program. The Board has consistently refused to modify its policy in respect to racial segregation on park lands, and is now urging that its jurisdiction be extended to other areas which are still under the control of this Department. Under existing laws, all lands acquired by the National Capital x3x Park and Planning Commission for parks, parkway and playground pur- poses are a part of the National Capital Park system under the Department of the Interior, and the Board's use of any such areas in connection with its programs of supervised recreation must be effected by agreement between the Board and the agency having juris- diction over the land. The Recreation Board has avoided making any agreements with us respecting these park lands because we would not 475 permit racial segregation on the park lands. Instead, the Board, with the aid of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia and the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, has attempted to evade these requirements by a procedure whereby the Planning Commis- sion assigns the park lands to the District Commissioners who then turn the lands over to the Recreation Board for operation under a system of segregation. We in this Department believe that this pro- cedure is without legal authority. Our position has been challenged by the District Recreation Board, the District Commissioners, and the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The legal and techni- cal aspects of the problem are now before the Attorney General for decision. The technical issue before the Attorney General is one of law. But the real issue is whether policies of racial segregation shall nothing further in file on this letter 6/14/51