assure Rosenberg that at no time did Congress
include language requiring segregation in post schools. Thanks to the
Army's interpretation, he observed, local community segregation
practices were being extended for the first time to federal property
under the guise of compliance with federal law. He predicted further
incursions by the segregationists if this move was left
unchallenged.[19-57]

[Footnote 19-57: Ltr, Humphrey to ASD (M&P), 16 Oct
52, OASD (M&P) 291.2.]

After conferring with both Humphrey and Mitchell, Rosenberg took (p. 489)
the matter of segregated schools on military posts to the U.S.
Commissioner of Education, Earl J. McGrath. With Secretary of Defense
Lovett's approval she put the department on record as opposed to
segregated schools on posts because they were "violative not only of
the policy of the Department" but also of "the policy set forth by the
President."[19-58] Evidently McGrath saw Public Law 874 in the same
light, for on 15 January 1953 he informed Rosenberg that if the
Department of Defense outlawed segregated dependent schooling and
local educational agencies were unable to comply, his office would
have to make "other arrangements" for the children.[19-59]

[Footnote 19-58: Ltr, ASD (M&P) to U.S. Commissioner
of Educ, 10 Jan 53, SecDef 291.2.]

[Footnote 19-59: Ltr, U.S. Commissioner of Educ to ASD
(M&P), 15 Jan 53; Ltr, ASD (M&P) to Humphrey, 10
Jan 53; both in OASD 291.2.]

Commissioner McGrath proposed that his office discuss the integration
question further with Defense Department representatives but the
change in administrations interrupted these negotiations and
Rosenberg's successor, John A. Hannah, made it clear that there would
be no speedy change in the racial composition of post schools.
Commenting at Hannah's request on the points raised by McGrath, the
Army's principal personnel officer concluded that integration should
be considered a departmental goal, but one that should be approached
by steps "consistent with favorable local conditions as determined by
the installation commander concerned." In his opinion, committing the
department to integration of all on-post schools, as the Assistant
Secretary of Defense had proposed earlier, would create teacher
procurement problems and additional financial burdens.[19-60] This
cautious endorse