4 a :
vaont la"SouttjjTOOfijjoir
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EARL H ADAMS, cfty Editor .
HARRV CBIHMAN. Tl Edit?'
RICHARD JEWETT Sport. Ed tor
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H AT I O N A i EDITORIAL
kf I lASubCMTlSM
m
Mentoer California Newipaper
PubUihera Aiaoclauon
Flight o' Time
Medford and Jackson County
Hitory from the tllei of The
Mall Trlbun. 10, 20, 30, 40
and 50 yean ago.
10 YEARS AGO
Mar M. 1" (Thursday)
The Mail Tribune news
room has been moved to the
second lloor of the Mail Trib
une building.
All employees of the .sea
son county roads department
will receive a 10 cents an hour
wage increase effective July
1 under a new county court
order. '
20 YEARS AGO
May 14. 143 (Friday)
Outpost, servicemen's rec
reation center on Sixth st., to
be devoted to use of young
officers, their wives and Army
From Arthur ' Perry's "Ye
Smudge Pot column: "ura-
iM ara nii(lffi bv the Antl
Saloon league for the return
of prohibition. It appears c
wind and water campaign ia
shaping up." .;v.
30 YEARS AGO
May 14, 1133 (Sunday) '"
Sam Jennings and Roland
Hubbard battle through snow
drifts to reach Diamond lake.
Fish in Rogue river make
way over Savage Rapids dam
without trouble, according to
game commission agents.
40 YEARS AGO
May 14. 1923 (Monday)
Government map marking
airplane expected to land at
Medford airport today.
William Von der Hellen re
ceives contract tor surfacing
eight miles of Crater Lake
highway between Trail and
Prospect.
SO YEARS AGO
May 14. 1913 (Wednesday)
Medford man arrested In
Portland on contempt charge
after becoming Intoxicated
shortly before he Is scheduled
to appear as witness In feder
al court.
Rogue valley newspapers
hit by paper shortage as car
load of newsprint disappears
between Portland and Med
ford. What's Your I.Q.?
Mine ai ten correct li luaerien
even w olibt ft axsllenti (We er
la h toed.
1. The porta of Colombo and
Trlncomalce are on which
Island In the Indian Ocean?
2. Complete the proverb,
"Beware the fury of a
man."
3. Docs the phrase "bib and
tucker" refer to the rigging
of a yacht, a species of fish
or clothing?
4. In what sport Is the
Wightman Cup awarded?
6. How many legs do homo
centipedes have?
6. From where did the
Moors emigrate to Spain?
7. Paganinl was a composer
of 0era, a famous violinist,
or an orchestra conductor?
8. Which of these does not
grow on a bush or tree: wal
nut, butternut, doughnut,
hazelnut?
0. Are there any roller
skating events In the Olympic
Games?
10. In which field of art Is
Oeorge Szell famous?
Answers! 1, Ceylon, 3. Pa'
flent. 3. Clothing. 4, Tennis,
t. 19 pairs. I. North Africa.
T. Violinist. I. Doughnut. .
Mo. 10. Music symphony conductor
pVjJ-AIOCIAtlON
TUESDAY. MAY 14. 1I3
Try Outlawing Sin
We herewith encourage the Medford city
council to pass an ordinance outlawing sin.
It would make just as much sense as passing
an ordinance to control air pollution without any
realistic way in which to enforce it.
Year after year the air over Medford has
gotten dirtier and dirtier. Year after year the
protests of outraged citizens mount. Year after
year me eviuence accumulates uiu an punuuun
T 1 1 1 ..A tA li.nUli A nlAnnlinaeo
IS a naztUU a Jici6ouu vj
e e e
YEAR after year until this year the city
council did nothing except make noises about
"voluntary cooperation
nomic harm."
Well, blast it, continued air pollution IS do
ing plenty of economic harm to housewives, to
those with sensitive health, to anyone who owns
a home and furniture, or an inventory.
Voluntary cooperation has gotten just plain
nowhere with the single exception of the or
chardists, who saw the handwriting on the wall,
knew they'd have to comply sometime, and, to
their eternal credit, started a hard, five-year road
to minimizing smudge. :
MOW, happily, the state has new clean - up
power.
So, would the city council rather leave it up
to the state? That is how local authority is lost.
This year, for the first time, the council has
shown signs of living up to its responsibility to
do for ourselves what we can and should do, and
not go running to the state to bail us out. An
ordinance was drawn up. Then what happened?
All its teeth were drawn. In effect, it says,
"Please folks, don't dirty up the air."
We are not suiriresting that those responsible
for air pollution should forthwith be drawn and
quartered. But we are morally sure that if the
ordinance doesn't have sufficient enforcement
clauses it will be ignored.
MO ONE wants to put anyone, else out of busi-
ness. No one wants to create undue economic
hardship on any group or class.
But there IS economic hardship, as well as
other kinds, on everyone right now. And the time
to start correcting it is right now.
A sensible program of air pollution study, and
moderate measures of control, can be started al
most immediately, but only if the authorities are
given the authority to do something about it. As
facts and methods, are discovered, the program
can and should be broadened.
Anvthine less is a shruerine of responsibility.
or else blind idiocy. Take
City Council Roster
If you have any reason to communicate with
your representative on the Medford city council,
and want to know now, nere s now:
Ward I (North of Main and HIHcrest, East of SP
tracks) William Singler (772-S780) and Robert Cun
i ningham (772-9622).
Ward II (South of West Main Street, West of SP
tracks) Jack Edson (772-7868) and Joe H 0 s 1 c k
(772-8824).
Ward III (North of West Main Street, West of SP
: tracks) R. L. Van Sickle (772-3780) and Robert Bac
cus (772-7823). '
Ward IV (South of East Main and East of SP
tracks) Dick Travis (772-4698) and Terry Green
(773-6146).
Mayor James Dunlevy (772-9352).
' Clip and save for future reference. E.A.
Soft Answer?
Just about every legislator state or national
at one time or another
It is never pleasant to receive, particularly by a
man who is working long hours and days doing
what he thinks is right.
Senator Thomas Kuchel, California Kepubli-
can, received so mucn aousive man irom tne
crackpots of the far right that he spoke out.
tiL i-ii i. ' 1 1 . j 1. i a . .- : ....
nig ihik was a outer ana ntuu-imuiig muici
ment of abusive letters.
A RATHER more moderate approach to similar
"tactics was adopted recently by one of our
own legislators, State Rep. James Redden, Demo
crat of Medford.
In response to an abusive letter, he replied :
"Dear-
"Thank you for your temperate and understanding
letter of (recent date).
"It Is always a pleasure to correspond with one
of differing vtewa who is willing to consider, even for
a moment, that their personal views may not be the
only possible views on the subject.
"Certainly your statements and Inferences that I
, am: (a) a Communist, (b) a Socialist, (c) a Union-stooge,
(d) one with 'sloppy' reasoning, (e) one with a 'sloppy'
sense of responsibility, (0 Ignorant, and (g) gutless,
are not considered a rebuke, but merely as the con
structive criticism of one who is blessed with a gentle
and open mind.
"Very truly yours,"
11 James A. Redden
It is said that "A soft answer turncth away
wrath." The problem here
answer or not. b.A.
Which
A story in the Klamath Falls paper states
that the Link river, connecting Upper Klamath
lake with Lake Ewauna, is "believed to be the
shortest river in the U.S. . . ."
Residents of north Lincoln county will tell
you that the D river at DeLake is the "shortest
river in the world."
Let now the geonraphv buffs tret at this Dress.-
ing question and settle
..!,,.." I ! ".. .
coi iiyci ia til i-jjuil.
jicaiui aim vicaiiuucooi
e e
and possibility 01 eco
your pick. E. A.
receives abusive mail.
is whether this is a soft
One?
it. Presumably the "short-
T..i .. . r.
DUl wnicn onei a.ft.
"I Wai Doing A
... Communications ...
Letters io the Editor must bear the name and address of the writer, although under
certain circumstances the use of pen nan or initial for publication is permissible.
The Mail Tribune reserves the right to edit all letters with a view to clarification and
condensation. Letters submitted for publication must not exceed 400 words. The letters
printed ia this column do not necessarily represent the views of the paper; in fact the
contrary is often the case.
Principles
To the Editor: "We have
no greater responsibility than
the education of our youth,"
said Sen. Gaylord Nelson at
Hedrick Junior High school
last Saturday ngiht.
Education Is indeed one of
our major responsibilities,
but is it the greatest? Our
nation is better educated than
ever in its history and our
educational facilities are con
stantly being improved. But
according to many competent
authorities the major crisis
we face is not education but
character.
J. Edgar Hoover, FBI di
rector, has repeatedly warn
ed Americans of the lack of
moral fibre in our national
life. "Americans," he said
last year, "are in danger of
becoming irresolute, h a 1 f-
hearted, irresponsible weak
lings. Unless we meet this
crisis with vigor and speed
we will pay with the lite
of our republic."
Eugene Gilbert, president
of the Gilbert Youth Re
search Company, states that
a majority of American youth
today stress materialism and
the attainment of luxuries as
their goal in life.
History has proved that a
nation whose people are run
by selfish aims ultimately
perishes. Arnold Toynbee,
historian, says that of 21 ma
jor civilizations 19 perished
not from external conquest
but from the evaporation of
belief and purpose within.
In Boston, Elliott Norton
of the Boston Record-American,
considered the dean of
critics, was watching a new
type of play, "Music at Mid
night," by Peter Howard,
English author and play
wright. Norton described the
central theme of the play as
the basic belief that the
world crisis can be solved if
all men submit their wills to
God's will." It Is an unusual
play for, as Norton says, "to
say 'God' is as uncommon in
the theater today as profanity
and obscenity used to be.
But," he said, "the proposi
tion is a great one. If you can
change the world in this dra
matic way it would be some
thing we all want."
This is what the world has
always needed. It is what is
needed now. It is what Jesus
came to teach. This change
can come about only by
change In individual lives -not
only of our leaders but of
yours and mine. We must
strive for purity in our own
lives and be ready to treat
our fellow men with' love,
honesty and unselfishness.
When these principles are in
effect we will be well on our
way to solving crises in our
own lives. In labor-management
problems, and in nation
al and international relation
ships. A. Ray Neptune,
Rogue Valley Manor,
Medford
From the Dog's Owner
To the Editor: In reference
to the article In the May i
paper by Mrs. D. L. Swank:
I am the owner of the little
dog that was poisoned on
South Peach st. 1 think there
are a few facta Mrs. Swank
should know before making
a statement of that sort.
First of all my dog was not
a stray dog. She was kept
Inside the house the mnjor'ty
of the lime and when let out
side she was confined in a six
foot fence completely sur
rounding the yard. There was
no way In which she could
have been let out as a chain
was kept around tho lock on
the fence. Because she was
so close lo us, we protected
her as we would have small
child. She never barked ex
cept to alert us when a strang
er was at the door. She never
dug holes, as she was not out.
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE.
Little Slicing-
side long enough. We also
have a small flower garden
in the backyard and in the
three years we had her, she
never once touched that gar
den. I think there are a few oth
er facts that should be known.
Upon Investigating, the police
found a hole which someone
had made in our fence and
a shovel, a pile of dirt, and
a hamburger filled with rat
poisoning on the other side.
Also, one other thought' for
Mrs. Swank. Summer will be
here soon. There will be many
little children outside, and
what a tragedy if it had been
a small child. I do not sympa
thize with our neighbor being
fined charged $50 because I
would not have taken a mil
lion dollars for my baby dog.
Danielle Graham,
Age 18,
. 817 So. Peach St.,
Medford
Happy Christians
To the Editor: A friend ac
costed me In a local market
the other day. "Henry, did
you see that letter from the
lady in Prescott, Ariz.?" he
said. I answered In the affirm
ative and told him I had per
sonally answered it. He then
wanted to know what I told
her. Also he added, "I be
lieve everything she said."
I refer here to Lydia Burn
ham's letter "Pagan Fables."
Now I am not going to take
a lot of space to answer this
letter. In fact my faith in the
word of God as written in the
Bible, is even stronger. What
Mrs. Burnham said about Eas
ter and its Pagan origin is
true.
However, her statement,
"No one ever rose from the
dead and no one ever will,"
I question.
It has been 1963 years since
Jesus Christ our Lord was
here. The date on this issue
of the Tribune bears this out.
Either our Lord was an im
poster or He was the true
Messiah. This world has
known some great teachers,
Buddha, -Mohammed and Con
fuciotts, to name a few. One
can visit their tombs today.
Inside those tombs He the bod
ies of these men. But the
tomb of .our Lord is empty.
He arose and thank God He
lives. How do I know He
lives? Simply this. Christ Je
sus lives in the hearts of His
children today everywhere.
True many give a false wit
ness of their Saviour's love.
When our Lord dwells in the
heart, the life of that indi
vidual will be changed. No,
a Christian will not wear a
halo around his head. He may
make mistakes. But hi, whole
being will be charged with
that revitalizing influence
that our Lord has made on
his heart.
Why shouldn't a Christian
be happy? He has a hope, yes,
a blessed hope. All of his ac
tivities will be bent toward
helping others find the Sa
viour. Our Lord's resurrec
tion, His intercession, and
soon coming is the world's
only hope.
Sad to say many church
members leave the impression
that Christianity is a tedious,
sorrowful life.
Reminds me of the Utile lad
who on passing a cow pasture
asked, "daddy is that cow a
Christian?" His shocked par
ent asked why he asked such
a question. "Well daddy, it
has a long face like grandpa,
and grandpa is a Christian "
Let's be happy Christians.
Henry Johnson Jr.
2315 Highway 66
Ashland, Ore.
Unwed Mothers
To the Editor: On May 10
Mr. Stuart R. Stimmel, state
director of the Boys and Girls
Aid Society of Oregon, ad
MEDFORD. OREGON
Rumors of
May Suggest Hungarian Easing
By PHIL NEWSOM
UPI Foreign News Analyst
Back in February, 1849, i
dull-eyed man in a Budapest
courtroom pleaded guilty to
treason against Communist
Hungary. The
man was Jo
se f Cardinal
3'
Mindszen ty
To this day,
there has been
no c I e a r ac
count as to
the methods
the Commun
ists used to
torture such a
-iewaom
confessions from the austere
cardinal who had fought both
the Nazis and the Commun
ists. He himself had warned ear
lier that if he should be ar
rested and brought to a
trumped-up trial, no one
should believe him if some
how such a confession should
be extracted from him.
The Communist court sen
tenced him to life imprison-
dressed a group of 17 Jackson
county residents who were in
Portland for a tour of child
care agencies which receive
support ' through the United
Crusade and other united
funds.
During the discussion fol
lowing his talk, the question
was raised as to how many
children were born out of
wedlock in Oregon. Some of
the group had seen a news
paper report that the rate for
the first six months of 1962
was nearly 10 per cent. Mr.
Stimmel was sure this was a
typographical error and prom
ised to get accurate figures.
In a letter to me received
May 11 he states, "Actually
the Oregon rate during the
first six months of 1962 was
42 out-of-wedlock births for
every thousand live births."
As this information is of In
terest to a larger group than
our tour members, I am send
ing it on to you.
The Boys and Girls Aid So
ciety is one of several volun
teer agencies in Oregon help
ing to solve the problems of
unwed mothers. These agen
cies receive help through con
tributors to united fund cam
paigns to supplement income
from agency fees and tax
sources. United fund alloca
tions, based on population,
use of the services, and the
generosity of contributors,
amount to approximately one
third of the total expense of
the agencies.
Harold B. Cook
Executive Director
The United Crusade
. Medford.
What He Says
To the Editor: I speak, I
write, I tell of what I believe
and what I have learned from
experience.
Everything I say Is not
necessarily, right and I am
the first to admit that I am
just as prone to errors and
omissions as the next fellow.
However there may be here
and there a point of differenti
ation. This is a point I want
to make clear.
If I recommend something
to any one, I will not lie to
you about it. I will not say I
tasted something if it never
passed my Hps.
I do not lie, for a liar must
have a long memory. Mine is
short. I know I don't lie for
if I did I would worry about
being found out. I tell the
truth for it is easier and I
know no other way.
No man knows all the an
swers, whether it be about
food, health, disease, tobacco
or drink. Many know some
of the answers but to gulp
down everything a man says
would be like taking a drink
of everything just because it
was wet and one was thirsty.
If a man Is sincere, accept
his sincerity without accept
ing everything said as gospel.
Some of the things I say
may sound ridiculous or un
believable. I repeat, "I tell
you only what I believe to be
truth. I will not pass on or
repeat a lie."
I write jocular and humor
ously vein is absolutely true.
I enjoy fun and Joking as well
as the next fellow. But when
I make a serious statement
they are true to the best of
my knowledge. With the pro
found wish you'll accept them
and benefit from my knowl
edge. Ersla Dykes,
Central Point.
Juit Lika a Mule
To the Editor: My old bur
ro In Colorado wuz an ahdent
New Dealah. He would run
around Placerville all night
slngln' the New Deal Slogan:
"I ain't got nuttin' to fcah but
fcah itself." Now Placerville
wuz just a small town of five
buildings and he thinks there
ain't nuttin' to get scared
about. He did, until one night
t
Cardinal
ment and, except for 120
hours of freedom during the
Hungarian revolt in 1956, that
was almost the last the out
side world was to see of
Mindszenty. As the Hungarian
revolt crumpled under the
weight of Russian tanks, the
cardinal took sanctuary in the
U. S. Legation in Budapest
and has remained there since.
In recent days, the name of
Cardinal Mindszenty has ap
peared again in the news col
umns. News dispatches from Rome,
Warsaw, Vienna and Buda
pest have suggested that ne
gotiations between the Soviet
Union and the Vatican to im
prove their relations already
are far advanced, and tnat
safe passage for Mindszenty
from Hungary might be part
of a package deal,
For the Vatican to attempt
to improve the conditions of
the "silent church" behind the
Iron Curtain is understand
able. Kremlin reasons for reach
ing or seeking such an accord
seem more obscure,
A first reaction must be
that it is a confession of de
feat, that Communist oppres
sion of religion only has stif
fened the determination of the
oppressed, and that Minds-
Strictly
Personal
By Sydney J. Harris
fc Field Entensrlaea, Ine.
YOU WAS
A young woman of my ac
quaintance who is learning
English during her first year
in this coun
try asked me
the other day,
If was' Is a
singular verb,
and 'were' is
a plural verb,
why do we
say 'you were'
when talking
about only
Bam. one person?
Shouldn't it be 'you was.'?"
This is one of the troubles
in learning so flex ible, so
sprawling and so illogical a
language as English.. "You
was" is today considered the
depth of ignorance and llllter-
acy, an outrageous breach of
grammar. And it would sur
prise most people to learn it
was not always so. . .
"You were" is a matter of
custom, not of grammar at
all. The locution "you was'
may be found in many of the
best 18th century writers.
Fielding's classic "Tom
Jones" has all its characters
lords, lawyers, preachers
and teachers s a y t n g "you
was. None of them ever says
you were.
Cowpar, 176S, begins one
of his letters, "I am ex
ceedingly obliged to you
for tho letter with which
you was so kind to favor
me," And Byron, as late at
the composition of "Don
Juan," used the linei "You
was not last year at the fair
of Lugo,"
Most of the "purest"
writers of the 18th century
followed this practice
Addison, Pope. Swift and
Horace Walpole. What hap
pened, however, was that In
subsequent editions the edi
tors altered "you was" to
"you were" in order to eon
form to modern usage. All
editions of "Tom Jones"
published in the last cen
tury made these changes.
When the pronoun "thou"
began to be abandoned in
faor of "you," the word
"you" was considered as
singular where only one
person was concerned (fol
lowing "thou wast"). "Was
you" referred to one per
son) "were you" to two or
more,
e e
Before the 17th century,
'thou" was the singular pro
noun, and "you" was the
plural only. When the former
was dropped, "you" came to
have too much work to do,
and thus was weakened by
overwork. The Southern ex
pression "you-all" sounds ridi
culous and affected In the
North but it Is psychologically
understandable as a means of
distinguishing between the
singular and the plural
"you."
If English grammare were
logical, for Instance, singular
verbs would not end In "s"
("he looks"), while the plural
would not be without the "s"
("they look"). Language will
never be amenable to logic
because, as someone has said,
people began talking before
they began thinking.
he got to singin' loudah and
loudah, and found out It waz
a bum slogan wot he had
been singin'. He got kicked
into the San Miguel Rivah
by an Ihon Hoss at midnight.
When he got out at daylight,
he quit singin' and Joined the
Republicans.
Everett Acklin
Ashland. Ore.
i
Mindszenty's Release
zentv's presence in Hungary
serves as a rallying symbol
and a continuing threat to
Communist goals.
Certainly, it does not mean
that communism is abandon
ing the atheism which was one
of Lenin's basic concepts.
One reason might be an ex
periment in c o-e x 1 s tence
which already has had signif
icant results in Hungary.
It began with an assertion
from Hungarian Premier Jan
os Kadar that henceforth he
would consider "for" his re
Matter of Fact By Joseph Alsop
(cl New YorJgeMlaJJMgijrjJndlcata
BIRMINGHAM! THE
UNTOLD STORY
(Editor's note. The fol
lowing column was written
after the agreement of Negro-White
accord in Birm
ingham, but before bomb
ings led to new outbreaks
of violence.)
Washlngton-The desperate
ly ugly story in Birmingham,
Alamaba, is ending for
which every Ameii can
should be fer
vently thank
ful. One way
of celebrating
is to tell the
story's untold
part. The un
told part of
the Birming
ham story be
gan just over
two vears affo.
AJanp
when Attorney-General Rob
ert Kennedy, newly sworn in
as his brother's youngest Cab
inet member, ordered a care
ful Justice Department sur
vey of all the potential cen
ters of racial trouble in the
South.
The survey, for whics all
the Justice Department's in-
formation-collecting resources
were used, pin-pointed Birm
ingham as Just about the most
explosive Southern city. No
less than 18 months ago,
therefore, an effort was fore
handedly started to de-fuse
the Birmingham problem in
sofar as this was possible.
THE Department's quiet but
effective civil rights spe
cialist, Burke Marshall, and
the head of the Tax Division,
Lou Oberdorfer. who comes
from Birmingham, went there
to talk with the local editors
and leading Birmingham bus
iness men.
Attorney-General Kennedy
meanwhile approached the na
tional executives of the
Scripps-Howard and New-
house newspaper chains
which own the Bir
mingham papers, national
executives of the chain depart
ment stores doing business in
the city, and certain Alabama
political leaders. Kennedy,
Marshall, and Oberdorfer all
made the same plea, for meas
ures of reform in Birming
ham before things sot out of
hand. Their pleas did not fall
on deaf ears.
The wiser business men in
Birmingham were already be
ginning to realize that the
city's established, iron-fisted
nablts of segregation could
not be maintained, without
grave danger and heavy losses
all around. To avert the dan
ger, a Senior Citizen's Com
mittee was formed by the
City Chamber of Commerce,
under tne leadership of Sid
ney W. Smyer, a lawyer and
real estate excutive.
N THE city election, more
over, the more far-sighted
white community leaders
strongly supported the reform
ticket headed by Mary-elect
Albert Boutwell, against the
incumbent, extremist city gov
ernment controlled by the Po
lice Commissioner, "Bull
Connor. With the help of Ne
gro votes, which in turn re
sulted from a registration
drive sponsored by leaders
of the Birmingham Negro
community, Boutwell won the
election,
During the climax of the
election, the Rev. Martin
Luther King three times be
gan to organize anti-segrega
7$5 Is Rights S7
"Hey. gang ... the
of Rule
gime all those who were not
actively against.
One result was the release
of an estimated 2,000 to 3,000
prisoners, both criminal and
political, from Hungarian
jails.
It is possible that Commu
nist leaders now feel they can
extend their "humanization"
to the church. If such is to bo
the case, it can only be ac
cepted as good. But it should
not be accepted aa any' basic
change in communism's intent
to rule the world.
tion demonstrations in Birm
Ingham. Each time, the Justice
Department watchers-on-tha
spot relayed the word to
Washington, and Attorney
General Kennedy managed to
dissuade King, on the ground
that demonstrations would ad
versely affect the election re
sult. When Boutwell won, how
ever, and Bull Connor began
to contest the election result
in the courts, Martin Luther
King moved to Birmingham
and began to lead demonstra
tions on a small scale. After
some weeks, the schoolchil
dren were called out. Tha
mass jailings began. And so
the grim events started to un
fold which every newspaper
reader will remember.
e
AN SATURDAY a week ago,
"Assistant Attorney-General
Burke Marshall therefore re
turned post-haste to Birming
ham, to seek a peaceful settle
ment. Among the Negro lead
ers, there had not yet been any
agreement on the reforms tho
mass demonstrations were ln
tended to produce. And evert
the most modrate white lead;
ers had no notion what tho
Negro demonstrators desired,
since they never sat down
with the Negro leaders to dis
cuss common problems.
While Marshall was organ
izing the difficult beginnings
of a dialogue, Attorney-General
Kennedy was on tho
telephone to persons with
some leverage In Birmingham,
and especially to the national
executives of the Birmingham
chain department stores. Sec
retary' of the Treasury Doug
las Dillon, and even Secretary
of Defense Robert McNamara,
who has friends in the Birm
ingham business community,
also joined the telephone cam
paign. The first result was an
agreement by the chain de
partment stores to meet tha
Negroes' demands, now clear
ly formulated by Burke Mar
shall's request, for desegre
gation of lunch counters and
other facilities. But the de
partment stores did not wish
to take action in isolation.
fPHVS the key episode of tho
A Birmingham story was a
secret meeting on Wednesday,
of the bankers, steel execu
tives, and other chief persona
in the city's economic life.
The two-score and more per
sons at the meeting voted with
only one dissenting voice that
the time for reform was now.
After that meeting, which
was strongly influenced by
the telephone campaign al
ready described, the rug was
effectively, pulled out from
under the last-ditch segrega
tionists in Birmingham. The
arrest of Rev. Martin Luther
King was in fact a final, fair
ly desperate attempt to in
flame Negro passions, and
thus to prevent the reforms
already agreed on by the lead'
ers of Birmingham's white
community.
The failure of that attempt,
and the consequent beginning
of an ew era in Birmingham,
are now history. Of that his
tory, some earlier passages
are shameful to remember;
yet it Is also pleasant to recall
the roles played by common
sense and moderation and
long headed preparation.
which was all the more effec
tive because it was not aimed
at the grandstand.
dogs are eomlngl"