Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1948-03-19

w. Taggart, President OF the NAT
ional Dental Association. filed
statements in opposition.
The sole Negro to appear in ia
vor of segregated regional educa-
ton was DIR. Daniel Thomas
Rolfe, faculty member of Meharry
Medical School and executive Sec
rotary of Meharry Alumni Asso-
citation.
In a blistering attack on the
southern proposal. Thurgood Mar
shall, NAACP Special Counsel,
told members of the Senate Judi
ciary subcommittee: "The respon-
sibility Of the southern states to
educate their Negro citizens can
not constitutionally be met by any
plan which would force Negro
medical student from Texas to at
tend a regioal medical school in
Tennessee, while his white COM
patriot attends the University OF
Texas Medical School. The COM
pact appears to be based on the
twisted reasoning that what each
southern state is forbidden to do
individually can be lawfully ac-
complished If some of them act
together. But the reality remains
that so long as state provides
education to white students with
in its borders there is no legal
way for 1t to deny such education
to its Negro citizens. We do not
assume that the southern COVER
nors propose to close down exist
ing facilities and send all their
students elsewhere in order to
overcome this initial legal haz-
ard"
The truth is that in order to
increase educational opportunities
for its citizens, the south must
give up segregation" Mr.. Mar
shall insisted. THE Southern
states can neither jointly nor sew
orally provide equality in a seq
regated set-up."
Marshall further challenged the
good faith Of the governors in
coming to Congress with such a
proposal. He said that they were
merely seeking a federal prop
for segregation to bolster 1t again.
st the whitening blasts Of the Pres
ident's Committee on Civil Rights,
the Presidents Commission on
Higher Education" and equaliza-
ton suits now pending before
various state courts.
The NAACP attorney said that
Congress should not give its con-
sent but that II II did the only
way that the rights of Negro citi-
gems would be protected would be
for Congress to amend the CON-
pact 80 a. to guarantee that
there will be no distinction a. to
race, creed. color or sex AZ to stu
dents, faculty or administrative
officers" in regional schools.
Speaking for the so life insur-
ance companies that make up the
National Negro Insurance Asso-
citation, President M. c. Clarke
told the senators that his group
was 'unqualifiedly opposed to
giving congressional blessings to
the reprehensible compact"
The Senate Resolution was in
troduced by twenty-sisht senators
some of whom come from states
as far north as Maryland and West
Virginia. Washington observers
believe that the compact will be
speedily approved by Congress
unless Negroes and enlightened
whites throughout the country are
thoroughly aroused.
Commenting on the legislative
situation, Walter White. Execu-
tive Secretary Of the NAACP said:
Our only hope Of defeating this
brazen scheme to extend and en-
trench educational segregation is
for Negroes all over the country
to swamp their senators and con-
gressmen with letters, kilograms,
telephone calls and personal WIS.,
its. Congress must be made to
know that we do not intend to
take this laying down"