Minneapolis spokesman., 1953-09-25


Of the South 10 bringing the Con-
greas Of Industrial Organizations
an Increasing strength. The CIo.
unlike ths American Federation OF
Labor, has a policy OF complete
intsgration In hiring, promoting.
and fixing OF wage scales. The In
naturalization of the South n
probably going 70 be the major
factor In American politics and
race relations In the next gen
GRAFTON: It's capital expenditure In
running so per cent ahead Of the
national average and new plants
are springing up 90 per cent faster
that the rest Of the nation.
And, ~ heard an old hill far
mer say. pessimlstIeally. ! guess
u the Army can do II, then the
schoOlteaehsra can"
stiIl. the road is yet q long one.
Nobody can pretend that there
win not be At least Isolated VIC.
lencs and many personal tragedies
for the Negro child II the Supreme
Court hands down the feared"
decision. Law enforcement ahead
OF public opinion rarely works:
one win not expect anything other
that prolonged evasion and subter-
fuge In parts OF Alabama, MiAsis-
sippi and South Carolina, where
the poverty IL greatest, education
the poorest. and the proportion Of
Negroes the highest.
But the vast majority Of people
I have met, like most Of the south.
ern press, take d constitutional
point Of view. Il sure hope the
Court does nothing no crazy. but
n II does, well. I'm not for caus-
Ing trouble. n our lawyers aren't
as smart ~ they claim, I guess
wen give II a try" There IL a
recognition that democracy and
segregation are incompatible. and
In the South, which curioualy IL
more internationally minded than.
say. the Midwest, this makes the
eyes OF the world are upon you"
editorials Of the best southern
press very effective. To answer
the Rsds' many q businessman
begins 10 employ Negroes on equal
terms, though II hurts him.
OF course. this is only half the
picture. I certainly win not. when
! return TO Britain. paint . rosy
picture Of universal or adequate
progress. whatever happens this
fall. No American brings his coun-
try into such dlsreputs In Europe
m those who ignore harsh reali-
ties. none testify by example 10
much 10 freedom a. those who
freely tell Of and criticize exist
ing fallinEs In American life. Real
uelf-criticiAm Ia the sign OF q gen.
ulne democracy.
but ! can say very firmly that
the difficulties handed down 20
the modern South are vastly un-
dereRtimatsd land I win say this
q little In Boston a. well ~ In
Londonl. And I can tell Of the
many people working hard 10 end
tho evil Of segregation people !
can caIl typical Americans. and
Of thu vast majority of people
people call typical people who
are prepared 10 70 along with
the Court, alphabetically, resent
fully, hRbitualIy. Enthusiastically, all
these motives mixed. but moving
with the time. with q little push.
ing,
Above all. I vii tell OF the atti.
tude Of the Negro people them
selves In the contemporary world
Of revolutions one might expect
the Negro from out Of his suffer
ing, discrimination. and virtual
denial OF fun citizenship, 10 be q
rebel. But the contrary. he h one
hundred per cent American In his
social attitudes and policies, n u
10 the embarrassment OF the white
raciAllSt that the Negro believes
firmly In his own" democratic
credo of the Declaration Of Inde-
pendenee, OF the Mn Of Rights, Of
the Fourteenth Amendment. He
has become the conscience Of de.
mocracy, not the critic.
cannot help but feel that the
time is AZ ripe a. ever q win be
for . great demonstration that
democracy n . practical inter
racial principle; In the balance Of
world races u win have 10 BE-
made ~ something, In all en-
Pedisncy. meantime u n being
made by many In their individual
lives. IN all morality. I had not ex.
pected 60 be writing like Mls.