Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-11
Southerners Unite
In Move 10 Avoid
School Infegration
By Robert K. Welsh
Stcr Stoff Correspondent

RICHMOND, Va, June IL
Southern State government lead
ers stood practically solid in pur-
pose today but separate in
seeking ways to keep the races
legally apart in public schools.
Most of the Governors and
other officials from is Southern
or border States left broad i'm
preston, after their day-long
conference here yesterday, that
they are leaving the next moves
strictly up to the Supreme Court.
They agreed that their attor-
neys general should meet some
time before the tribunal recon-
venes in October. But Virginia
and South Carolina, as parties
to the segregation suits decided
May IT, may be the only ones
to accept the courts invitation
to file briefs and put in an ap-
pearance for hearings in the fan.
Gov. Thomas B. Stanley dis
closed that those two States con-
: ceivably could inform the court
that their briefs of last Decem-
Der contained all they care to
say on the subject of when and
how to implement the ban on
school segregation.
Pooling of Information.
The conference turned out to
be about as Gov. Stanley pre-
dicted, although the presence
of nine governors and more
than 40 other State officials ex-
ceeded expectations. 1t was
primarily a pooling Of informa-
ton on problems, conditions and
completed or contemplated &C
lions by the respective States to
cope with what they consider,
to say the least, an adverse de-
ciSion."
The upshot was that Mary
land, West Virginia and Ken
lucky reported they were not
confronted with as serious a
problem as some of the South
ern States and that it was their
intention to conform to the
decision of the court" the Viz
ginia Governor said.
Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana
and South Carolina Governors
9 outlined legislative action already
consumated or under considera-
ton" to maintain separate
schools for white and Negro
children.
Virginia and seven other States
represented at the conference
have not yet found procedural
and legal solutions to their prob
lens, except that they are as
firm as Georgia, Mississippi.
Louisiana and South Carolina
in wanting to keep segregated
schools. Their sentiment pre-
dominately favored separate
schools
Discuss Private School Plan.
AS the last of the officials
trooped out of their hotel con-
ference room where they sat in
closed session until almost 8 pm,
Gov. Stanley or others disclosed
that the conferees also:
1. Discussed feasibility of the
private school plan as a last
alternative" if other mitigating
legal moves" fail. Such a plan.
as advocated by Gov. Herman
Talmadge of Georgia, would
abolish public schools and pro-
vide State payments to parents
to send children to private
schools for Negro and white
pupils.
2. Avoided speculation on the
possible political effect of the
Supreme Court decision at con-
gressional elections next Novem-
Der and the presidential election
In 1856. Outside the conference
room, however, Gov. Charley E.
Johns of Florida told reporters
he thought President Eisen-
hower's popularity was waning"
in that State and was not being
helped by the decision.
Gov. Talmadge said fatty that
"the Democrats will carry the