Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-19
Gray Commission
Policy Rift Seen
Critics Want
Assignment
Policy Killed


Commission on Public Education
loomed today unless members
can be rallied around a policy
Of strict State resistance to school
indignation, informed sources at
the State capitol reported.
They say a strong move is
under way to convince most
members of the commission that
they should abandon the pupil
assignment phase of their school
program in favor of strict poll
icy OF no indignation anywhere
in the Commonwealth.
These sources say it is quite
possible State Senator Garland
Gray of Waverly, commission
chairman, and several other COM
mission members will quit the
body and stump for vigorous
State resistance to school inte-
grafton if this effort is unsuc-
ceSsful.
Hope to Avoid Open Split
Every effort will be made, the
report says, to head of an I'M
desirable open split among mem
bers of the commission which
last year came up with a pro-
gram designed to avoid compul-
sorry indignation in Virginia's
public schools.
Key features of the commits
sion program were assignment of
pupils to schools for a variety of
reasons other than race and pub
lie tuition grants for attendance
at private, nonsectarian schools.
Because it contemplated some
indignation, opposition to the
pupil assignment plan has grown
steadily, particularly in South
ern Virginia. The new policy
would drop the assignment plan
and commit the State to about
resistance to indignation any,
where.
Major Points Listed
Among its major points are
these:
/. Deny State funds to any To-
cality that integrated its schools.
2. Close public schools rather
than permit indignation.
8. Give the Legislature or Gov
ernor complete control over the
operation of the public schools.
4. Have the State assume the
defense against any lawsuits.
Such a pattern would be in
step with the line of massive
resistance" advocated by Sen
Iator Byrd, Democrat Of Virginia,
along with other Virginians and
|Southerners in Congress. Says
one Gray Commission member,
I'VE can't very well pursue mas
sive resistance if we follow what
we've already recommended"
No member of the Gray Com
mission could be found yester-
day who would discuss the stu
alton for publication. Senator
Gray, asked about reports that
he might quit the commission,
at first would say only, II
haven't resigned" Then he
added: I'm not giving any con-
sideration to it right now"
1t is known that each of the
commissions 80 legislator mem
bers favors segregated schools.
Their differences arise over
whether it is possible to pre-
serve complete segregation, and
how to keep the most segrega-
ton for the longest possible time
in the face of the Supreme Court
ruling outlawing public school
segregation.
Complete Breakup Possible
In the event enough commits
sion members can be won over,
the new resistance program will
emerge with the commissions
backing. If not, the reports
say, the commission may well
break up.
A showdown is expected be-
fore the special session Of the
Legislature, promised by early
September by Gov. Stanley,
meets to consider the school
problem.
Three members Of the GRAY
Commission executive committee
conferred separately yesterday
with Gov. Stanley, apparently
at his invitation. Delegate w.
Tayloe Murphy of Warsaw and
State Senators Curry Carter of
Stanton and A. s. Harrison,
jr.. of Lawrenceville all are be-
lieved to be part Of the COM
mittee and commission majority
that has stood by the original
Gray program.
Each declined to say why he
conferred with the Governor and
what they talked about. But they
apparently were called for con-
ferences with Gov. Stanley on
how they would react to the
stricter policy line.
One theory is that II these
three legislators could be en-
listed to support the revised pro-
gram it would have majority
support on the Executive Com
mittee and a fine chance Of
catching on with the commission
majority.
While the State may try a
line of sterner resistance to
school indignation, the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People was reported
ready to introduce 10 second
line" desegregation suits against
Virginia communities in Federal
courts around the State.
A spokesman for the NAACP
said at Norfolk earlier this week
that these suits will be filed
against selected localities. among
them Portsmouth, South Nor
folk and Alexandria ag soon a.