Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-01
Almond Asks
Special Session
To Meet Issue
BY MARY LOU WERNER
Star stan Correspondent

General j. Lindsay Almond, jr.,
to call a special General ASSEM-
lbly session next month to deal
with the Supreme Court school
segregation decision.
1 The States top legal officer
made his request known late
yesterday after the Arlington
County desegregation suit had
been added to a growing list
which his Office will help to
defend.
Mr.. Almond sat in on a closed
conference with Arlington ON
Icials and Gov Stanley. It was
agreed the attorney generals
office would help represent the
Arlington School Board in the
pending suit brought by a group
of colored and white parents to
force compliance with the SUI
lpreme Court segregation de-
Icision.
AT End OF Legal Rope"
Later. at his own office, Mr..
Almond disclosed that he had
urged the Governor to call q spe-
cial session in July.
i II have fought to the end Of
the legal rope" said Mr.. Almond.
"As counsel for the State, it is
my judgment we must have
State legislation on the subject
aggregation in order to meet
attacks of the NAACP."
The Arlington suit filed in
Alexandria Federal Court, and
similar suits pending throughout
the State, have been sponsored
by the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored Peo-
|ple.
! The Attorney General added:
! We go back to court now with
out a weapon. All along I have
urged a special session and /
think it is most urgent at this
time. I do not intend to impinge
on the Governors prerogative,
but as counsel for the State /
need something with which to
i fight"
i Mr.. Almond said the Cover.
nor gave no indication what his
reaction was to the special ses-
sion plea.
Continuance Sought
Gov. Stanley had scheduled q
press conference with reporters
after the conference with Mr.,
Almond and the Arlington dele
cation. However. he did not
appear in person. Instead, his
Office issued a brief typewriter
statement.
| The statement said it was
lagreed that Arlington would get
legal assistance through the
Attorney Generals Office, and
the court would be asked to
grant additional time for filing
an answer to the suit. The
deadline is supposed to be next
! Wednesday, but continuances
have been granted elsewhere in
the State where similar suits are
pending.
4 When a special General AS
sembly session would be called
to deal with the segregation
problem has become a major
issue in the State since last
January, when voters approved
the first step Of the Gray plan.
The Gray plan was drafted by
a commission which the Cover
nor appointed after the Supreme
Court segregation decision was
announced. Tuition grants would
be provided for children who pre-
lferred to attend private schools
rather than go to integrated
public schools.
After the Attorney General
had his say yesterday about the
need for a special session, it was
ISpeculated that some definite
word might be Forthcoming next
week when the Gray Commission
meets to review the segregation
situation.
ArlingtOnians at Farley
Representing Arlington were
State Senator Charles r. Fen
wick, a m e m b er Of the Gray
Commission and outspoken advo.
cate OF an early special session:
Arlington Schools Supt. T. Ed
ward Rutter; three members Of
the school board, L. Clarke Keat-
ing, Barnard Joy and Mrs. Bar
bara Riches, and Attorney James
H. Simmonds, counsel for the
Arlington School Board.
1t was thought that the con-
ference might be a strained one.
The Arlington School Board took
a beating from State leaders for
announcing tentative indignation
plans. Although the Arlington
board said its plans were subject
to State approval, the move
stirred segregation-minded lead
ers in the General Assembly to
take away Arlington County's
elected school board.
Meeting Very Successful
But there we're no signs OF
strain when the hour and As
minute session in the governors
lofice ended. Mr.. Heating read
the following statement:
/ I'VE had a cordial and con-
structive session with the gov
ernor and attorney general.
They assured us Of their full CO.
operation and help"
Any further statements, Mr..
Heating said. would have to
come from the Governor.
Mr.. Joy said he felt the meet
ing was very successful"
Mrs. Riches said she felt the
county understood more about
what the State intended to do,
and the State understood more
about what Arlington intended
to do.