Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-03
.Kefauver Says
HeWouId Seek
School Accord
BY GOULD LINCOLN

Senator Kefauver of Tennes-
see, making his pitch for South
ern support and particularly
Florida Sin his quest for the
1856 Democratic presidential
nomination. last night declared
that If elected President he will
assist men of good will "of both
races in seeking a solution of
the difficult problem of deSegre-
cation of the public schools.
He asserted that the anti
segregation decision of the Su-
preme Court is constitutional and
that this was his position when he
was renominated for Senator in
1854 over former Representative
Sutton, who said the ruling was
unconstitutional. This. he said,
is his position today.
"Others, alibing defeats, try to
indicate that I say one thing one
place and another thing another
place on this subject" Senator
Kefauver said. What said then
l say now. and what l say now
wherever / AMIN Florida or
California. in Minnesota or Ala
bama. ! simply cannot and would
not attempt to mislead."
Aimed at South
The Senator broadcast his
speech via television in Orlando,
Fla. 1t seemed to be addressed,
however. to the entire South,
Referring to the often repeated
assertion that he was mot ac-
ceptable to the South" because
he has taken a national view
point" during his service in
Congress. Senator Kefauver said
emphatically:
This is hogwash, as you and
l know so well. You see the
trouble is that there are men of
small minds in this Nation who
attempt to define National
viewpoint and Southern view
point in a way that makes the
Nation a liberal, dynamic
vibrant growing thing and the
South a static society Of yester-
day.
Il dislike the comparison, and
it simply is not true. The South
fondly remembers its yeSter-
days, but what YOU and l as
Twentieth Century SouthernerS
are interested in and working
toward are our tomorrows. And
in planning those tomorrow's we
are just as liberal. Just as
dynamic, Just as warranty alive
as anyone, anywhere in this
Nation,
Quotire from an address he
delivered ~ his campaign against
Mr.. Sutton two years ago. Sem
ator Kefauver said that the
founding fathers. when they
met to write the Constitution.
DESIGNATED the Supreme Court
to interpret the Constitution
Some may disagree with some
Of the Courts interpretations.
But we know that the Court IS
the final word. And we know
if it werent-and if there
weren't some final authority
somewhere - this Government
could not have operated, We
would have had anarchy"
May Hurt Stevenson
The Tennessean's statement
was in line with his failure to
sign the recent manifesto on
segregation. signed by more than
100 Southern Senators and Rep
resentatives.
Adlai Stevenson. who is run
ming against Senator Kefauver
in the Florida presidential pri-I
mary. is also expected to make
his position clear on this school
indignation issue when he cam
paigns there. If 1t differs much.
from that Of Senator Kefauver,
it may lose him many votes in
the North and West.
Senator Kefauver pointed out
that the Florida primary is the
only presidential preference pri-
mary in the South.
Il think it is extremely i'm
portant for that as well as other
reasons" he said. Florida will
be looked upon by many as
testing ground for sentiment in
the entire Southland"
Returning to the antiSegrega-
ton decision Of the Court, Sena-
tor Kefauver said:
Speaking as a Southerner TO
Southerners. ! say there is no
other answer TO this problem
NOV that the Supreme Court
has spoken. We simply must
remain a united Nation.
THE Supreme Court itself re-
allied that this is not an easy
problem with which to deal. IN
der the decision. local Federal