Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-22
Defenders Ask Shift
In School Unit Choice
Group Predicts
AIM Defeat in
County Race
BY SAM EASTMAN

A new effort to remove Airing.
ton County's school board one
step further from the voters was
disclosed today by the county's
Defenders Of State Sovereignty
as they disclaimed any interest
in the current county board race
and predicted the Arlington In
dependent Movement candidate
would lose.
The new attack on the method
of selecting Arlington school
board members was disclosed by
Jack R IN bone, Defenders
spokesman, in commenting on
an open letter" released by his
group. The letter also predicted
defeat Of AIM, which was re-
garded as a Defenders ally in
the 1855 county board contest.
Mr.. Rathbone said results Of
the county board race were Of
academic interest only to the
Defenders because the method of
selecting school board members
would be changed at the next
Virginia General Assembly ses-
sion.
AppOintive Method Coming
Arlington previously elected its
school board members, but had
that privilege taken away at the
last Assembly session. The law
now provides that Arlington
school board members be APP
pointed by the County Board. AS
a result, the appointment of
school board members has been 4
major issue in the current county
board campaign.
Mr.. Rathbone said the De.
tenders have drafted a bill to
place the appointment of school
board members in the hands of
a school trustee electoral board.
appointed in turn by the circuit
Judge.
The same setup was proposed
at the last Assembly session. but
the county board appointment
procedure was adopted instead.
announcement of tentativetin-
tegration plans by the elected
Arlington School Board touched
OF the wave of retaliatofy legis-
lation.
Mr.. Rathbone said the De-
Tenders already have lined UP
almost enough" sponsors to in
sure passage of the new school
board appointment legislation at
the next Assembly session.
Current AIM Link Denied
In denying any connection
with the current County Board
race, the Defenders open letter
acknowledged that they were
closely allied" with AIM in
1855.
In the current campaign the
AIM candidate, DR.. L. H. Blevins.
earlier has vigorously denied any
connection with the pro-segrega.
ton Defenders.
His opponent, Curtis E. Tut.
hill. a nominee Of the more lib
eral Arlingtonians for A Better
County. has hammered away at
this issue during the campaign.
i Last year. the Defenders took a
vocal and controversial role in
the School Board race, backing
AIMS three candidates--includ-
ing DR.. Blevins. None of the
three was elected.
! During the 1855 campaign. the
ABC organization repeatedly as
serted that one AIM candidate.
, Willis Kern, was member of
the Defenders. In addition to
the ABC victory at the polls, the
connection between AIM and the
Defenders set of a still unre-
solved $150,000 libel suit by Mr..
Kern against the oppositiofi's
five-member School and County
/ l.
Board slate.
Seek to "AvOid Blame"
}, The open letter states:
AIM lost the 1855 campaign
due to the simple fact that the
I PTA-School Board (ABC) party
overwhelmed them at the polls
, as they probably will again in
1856 :"
! Obviously stung by AIMS COOL
ness during this campaign, the
J letter declared that the Defend.
ers "purposely planned to keep
5 out of the 1856 campaign to
! avoid any blame by the AIM
: overlords" for next months ball
loting results.
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