Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1957-01-18

. President Eisenhower by n
30 leaders asking him Ia enforce
cation rulings,
z. Decision OF group of At
laniA Negro attorneys 10 ask the
Federal District Court here for
a declarAtory judgement To end
segregation on the buses Of the
Atlanta Transit Company, A
petition FOR the judgement IL ak
pccted TO be filed early this week.
s. The converting Jan IA IN
regular session OF the Georgia
General Assembly. which win
mako Il possible for Gov. Marvin
unfnn to ask for tho passage OF
emergency legislation dealing with
the present situation, So far. the
Governor has not Indicated that
he viii ask Tor any new laws
statement Issued
The conference which iAsucd the
appeal 20 the President consisted
Of 90 leaders from 10 communities
In 10 states, II was IN neaaion here
Jan, 10 and ~. and was called by
the Rev NJ L. King Jr,, OF Mont
gomery Ala thu Rev. n l. Shut
Ellsworth, birmingham. Ala. and
the REV G, X. Steele, Tailahaasee,
Fla
Reporters were barred from the
sessions of the conference IN the
Wheat street Baptist church,
Findings Of the group were Issued
In lengthy statement. which re-
lated the struggle OF American
Negroes for "firnt-class citizen.
ship" with democratic racial move
msntA IN Asia, Africa, and other
parts Of the world
The document was challenging
and ooncihAtory II charged that q
state Of terror prevailed In ths
South and appealed 10 the presi-
dent 10 make q major speech In q
large southern city pointing up the
moral and legal aspects Of segre-
CATION.
The eanfsr~es also asked that
Vice. President RichArd ~. NIXON
make y personal tour % investi-
cation IN en-. south siSniiar 10
the one he recently concluded In
Austria.
A. the same time. the statement
appealed 10 white and Negro citi-
1anp Of the South 10 avoid v'olsnoe
and 10 deal with the racial prob
lem In spirit Of Christian
brotherhood In u section adj
dressed particularly 10 Negroes
the statement said. MOT one hair
Of one head OF ono white person
shall be harmed"
Company. Position
Meanwhile. u was learned that
r. 4. Walden, prominent Atlanta
Negro attorney. and four col
leagues plan early ncxt weak TO
seek Federal Court order To
end segregation on Atlanta buses.
THIS strategy In sspected To
obtain earlier court action than
could be expected from trial In
Georgia state courts OF the sis
Atlanta Negro ministers lead by
the Rev. William ~ Borders. pas
tor OF tho Wheat Street Baptist
church. who was arrested Jan. D
for boarding an Atlanta bus and
seating themselves In the front
among white passengers. All are
nov free on 81 900 bail.
Bnsea Break Down
The Rev Mr. Borders frankly
admitted that the purpose Of his
action was Ia obtain q court rui-
nR on segregation In buses. The
way WINS paved q few days earlier
gben Mr. Walden wrote TO Robert
!. RommrrvilIe president % the
4 tlanta Transit. asking whether
he company intended 10 continue
segregation.
Mr. sommeryille replied that hs
1corRia laws requiring ssgrega-
ION had never been declared I'M
constitutional. the company had
" choice bat 20 obey them
Several factors here make the
ssue Of segregation on the buses
car likely 10 produce violence than
n Montgomery There are no
,0ards arbitrarily dividing buses
niO white and colored sections.
The law merely provides that
White passenger shall be seated
rom the front backward and Me-
yro riders from the rear forward.
On lines heavily patronized by
Negroes they frequently occupy
dr,ually the entire bus.
isee Editorial: Invitation To
Defend Our Citizens" page ~