Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-04

aO0 4bt
One Of the most disturbing
aspects Of President Eisen-
hower's military Intervention
In Arkansas Is the important
part played in this drama by
an excited and superficial
press.
It was to be expected that
Attorney General Brownell
would urge precipitate. dra-
matte action. calculated to
win the Negro vote. But most
people look upon an indc-
pendent press as cut on a
higher plane. And this may
be true so far as intentions
are concerned. Yet one Of
the greatest dangers to our
country lies in the molding
OF peoples thoughts by the
facile pens Of those who
spend their lives reading and
writing and who seldom live
In a practical sort Of way
with the problems about
which they write. Through
out the Nation. many leading
newspapers have been reck-
lessly pushing for q dramatic
display Of force in Little
Rock.
Some have said that world
opinion. and particularly
Com m unist propaganda
about our institutions, de-
manded . Showdown in
Arkansas. But are not ques-
tions 81 constitutional law,
such as the right Of the Presi-
dent to send troops into q
State against the win Of its
elected Governor and under
the other circumstances here
involved. to be decided under
our Constitution rather than
by regard for what the Com
munists may say about US?
And so far as the Communists
are concerned. win not the
use OF Federal troops in
Arkansas give them better
propaganda than they had
before? And is not the at
tempted reliance on foreign
opinion TO support the Presi-
dents use of Federal troops q
tacit admission that his legal
case may be open to doubt?
But let every legal doubt
be resolved in favor Of the
Presidents action. Still. the
use Of troops was not COM
pulsory: discretion was per-
mitted. The attempt to
change human habits by
force is. at best, difficult
business. 1t is usually unsuc-
cessful. and when it does
succeed IL often leaves scars
more ugly than the habits
eliminated. Already, 1t is be-
coming difficult for the Fed
eral Government TO win tax
cases in the South. Let prov
ocations continue. and the
good will Of the South may
yield TO q sullen ugliness
displayed in countless, in
genious ways that will hurt
the country as a whole.
The situation is bad and
may grow much worse in the
years Just ahead. Neverthe-
less, Il should be possible 70
work out something con-
structive in the spirit that
Lincoln intended. This would
mean a revision Of the
Fourteenth Amendment in
the real interest Of both the
whites and the Negroes. For
1t seems virtually certain
that the Fourteenth Amend
ment, as presently inter-
preted by the Supreme Court
could not be adopted today
It may be that neither OF
the two main political parties
under existing political con-
troll, could be counted on fol
constructive aid on thi:
problem. But the time may
then be ripe for the birth Of
a new party Just as the Re.
publican Party was born al
another trying hour. PEG.
pie sometimes accomplish
what they want TO see done,
Allen II. Gardner.
49,
In The Sunday Star, q
gentleman from Little Rock
pleaded that the Natior
realize that only 1000 per.
sons took part in the fracai
at Central High School anC
that 10000 law abiding
peace-loving people stayeC
homel Boy. how Hitler anC
Stain must have loved people
like that While they fiddled
Little Rock burnedl
DO these good people" o.
our Nation wherever thel
hide on election days anC
other important occasions
feel nothing bad can eve
happen to them II they Jus
stay out OF sight and hear,
ing? Surely q voice for o. Jus
cause can Nm avery hit N