Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-09-09
ARKANSAS

NHNuAb ~ NSINS
Continued From First Pare
Wednesday - made his views
known over a special Nation
wide ABC open Hearing
program.
Heatedly Denied
At the same time, persons
close to the Governor charged
in effect that the author of
the much-touted Blossom
Plan" for gradual indignation
of the Little Rock schools had
attempted about three weeks
ago to sabotage his own for.
mula for coping with integra-
ton.
According to the charge,
heatedly denied by sources
close to the school authorities,
School Supt. Virgil T. Blossom
appealed to Gov. Faubus' aides
Gin state of semi-hysteria"
last August is to help avoid
bloodshed and violence"
Mr.. Blossom. the story went.
told the Governors ONCE that
he had shaken down q desk
drawer full of switch-blade
knives and revolvers from stu
dents. He was represented as
wanting one Of Gov. Faubus'
aides to institute suit in .
State court to obtain an in
junction against carrying out
Of the indignation plan.
Call Facts Twisted"
Such an injunction was
sought and obtained August 20
in Pulaski County Chancery
(civiD Court. but was promptly
set aside by Federal Judge
Ronald N. Davies, who ordered
the indignation to proceed.
School authorities asserted
that the charge was untrue and
that the facts recited were de
liberately twisted" by persons
sympathetic to the Governor In
order to give q false picture.
Asked whether Mr.. Blossom
was semi-hysterical at the time.
a close associate said, Hell,
no." Only three revolvers and
"a couple of knives" were in the
superintendent's posses sion.
this source said, and these had
been taken from unruly stu
dents the year before.
In addition, 1t was stressed.
there were no students in school
on August Is. because school
did not convene until Septem-
Der 3 and even advance enroll
ment of football players did not
commence until August 10.
Mr.. Blossom was represented
as wanting a suit filed for the
sole purpose of testing what he
regarded as the baseless au-
thority Of the State TO override
q Federal order.
THE likelihood Of violence
was not even discussed at the
meeting in question, one ofn-
cial said. Those present at the
meeting. it was understood,
were William J. Smith. per-
sonal counsel to Gov. Faubus;
Wayne Upton, member and
secretary of the school board.
and Supt. Blossom.
Dead Center Situation
The school situation in Little
Rock remained stuck on dead
center after Gov. Faubus' an
nouncement last night that he
would not remove National
Guard troops from Central
High School or amend their
orders to bar Negroes. But he
held out hope for an early end
TO the crisis in this exchange
with newsmen over television.
@. What is your best guess
Of how long the situation will
last at Central High? A day,
week, a month, or a semester?
A. I am hoping 1t will disSi-
pate within a week.
@. Will it dissipate tomor-
row or tonight?
A. 1t could, If the Federal
authorities will exercise the
prudence and caution and un-
Outstanding Of our situation
and of my inherent power and
obligation to maintain the
peace 1t can be resolved
very soon.
Lawyers Press for Move
School Board lawyers were
understood to be pressing Fed
ersl authorities to move against
Gov. Faubus in o contempt &C
ton charging violation Of Judge
Davies injunction against in
reference with peaceful inte-
grafton at Central High.
Asked how the Governor
could be charged with con-
tempt in the absence Of an
overt act--the Negro students
are no longer showing UP for
school-one spokesman for the
board said they've already
been turned away; how many
LINES does a man have TO vio-
late an injunction before he
can be charged?"
There was no feeling on Gov.
Faubus' part, however. that he
had violated Judge Davies In
junction, and even less apparent
inclination TO accept service Of
q writ Of attachment II one is
sues at the Federal building.
The physical nrohlena of how