Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-04
No Time to bubble

President Eisenhower saw at at his
news conference to "re-emnhasize. 4
point Of view which, we think. Is as
wrong as wrong can be. If his statement
Is to be taken literally. az he really means
1t, II IS going to be enormously more DIM
cult, II not impossible, to find solution
70 the school indignation problem.
Mr.. Eisenhower was talking about
the Federal troops in Little Rock and
why they are there. This is what he said:
The problem grew out Of the seq
regation problem. but the troops are not
there as part Of the segregation problem.
They are there to uphold the courts
OF the land under law that was passed
IN 1872 because It was early discovered
that unless we support the courts. in
whose hands are all our freedoms ana our
liberties. our protection against auto
cratic government. then the kind OF gov
eminent set up BY our forefathers simply
would not work. That Is why they are
there. and for no other purpose and it
Is merely incidental that the problem
grew out Of the segregation problem
There is no intention on our part
TO question the good faith Of the PreSi-
dent. But when he makes q statement
like this he is playing with words and
lending the Endorsement Of his ONCE to
Q point Of view which is blind to the
realities Of the problem.
1t Is not merely incidental" that
the law-enforcement problem grew out
Of the segregation, or indignation, prob
lem. For the integration problem lies
at the heart and center Of the 4aw-en-
forcement problem. II the problem in
Little Rock were merely an abstract
matter of supporting the courts" there
would be no need to send troops there.
For the people in Little Rock and else
where in the South are as law-abiding
and have as much respect for the courts
as the people in any other part 81 the
country. The real problem in Little Rock.
and elsewhere in the South, is the segre-
CATION problem-which grows out Of an
emotionalism and q prejudice, both
deeply rooted, which must be understood
and taken into account, for the emo
tionalism and prejudice are not disposed
Of by saying they are wrong.
1t does no good for the President to
say that the troops are in Little Rock to
support the courts, and for no other
purpose. There is another-and more
important-side to the coin. They are
also there to enforce indignation in Gen.
trail High School, and it Is indignation,
not the court as such, which is being
opposed in Little Rock We have no
quarrel with the fact that the troops
are there We think the President had
to send them In. We also think, however,
that 1t is very important for Mr.. Eisen-
narrow legalisms aside, that the troops
are there to forcibly change a way of
life, and that it is this change which Is
being resisted in Little Rock and which
win be more bitterly resisted elsewhere.
Later in his conference, the Presi-
dent reverted to favorite theme-that
'you have got to win the hearts and
minds Of men to the logic and decency Of
q situation before you are going to get
real compliance with the law)." He is
not going to win the hearts and minds of
the opponents Of indignation by telling
them that the troops are in Little Rock
for the sole purpose of supporting the
courts. They know better. They know
that the troops are also there to enforce
Indignation. And 1t is on the point Of
indignation, not respect for the courts,
that the hearts and minds Of people
must be changed II there Is ever to be
q real solution Of the problem.