The Omaha guide., 1957-09-20
Europe
Views Civil
Rights Issues

NISHahS HSSOCS
number Of European newspapers
have given detailed editorial at
tention to the u. S. Senate's az
ton amending the Administra
tons civil righs bill.
International implications oi
the Senate's act were mentioned
by at least two newspapers on the
continent the Journal de Genevs
and the French L'Aurore. The
former implied that the United
States viii continue to be embar-
rassed a defending liberty and
equality in foreign nations while
it does not respect them at home,
while L'Amour called the Sen
ate's action "eolonialistic."
Following are excerpts from ed
itorial comment in these two
newspapers and others on the
continent and in England:
Journal de Geneve: For more
than a month stirring debates
have taken place in the Ameri-
can Senate about the civil rights
bill, whose purpose is TO guaran-
tee in fact to the Negro popula
ton exercise of its right to vote.
The Constitution aceords it to
him in principle, but racial in
equality continues to manifest
itself in daily life. for the south.
ern states maintain the privileges
of the white man BY every means
8. The Senate action cor.
stitutes a grave setback for Pres
ident Eisenhower and the Repub
liean Party. president Eisen.
hover has applied himself-un.
happily with a diminished author
ity-to wipe out racial differen
ees, for he has realized that tht
United States is embarrassed il
defending the great principles ol
equality and liberty Throughout
the world while not respecting
them altogether inside its owl
frontiers. It / sregrettable thai
the Senate majority has not ia
ken into account this same con
sideration."
L'Aurore: with the stronl
majority Of 81 to AZ the Ameri
can Senate has just taken a vots
which practically empties of it
substance the civil rights bill
II there ever was a Legislative,
act Of colonialist land some vii
even say racist) inspiration TIN
IS it. May we therefore hope tina
the accusation Of cosonialisn
which has been too often and tot
rashly aime dat France by oul
American friends viii be defini
tely shelved and particularly s.
when we shall talk together 0
North Africa?
Does the United States. whicl
IS so hostile to the civil right
Of the Negroes, know tha-
Frances third-ranking politica
personality, n. MonnerviIle. Pres
ldent of the Council of the Ke
public, Is eolored man and
very imminent one? Does It know
that the Negroes of the Frencl
Union have the right to vote ane
that their representatives, white
and eolored, sit wiz. 'beir col
leagues Of metropolitan France il
our Assemblies? Let It Therefore
examine its conscience and tel
Us on what shore OF the Atlantic
are living the last colonialisfs
LeMonde French): Although
the capital debate Of the last fouI
weeks in Congress on the right.
Of American Negroes 10 vote ha.
not yet been finished, one can
already consider that the Eisen.
hover administration has under
gone a serious setback. The same
IS true for all groups which strug
gled for the betferment Of the
political status of Negroes. sec
ond-class American citizens.
Without doubt. both parties
will find reason for comfort IN
the last votes. The firm posi-
ton taken by the Republicans
allows them to hope that they
viii gain a large part OF the Ne
gro vote. The Democrats can
congratulate themselves for hay
ing avoided the split-up of their
party over difficult problem.
The only victims Of the operation
are the Negroes, who have never.
since the Reconstruction era Of
30 years ago, been so close to a
sensational step forward which