Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-09

the streets. whether to try to
preserve well-loved way Of
life or to respect the law as It
now stands.
Given time. the law might
be changed. Avenues Of COM
promise may be discovered.
Gov FaubuS by precipitating
the showdown between the Fed
eral Government and the
States. probably has narrowed
the possibilities.
He has raced the wheels Of
evolution.
Political Stock Grows
In so doing. he seems to have |
boosted his own political stock /
immensely in Arkansas.
His mail indicates IL. So do /
letters to newspapers around |
the State. and the soundtngs |
taken by reporters.
He probably has alienated |
the entire Negro vote. esti- |
mated at $1,000. The moderates
in Arkansas are outspokenly /
critical Of him. And the peo-
pie who don't want integra- |
ton but do want law and /
order and prestige for the State /
are against him.
On balance. however. his !
position looks very strong
today. possibly stronger than
before the incredible events OF I
September. The consensus is
that if he runs for a third term,
he will be elected. i
Personally Engaging
Personally, Gov. Faubus Is a
rather engaging man. He has
a mild. easy-going way about
him. He comes into a confer
ence room with a smile, his
press conference smile" as
the Little Rock reporters say.
A few reporters. with calcu-
lated rudeness. sometimes try
TO needle Gov. Faubus. His
benign mildness, in reply. is
devastating. Nothing seems to
rufiie him. He is a shrewd
pleader.
For example, he describes
United States District Judge
Ronald N. Davies Of North
Oakota-the man who ordered
Gov. Faubus to stop interfer-
ing with the indignation Of
Central High School-as an
imported Judge" That evokes
the picture, held by many
Southerners. of the rich and
powerful North examining in
tegration down our threats"
But he oVerlooks the point
that United States District
Judge John E. Miller-the man
who first approved the Little
Rock School Boards plan for
integration--is a native Ar
kansan.
He has accused the Federal
Bureau Of Investigation of tap
ping his telephones. and hold
Ing high school girls incom-
municado during hours Of
questioning. When FBI Director
]. Edgar Hoover denied both
charges. Gov. Faubus said Mr..
Hoover used lawyers Ian
guage," and did not. in fact.
deny them at all.
Avoids Yes or No Answer
He says he will not have my
people bludgeoned and bayo-
netted" But he will not say
whether he will guarantee the
safety Of Negro students at
Central High If Federal troops
leave Little Rock.
When pressed for a Eyes or
no" answer to this question.
Gov. Faubus took refuge in a
non sequitur. Have you
stopped beating your wife?--
yes or no." he replied to a re-
porter. Scores Of spectators at
the conference. not newsmen.
gurgled with laughter and
broke into applause.
These and other aspects Of
the astonishing Little Rock
story grew out OF the train OF
events set in motion by Gov.
Faubus the night Of September
2.
On that night. he ordered
the Arkansas National Guard
TO encircle Central High School
and to turn away Negro chill
dren when they came there to
enroll the next day.
What we're his motives?
To preserve peace and order,
he says. He insists he had in
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