Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-19

Legal Battle Ahead
What has happened is pre-
liminary to the tangled legal
battle due to follow as Negroes
appeal the school boards ac-
ton. and ask Federal courts to
enroll them in white schools.
The court already has made
preparations to meet day and
night between now and Labor
Day to pass on such applica.
tons.
This puts the school board
under fire from all directions.
Federal Judge Walter Hoff :
man has told the board to stop
assigning students according to
race this fall.
A local assignment plan
drafted by the school board TO
meet Judge Hoffman's decree
has been challenged on one
hand by white parents who
fear 1t may permit indignation,
and on the other by Negroes
who regard it as another road
block.
Negro students who have not
challenged the assignment plan
as a whole are ready to 60 to
court in an attempt to overturn
the school boards rejection of
their transfer application.
Resistance Laws Loom
Waiting to take effect when
ever an integrated assignment is
made-presumably by the Fed
eral Court-are the States mas
sive resistance laws, which auto
matically close any school
where races are mixed and
withhold State school funds
from localities that attempt to
operate mixed classes.
At a June board meeting,
school Board Chairman
Schweitzer told a group of
parents anxious to know what
to expect in September that
the school board lis Just as
uniformed as you are" He said
he did not want to hold out any
false hopes but l Just can't
imagine $4,000 children out on
the street. It's just impossible
to imagine. Let's don't lose our
faith yet"
The school boards firm pro-
nouncementS for keeping
schools open are all the more
conspicuous for their contrast
to the activity among citizens.
The president of the PTA
council is a member Of the
pro-segregation Defenders Of
State Sovereignty and Individ.
ual Liberties, and is one Of the
organizers of a new group
formed to set up private schools
when public schools close. No
organization dedicated to keep
ing schools open. such as Arl-
ington's Committee to Preserve
Public Schools, has appeared
on the scene.
Closing VS.. migration
William I. McKendree, PTA
Council president, is convinced
that a majority of white resi-
dents in Norfolk would prefer
to see schools closed than sub
nit to Indignation.
According to Mr.. McKendree,
Norfolk has spoken three times
in support of segregation in
the Gray referendum three
years ago which carried the
city, in the election of Gov.
Almond who campaigned on
the race issue, and in the out
come of last years House Of
Delegates contest.
The six incumbent delegates
who had opposed part of the
massive resistance" program
won reelection over three
massive resistance" advocates,
but according to Mr.. McKen-
dree it was the Negro vote
that made their reelection
possible.
Mr.. McKendree was elected
president of the PTA Council |
in May by a vote of 4S to 80.
He has helped organize the
Tidewater Educational Founda-
ton to operate private schools
in place Of public schools that
may be closed by indignation. |
Amused At No Opposition
1t amuses him that no OPP
posing organization has come .
forth to fight the private
school idea.
IF there are any white inte-
grationists in the city of Nor
folk. we haven't heard from |
them" said Mr.. McKendree.
James G. Martin ", an at
torney, is president Of the