Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-21
Arlington Asks
Clarifying Of
School Order

AC0AA kAaAAo W oN~h SAoA AASn-
ton Of a Federal Court de-
segregation order before school
opens September 4.
Judge Albert Bryan of Alex
andria last year ordered seven
Negroes accepted into white Ar
lington schools. but some coun-
ty officials contend the order
is not valid for the coming
school session. Five of the
seven still want to attend the
white schools.
A member of the school
board told a reporter after a
meeting last night that the
board has decided informally
to seek an audience with Judge
Bryan as soon as the jurist re-
turns from a European vaca-
ton. The spokesman said
Judge Bryan is expected back
September or 2 and has indi-
Gated he will be available for
a conference Immediately.
At last nights meeting, the
board heard conflicting advice
on how it should handle the
racial issue.
A major point made by the
groups seeking to keep schools
open was that the school board
has not told the public what it
plans to do to meet the ex-
Ipected crisis.
ut is the duty and the re-
sponsibility of the school board
to tell the people of Arlington,
Immediately and publicly, the
| official views Of the board on the
rapidly approaching crisis and
to tell the people the steps
which the board intends to
take" said Mrs. Howard w.
Lehman, chairman of the Cit
liens Committee for School I'm
lprovement.
Enrolment Now Urged
o. Glenn Stahl, chairman of
the Committee to Preserve Pub
lie Schools, asked that the
board hold an immediate en-
rollment so the people can
be sure exactly what will hap
pen at every school" when the
official opening date arrives.
William Lightsey, representa-
tive of the County Council of
Parent Teacher Associations.
said the people need to know
ahead of time what schools may
be closed or reorganized under
State law.
Mrs. Lorna HutchingS, chair
man of the School Committee
of the Arlington Civic Fedora
ton, urged the board to pro
coed as rapidly as possible with
whatever legal procedures are
necessary" to keep the schools
and to inform the public.
The four groups urged the
board to request the Governor
Immediately to release for To-
cal operation any school which
might be closed by the State.
Board Member James Stock
ard said the community needs
to know where it stands as
soon as possible.
I'm getting more nervous
each day that we don't make
our thinking known" he said.
Several segregationiSt spokes-
men suggested that the school
board make plans to use all
available space in open schools
for teaching basic" subjects
If some schools are closed.
Edmund A. Gibson, president
of the Arlington Citizens Coun-
Gil, told the board it has a
legal and moral obligation
to do everything possible to
usurpation of States rights by
massive resistance to the
usurpation of State rights by
Federal authorities"
Prefers Closing
"A closed school is preferable
to an integrated one," said Karl
0. Speiss, head of the Home
Owners Federation. There is
no question but that the ma
jority of voters of this Com
monwealth wish to keep schools
open, but at the same time they
want no part of a mixing of the
races therein"
Jack Rathbone, leader of the
county chapter of Defenders of
State Sovereignty and Individ-
ual Liberties, told the board to
beware of sppeaSers, whether
cloaked in the raiment of mod
crates, saviorS or preservers.
William M. Burdette, jr.,
president of the Federal En-
ployes Protective Association,
another segregationist group,
offered the board the assistance
of his organization to talk to
the colored parents" to see if
they could get them to with
draw their transfer applica-
tions.