Evening star., 1960-12-11

in. gutter language, are strivil
against classroom attendance.
q bus happened to lurch sud-
denly the other night.
A Negro girl fell against q
well dresse stately white
woman. The girl apologized.
The white woman snapped at
her, Cant you be more care
ful?"
Then she turned to other
white passengers and. in a
voice that might have spun the
old plantation bellies in their
graves, rasped, "See what we're
getting to. Soon we'll all be
working for them!"
Six months ago, the same
woman probably would have
said nothing. She may even
have smiled indulgently.
People Apprehensive
But today tension is rising in
small, subtle ways in New Or
leans, which has long prided
itself on being the most cosmo-
politan, most tolerant, most
graceful city in the Deep South.
It Is far from a battle-ground
now, despite the image sug-
gested to the world by the
women hecklers throwing eggs
and obscenitieS near the two
schools. Whites and blacks do
not stand ready to leap at each
others throats. The streets are
safe.
But the needle on the seismo-
graph has begun to quiver.
People are becoming apprehen-
sive.
The volume of passengers on
the buses (integrated peace
fully three years ago) is re-
ported to have fallen off. Tour
ism Is down. Fewer residents
appear to be coming downtown
%, shop or dine. The attendance
at the Shrine Circus last week
was way off the previous year.
Man people apparently fear
that an innocuous incident be-
tween a white and colored man
might blow up into a major
eruption.
You hear many reports. One
says that some service COM
panies are keeping their Negro
deliverymen inside and send
ing whites out instead. Down.
town, a Negro parking lot at
tendant complains that tips
from his white patrons have
fallen of and the bitter COM
ments are increasing.
Much of Gaiety Gone
Little Of the unease is visible.
But behind the surface tram
guilty, the Paris Of the
South" has lost much Of its
gaiety.
People ask anxiously about
the latest score. How many
white children entered the
William Frantz School todayp
Is the boycott weakening? ?
When do you think they'll try
to integrate the schools in our
neighborhood? An overwhelm-
ing majority Of white New
Orleans opposes integration
from the well Of its soul.
The mood Of the city appears
compounded Of many things
apprehension. anger, frustra-
ton, some soul-searching and
shame.
The Negroes ARE going too
far" says q bitter cab driver
Of the fact that four Negro
children. aged 6, have been
allowed into the two schools.
TITS too quiet" says a grim
detective looking over q quiet
street. I'm afraid there could
be real trouble"
I'm all for segregation but
I'm ashamed Of those scream
ing women at the two schools, Z"
says a well-mannered attorney
privately.
City ofiicials. businessmen,
civic leaders are worried about
the city's reputation and the
effect on business. Many Of
them have deplore0 the news
coverage for over-emphasizing
the actions Of q tiny female
minority.
Majority Silent Publicly
Few people and no major
organizations have publicly de-
plored the behavior OF the
rock-throwing, abusive women
or the fact that they have
threatened q minister Of the
Gospel and q lone woman
bringing children to school.
However, many citizens and
some leading organizations
have deplored violence in any
form, while not criticizing the
pickets individually.
Almost everywhere he goes
q visiting reporter hears people
privately deplore the actions
Of the female mob. He Is con-
represent, by their tactics. only
a small minority. But publicly
the majority remains silent
The minority remains strid.
emily vocal.
The number Of women
pickets stationed near the two
integrated schools varies -
some days, two dozen, Other
days. 100 or 200. But the
language has a fine con.
sistency.
The two schools are In Ward
8, the biggest, poorest ward in
the city. New Orleans has no
huge ghetto reserved for Ne
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