Evening star., 1961-12-29
Robert Kennedy Feels Majority II"
Backs Progress in Civil Rights Field
ny q Star Staff Writer

in civil rights in 1861 will be
carried forward next year
with the effort and approval
Of the vast majority Of the
American people"
In year-end report to Pres
.ident Kennedy, his brother, the
Attorney General said.
The experiences of the past
year have strengthened my be-
lief that, despite the efforts of
a small minority, the people
in the United States are law
abiding people who wish to live
by the law. do not want to
circumvent court decisions ard
are opposed to actions which
will result in violence.
The Attorney General also
said, in the report made public
here last night, that law en-
forcement officers and civic
leaders in the vast majority Of
communities have met their
obligations"
He said it is the Justice De-
partment's basic policy to seek
effective civil rights guarantees
and actions from local officials
and civic leaders voluntarily
and without court action.
NAACP Disagrees
Gn Washington, an official
Of the National Association
for the Advancement of Col
.ored People commented that
there appeared to be serious
difference of opinion between
the Attorney General and the
Civil Rights Commission.
clarence Mitchell, director
Of the NAACP's Washington
bureau. said in a statement:
c"The Attorney General
has a little to much sweet
ness about how wonderfully
the States are cooperating
in suppressing violence and
not enough light on what the
Government will do to halt
the violations Of Constitu-
. tional rights and shocking
brutality documented in the
commissions report.~
Reviewing progress in school
desegregation, assurance Of
equal voting rights to Negroes.
desegregation of transportation
facilities in the South and
efforts to assure equal employ
ment opportunity to minority
groups, the Attorney General
reported:
Prince Edward Cited
1T has been only where local |
officials have not taken effec-
tive steps to correct a situation
or where there has been an at
tempt to evade court orders
that the department has taken
formal legal action as author
lied by the Congress"
However, he said that "in
school integration there has
been a basic change in policy
from abstention by the Federal
Government. except during
crisis or disaster, to affirmative
anticipatory action"
In this connection. he re-
viewed the situation in Prince |
Edward County. Va. which he
described as the only county
in the Nation without public
schools"
Mr.. Kennedy said that. in
Prince Edward County, white
children have gone to a newly
created private school for two
years" while Negro children
have, for the most part, been
without schools" He said the
Justice Departments effort to
intervene to seek reopening of
the public schools there lis
progressing in the courts"
On the other hand, the Attor-
ney General said that schools
in many Southern communities,
including Atlanta. New Or
leans, Little Rock, Memphis
and Dallas, were desegregated
in 1861, and for the first time
since the 1854 Supreme Court
decision there was no violence
or disrespect for the law"
THE fact that an increasing
number of children went to
school under desegregated-and
peaceful - conditions in the
South" Mr.. Kennedy asserted,
"is evidence of the responsible |
affirmative action taken by an
increasing number of officials
and civic leaders"
He said that "the credit for
lack of violence and disorder
which has marked this kind Of
events in the past rests with
the local and State officials.
Mr.. Kennedy called a COM
mission headed by Vice Presi-
dent johnson to promote equal
employment opportunities for
Negroes a tremendous sue
cess"
d. He said the number of
Negro attorneys in the Justice
Department has increased from
10 to so since January.
In regard to voting rights,
the Attorney General reported
that IA new cases have been
filed charging discrimination
in the registration processes
this year. He said active in
yestigations or negotiations
with local officials are being
made in connection with regis
tration in 81 other counties.
Preliminary surveys are being
made in a number of other
counties, he added.