Evening star., 1961-01-09

@~StsASAae&AA vASSA4S-1OWA &0C8.
For the Negro. Mr.. Hodges
minimum.wage law stands a
his outstanding accomplish
ment. It has even caused
NAACP's Mr.. Meadows to over
look the former Governors 80.
slow attitude toward school De.
segregation in assessing him ai
- pretty good Governor"
.'Ehe minimum wage law wal
. wonderful thing" Mr.
Meadows says.
Mr.. Hodses' attitude toward
integration was "disappoint-
Ing" in the view Of Editor
Ragan.
"1f hs had asserted some
leadership and spoken out early
in the game, North Carolins
would have gone along Coward
fuller integration) ;" Mr.. Ragar
says. II think he missed 9
wonderful cpportunity."
Kept Things Peaceful
Mr.. Hodges, who makes nj
secret of his personal inclina.
ton toward Segregation Of The
races, effected o ''token" de.
segregation involving about 81
Negroes In O half dozen schools
But while he did not give the
state anything resembling
/, fofceful leadership toward i'm.
plementation Of the Supreme
Court decisions. he ct least kept
things peaceful.
The potentially even more
explosive lunch-counter sit-ins
which got their start among
students at the State-operated
Agricultural and Technical
College for Negroes In Green's
boro. also were kept from get.
ting out of hand. On both oc.
casions. the Governor quietly
let 1t be known that 'pans
rule" would not prevail.
Mr.. Hodges Is o great reSpec.
ter and user Of authority. and
10 not afraid to employ authori.
ty's tools where necessary. He
used sheriff's deputies and
later State troopers In an effort
to keep the peace during .
strike In Henderson, and H.
nally used the National Guard
when lesser measures failed
The Hodges Interpretation ci
this action was preservation ol
Law and order: in Mr.. Barbee'.
view it was outright union.
busting.
Hit Little R0ck Troops
The former Governor was
critical OF President Eisen.
hower's use Of troops In Little
Rock and Of his dispatch oi
forces to the Caribbean at the
time Of the anti Nixon riots In
Venezuela, but he processes II
see no inconeruity In his OWE
subsequent use Of troops at
Henderson.
II had repeatedly warned In
writing that ! would use the
Guard II necessary. Everyons
had plenty Of notice." Mr.
Hodges explains. 'Eisenhowel
Just came In off the golf course
one day and sent troops to Lit.
tie Rock. He hadn't got public
sentiment lined up"
Mr.. Hodges. whom his critics
call. vain" and "opinionated.
does not like to have his action.
Questioned. and cannot stanc
to have anyone question hi.
motives. When Millard Barbes
was quoted incorrectly. HI
says) ~ having accused the
Governor Of foot-dragging or
the minimum.wage law In 1857
Mr.. Hodges wrote him o letter
harshly notifying Mr.. Barbea
that the Governors office wa.
closed to him until the union
leader apologized. Mr.. Barbee
never apologized and the two
have not spoken since then.
| vindictive Streak?
That's the way he feeli
toward unions" the AFL,-CIC
official says. ITO me 1t show
his stature. which Is very small
Anybody don't agree with me
to he'll with him. ] don't want
Ianything to do with him
That's the way Khrushche,
operates."
In more measured terms
Editor Ragan says he discerni
Q "slight vindictive streak" ir
Mr.. Hodges. Hes got o very
strong ego. He doesn't like te
be disagreed with. and he geti
o little irked II anyone does
Mr. Ragan says.
Mr.. Hodges' friends naturally
put Q kinder Interpretation or
it. He doesn't beat around the
bush. and he doesn't want you
to waste his time" Chancellor
John Caldwell Of the North
Carolina State College oi
Agriculture and Engineering
says. He wants I facts moi
guesses or opinions" Develop.
ment Chief Saunders adds.
Hes got o pack Of yes-mer
around him." rejoins Mr.. Bar.
bee. 49,
On the whole. Mr.. Hodges
record In public life bespeaks
la man who knows what hi
wants and knows how to gel
1t. It also reveals @ man with
q flair for the dramatic, O mar
with more than o touch Of ham
about him. It 10 his natural
inclination to glamorize what.
ever he ID doing. and stamp
the job with his own forceful
personality.
win the former Governor oil
North Carolina be able te
glamorize the more than or.