Evening star., 1961-10-17
By the Associated Press

and the Louisville & Nashville.
Mr.. King. Negro integration
leader from Atlanta, had con-
ferences yesterday with both
President Kennedy and his
brother, the Attorney General.
Mr.. King said he had been
advised the railroads had "is-
sued orders, to go into effect
Immediately, that all facilities,
all terminals be desegregated
Immediately" /
Both Make Statements
AS Mr.. King was making his
announcement, Justice Depart
ment officials were preparing q
statement detailing the plan.
They said the statement was
to have been issued today after
confirmation that the order
had gone into effect in 10l
Southern States - Louisiana,
Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia,
Mississippi, Alabama. Georgia,
Florida, North Carolina and
South Carolina.
Attorney General Kennedy
said Justice Department Of
ficials had held several meet
ings with the railroad operators
to work out the voluntary de- |
segregation program.
He said of the railroads: |
Their action represents more
than voluntary C compliance
with the law. 1t also represents
acceptance of a great re-
SponSibility to the Nation.
Theirs is the kind of ac-
ceptance of responsibility which
we at the Department of
Justice hope will help the Ma
ton continue to make pro-
gress in guaranteeing equal
rights under the law to all
Americans :"
Two AirpOrts Desegregate
The Attorney General also
announced that two Southern
airports-at Columbus. Ga,
and Raleigh-Durham, N. c.
have voluntarily desegregated
their terminals.
In Chicago. Illinois Central
President Wayne Johnston said
his line had done nothing but
continue compliance with a
1856 Interstate Commerce Com
mission ruling banning segre-
cation in interstate transpor-.
tation.
"All we've DONE" he added,
'is to see it's enforced. We
want to be law-abiding citizens
and do the job we're supposed
to do"
Another Illinois Central
spokesman said the railroad
had no control over conces-
sionaire operated lunch count
ters at terminals or where
local authorities enforce Segre-
cation. He said passengers are
loaded strictly by destination
and have freedom Of movement
on all trains.
Mr.. Johnston said he knew
of no meeting between the rail-
road and the Justice Depart
ment on the subject Of Segre-
cation. Joseph Wright. the Il
linois Centrals general man.
ager and vice president, added
there never had been any
meeting in Washington. on
segregation involving the &c.
A Justice Department spokes-
man said at least four sessions
were held with representatives
of the Southern Railroad. 1t
was understood that these rep
resentativeS later contacted Of
ficials of the other railroads
to effect a Joint policy against
segregation of any facilities on |
the three railroads In the
future.
Segregation Not Practiced
Warren A. McNeill, director
of public relations for the
Louisville & Nashville, said the |
railroad had maintained no
segregation in its stations or
passenger cars for the last year
and a half.
Edison Thomas, LIN news
bureau manager. said the rail- /!
road hadn't practiced segrega- |
ton for years.
There were two qualifications,
he said. In Alabama and Mis- |
sissippi, where State laws re-
quire segregated waiting rooms
for intrastate passengers, the |
railroad took down white" and
"colored" signs over its watt
ing rooms but local and State
authorities put them up again. |
The railroad made no effort
to enforce observance of the
signs, he said, and they have
been removed again.