Jackson advocate., 1962-05-26
British
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Britain, the House Of Lords has
rejected by Al votes to 81 . bill
which sought to prohibit racial
discrimination by law.
The sponsors of the bill were
disappointed. But they had the
satisfaction of jogging the gov
ernment out of any compla-
cency.
The debate appeared to con-
firm that the British people
are basically against racial dis
elimination, that on the whole
they have absorbed the recent
food of West Indian immi-
grants without too much ten
sion, and that the country is
steadily being educated in col
or and race tolerance.
On the other hand the gov
ernment was made to recognize
that the tempo of advance
might be too slow. It was
stressed that the solidarity of
the Commonwealth was being
threatened by instances of COL
or discrimination.
A Conservative peer, Lord
Hemingford, contended that
the removal of racial prejudice
was the most important ques-
ton of the goth century. In his
view, color bars were more
dangerous walls of partition
than the Iron Curtain.
A Labor peer, Lord Walston,
who introduced the racial dis
elimination bill, said the most
widespread discrimination was
shown against colored students
seeking lodgings.
He said the London Uni
versity authorities has found
that out of a sample of 146
hotels, only % were prepared
to take students of any ma
tionality.
Lord Walston also deplored
the fact that there was still
some discrimination against
Jews in such places as golf
courses and over leases and
employment.
Several of the peers referred
to the existence of an organ
ization known as the British
National Socialists, once called
Fascists. The organization was
said to be seeking to organize
a meeting in Trafalgar Square
to "free Britain from the
Jews"
The Lord Chancellor. Lord
Kilmuir, was called on to take
action to ban such a meeting.
But Lord Kilmuir pointed
out the difficulty of his position
in regard to the law and such
matters. Neither the Home
Secretary nor the police had
power TO ban public meeting
on the grounds of the political
character of the organization.
Other peers cited the coun-
terbalancing argument in IA
vor of upholding the princlpie
of freedom of speech. However
the Lord Char cellor was obvl-
ously very concerned over the
proposed Trafalgar Square
meeting.
A Labor peer, Lord Long
ford. wanted the law changed:
He protested against this "evil
phenomenon" and its literature
which should be prevented
from poisoning the pubic
mind"
The Lord Chancellor said he
would discuss the question
anew with the Home Secretary,
Richard A. Butler, when Mr..
Butler returned later this
month from hts mission to-
central Africa where he is try
ing to find a solution to the
problem of how white and
black can live and work to-
gether in the Federation of
Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
But on the question of legis-
lation to ban color and race
discrimination, the Lord Chan
:ellor said it was the British
Governments view that this
would be to a considerable ex-
tent unenforceable.
He thought it was important
that hotel keepers, dance-hall
managers, and other like peo-
pie should in the interests Of
keeping good order be allowed
to exclude people without hav-
ing to give their reasons.
The Lord Chancellor con-
tended that social habits must
be determined by education
and by the manifold influences
which helped to mold the
tolerant British society.
The House Of Lords there
upon rejected the racial dis
elimination bill by Al votes