Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-06-26
REACTION
Ex-President Hoover Calls Ruling
'Disinteqrotion of Sacred Heritage
Continued From Page Al


Mr.. Johnson's statement said
he fears it will lead to efforts
to "delete from our Pledge of
Allegiance the. portion which
says one Nation under God
and will lead to a marked de-
terioration of spiritual empha-
sis in the United States"
Representative Howard w.
Smith, Democrat of Virginia,
had taken a similar line yester-
day with comment that "the
next thing you know they'll be
telling us we can't open our
daily House sessions with
prayer"
House Speaker Mccormack
was asked today If he expected
any effects on the daily prayer,
and he snorted in response:
"Of course not"
The first bill put formally
into the hopper, written by Mr..
Taylor, reads:
Notwithstanding the LIST or
14th article of Amendment to
the Constitution of the United
States, prayers may be offered
and the Bible may be read in
connection with the program
Of any public school in the
United States"
Court Cited First
The First Amendment Is the
one cited by the high court,
providing that Congress shall
make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise
thereof. ="
The Fourteenth Amendment
says no State shall make or
enforce. any law which shall
sbridge the privileges or i'm
munities of citizens. :"
Mr.. Taylor. a Baptist deacon,
called the court ruling far
reaching and dangerous, sand
said the Constitution requires ~,
only freedom of religion, not '''
freedom from religion" ~
Mr.. Chelf said that so far fIl
he has contacted only a few ac
members of the Judiciary Com ms
r1ittee which would deal with TIL
@ constitutional change bill p,I
and cannot say what the gen. 81
eral reaction will be. But he
said those he has talked to eff
"are pretty well burned up like TIL
I was"
A constitutional amendment
would require approval by two
thirds of both House and Sem pr
ate and ratification by three oil
fourths Of the State Legis- of
latures.
Seen as Challenge - -
The court decision is viewed y
BY some groups as a challenge 81
to many types Of religious OBJ ci
servances in the schools, includ- q
ing Bible readings, Christmas o.
carols and plays, Easter plays
and other religious practices tn
permitted in some States m
cri
Called Milestone M
The New York Civil Liberties Vi
Union, which sponsored the ma
case brought by five Long ~
Island parents, called the de- -. a.
cision milestone in the de- - -.
velopment of the guarantee of a.s ~
separation of church and state !" -. 81
William j. Butler, the lawyer oli
who led the attack, said the
strength of the courts 81 ue
opinion and the comparative sc,
mildneSs of the prayer add up u
to probable philosophy In the an al
court against using public cIi
school facilities for any type of pu
religious observances.
Alan Reitman. assistant ex- IN
ecutive director ~ thn 49,; els
can Civil Liberties Union, of GIG
which the New York union is nc
a branch, said the decision may SC
END religious observances in all =
types Of public schools.
A similar opinion was ex-
pressed by Leo Pfeffer, general &C
counsel Of the American Jewish al
Congress. Both the American ct
Civil Liberties Union and the
American Jewish Congress have er
opposed religious practices in &C
the public school classroom. P-
Lords Prayer Laws q! ~
Some States require public to
schools to begin each day with
the Lords Prayer. And the
wording Of Justice Blacks -
opinion indicated these State
laws also violate the First
Amendment.
The only dissenter in the de-
cision was Justice Stewart who
noted that the Supreme Courts
own session are opened with the
words God save the United
States and this honorable
court" and that the House and
Senate begin the day with
prayers.
He also observed that the cl
Star Spangled Banner" in ga
vokes Gods help. st
In New York, former Presi- a
dent Hoover said the courts CT
ruling represents a "disintegra- Al
ton Of one of the most sacred Fl
OF American heritage" (sic) tu
1.-THE Congress should at to
once submit an amendment to r
the Constitution which estab- re
fishes the right to religious Fl
devotion in all governmental
agencies-national, State or II
local." he said. A
Lord Regrets Decision :,
The Methodist bishop of the ~
washington area, John Wesley =,
Lord, said he deeply" regrets =,
the decision. - -
However" added Bishop n,
Lord In a statement, "this rul- Vi
ing was made necessary by the al
YInpffso 0Y1l .,Rafan&,,~oA. AA..- d.