Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-17
Bigger Negro Ratio
SOUGHT for March
Leaders Push
National Efforts
To Boost Protest
By CLARENCE HUNTER
Star staff Writer

10 BOOST Ff0CeSt
BY CLARENCE HUNTER
Star staff Writer
NEW YORK, Aug. l7.-An
official Of the August % March
on Washington hopes Negro
demonstrators viii outnumher
whites three to one.
Cleveland Robinson, chair
man Of the march administra-
ton committee, said yesterday
that Negro com m unittes
throughout the Nation are be-
ginning to intensity efforts to
get large numbers Of their
residents to Washington.
ut is my feeling that the
number Of Negro participants
should exceed the number of
white participants because this
IS basically a Negro protest."
said Mr.. Robinson, who Is sec
retary-treaSurer Of the Retail,
Wholesale and Department
Store Union.
White organizations are
very fortnight in their sup
port. Negro communities must
double their efforts. The Negro
communities are perking up.
but I must call on them to do
more"
Funds . Problem
The basic problems plaguinR
the organizers are an apparent
shortage Of funds and a dearth
OF information 80 we will
know exactly where we are"
he said.
Charging that q reported
shortage Of buses in the New
York City area appears to be
artificial" Mr.. Robinson said
the march organization is rec
ommending car pools despite
the fact that demonstrators
have been urged to make the
trip by bus and train. He en-
phaSized that the bus shortage
applies only to the New York
area.
The one other transporta-
ton difficulty. he said, is that
n1archers have been refused
special charter rates for a
train from Birmingham, Ala.
Consequently, he added, people
in that area have been told to
arrange bus transportation and
boycott the railroads.
On the matter Of money. Mr.,
Robinson said the march or
SANITATION contemplatesa
budget Of $4,000 = $35 600
more than the original esti-
mate. The total would be big
ger. he said, but three labor
unions - the United Auto
Workers. International Ladies
Garment Workers Union and
the Industrial Union Depart
ment. AFL-CIO-are bearing a
considerable part Of the ex-
penses.
$4,000 Raised
The unions, he said, are pick
ing up the $4,000 charge for
the public address system to
be installed on the Lincoln Me-
mortal grounds. The organiSa-
ton is spending only about
$4,000 for salaries, he said.
Some $4,000 already has
been raised and Mr.. Robinson
said people Of good will" and
sympathetic organizations are
expected to produce most of
the needed 100000.
Our plans are well under
way and we expect well over
100000 people to be in Wash
ington," Mr.. Robinson told re-
porters during a meeting Of the
National March Committee.
Roy Wilkins, executive secre-
tary Of the NAACP and one of
the six persons who called for
the demonstration, said: I'VE
could have 10000 persons on
August 49,"
Mr.. Wilkins explained that
such q huge outpouring Of per-
sons is possible because "the
decision to move Is not made
In q lot Of instances until the
last four or five days or the
last "a hours"
Mrs. Anna Arnold Hedge
man. q member Of the march
administration committee and
an executive Of the National
Council Of Churches Commits
sion on Religion and Race, said
10000 lunches will be prepared
to sell for so cents during the
march.
Prepared in New York
The lunch-a cheese sand
wich. q piece Of cake and fruit
will be prepared and packed
In plastic bags In New York
and trucked to Washington
early on the morning Of August
20, she reported. Most Of the
cost will be borne by Church
World Service, the relief arm
OF the national council.
Demonstrators are being
urged to bring their own food
for at least two meals. Mrs.
Hedgeman said the prepared
lunches are planned as an
emergency measure.
The church councils Com
mission on Religion and Race
also has distributed $4,000 free
dom song books and an iden-
teal number Of fact sheets to
its 81 member denominations,
she reported. The commission
is suggesting that demonstra-
tors use the song books for in
spiration during their bus and
train ridaa IN the nfatyint