Crumbling Wall

Sir:

Your conclusion that the Negro can crumble the walls of segregation only by earning acceptance [June 7] is a good, idealistic approach. But don't stop there. Many Negroes of intelligence, prominence and respectability have been led to believe that they are acceptable; but time and again, with despair and humiliation, they have found the barriers to be still solidly in place. After a hundred years of frustration, it appears quite evident that the walls will be crumbled at last, either by increasing pressure at all points, or with the helping hands of the people on the other side.

WALTER CLARK

Philadelphia

Sir:

You apparently intended to deliver a little sermon to the American Negro militants of the spring 1963 revolution, on the need not only to "take" but to "deserve" their place in this society. You mention that Southern and Northern whites have pointed to the high rate of crime and illegitimacy among Negroes, and seem to imply that the Negro has not wholly justified "acceptance" into the mainstream of American life because of his questionable morality. As a thinking person, I take exception to this vicious and dangerous insinuation. As a Negro, I take offense at it.

No one would deny that there is wide demoralization among American Negroes, who are generally frustrated from cradle to grave in their attempts to find a "place in the sun." If, indeed, the crime rate among my people is high, it is because the Negro, in his rage, is striking back at a society that denies him the chance to be a man and to make an honorable life for himself.

NORMAN E. HODGES

New York City

Sir:

We Northerners, principally through our newspapers, gather the impression that every Southerner is ignorant, an oppressor and a bigot, while we are tolerant and understanding. We are patting ourselves on the back without justification. While discrimination against the Negro in the South is of an overt nature, here it lurks stealthily underground, and it is concealed by our hypocritical behavior.

We do an injustice to our fellow man, the Southerner, by showing him no tolerance and accusing him of all sorts of inhumane behavior. It cannot be denied that there are many, many people living in the South who do not want to see any change in the status of the Negro; however, there are many who do not like the racial situation that exists there today, who believe that the Negro should be given his constitutional rights, who are kind and understanding and possess qualities for which the South is noted--hospitality and gentleness.

C. KARALIS

Carteret, N.J.

Sir:

In reading your lead article June 7, I find references to Tallahassee. It would appear that a group of peaceful and law-abiding Negro students had been arrested simply because they were seeking admittance to the all-white theaters. This was not the case.

These students were arrested because of their defiance of a temporary restraining order issued the previous day.

There was no violence, no scuffling and no tension. The senior law-enforcement officer present explained to the Negro leaders the meaning of the court order and requested that they obey the court. Upon their refusal, he informed them that they were under arrest, whereupon the entire group of demonstrators (220) marched quietly to the county jail.

The "volleys of tear gas" consisted of two tear-gas grenades that were rolled at the feet of another group of demonstrators at another location later that same night. No one was hit, and no one was hurt. Out of this group, 37 were arrested.

SAM E. TEAGUE JR.

Mayor-Commissioner

Tallahassee, Fla.

Sir:

Nobody in Lexington or in all North Carolina is proud of what happened here last Thursday night.

The thing was so bad that it would have seemed impossible to make it sound worse than it was, but the man who wrote the lead story in your June 14 edition managed to do just that.

The number of white people uptown that night (many of them never even left their cars) was closer to 2,000 than 800. And very few of them were angry about anything at all. Most, like Victim Fred Link, were just curious. Negroes who gathered were fewer than 100--not 400.

You refer to Lexington's "segregated stores." Negroes are quite welcome in stores here, and their trade is an important factor in the business of most of our merchants.

Even before the trouble, people here were working toward a peaceful solution to the race problem. Now we must not only intensify our efforts, but we must try to live down the widespread stigma of our terrible Thursday.

FREDO. SINK JR.

Lexington Dispatch

Lexington, N.C.

> Of 2,000 whites gathered in downtown Lexington, Assistant Police Chief Lester Sheets estimated that around 800 moved toward the Negro apartment block and were met by some 400 Negroes. Among segregated facilities that Negroes attempted to integrate the day before the race riot were a bowling alley (Negroes were refused), the white section of a theater (the lights were turned off), and a drugstore counter, where as TIME reported, the Negroes were served.--ED.

Sir:

While we are knocking the South with every issue by pouring salt in old wounds, let's add a little pepper to the salad by mentioning that in recent years the South was fertile enough to produce a good crop of writers: Wolfe, Faulkner, Harper Lee and Margaret Mitchell, plus a Barkley, Dean Rusk, Richard Russell, Byrd, Hodges, Helen Keller, Billy Graham and Dinah Shore, plus the core of the space program for good measure.

MRS. WILLIAM ORDERS JR.

Birmingham

Wild About Barry

Sir:

Your [June 14] story on Barry Goldwater and other potential presidential candidates summed up the situation of the G.O.P. roster admirably.

As a Southerner recently relocated in the North, I feel certain that Goldwater would carry the South against Kennedy.

ROBERT DANNENBAUM II

Mahwah, N.J.

Sir:

Barry Goldwater is the type of man one might expect to find in a Marlboro ad. And speakin' for myself, I'm a Marlboro man.

JACK V. SEXTON

Tulare, Calif.

Sir:

It is Goldwater and not Rockefeller who can win in Maine, for we will come out of the hills and woods and in from the islands and the shore to elect him.

H. D. OSGOOD JR.

Scarborough, Me.

Sir:

The G.O.P. has a winner! Don't tarry, back Barry.

HARMON WESTON

Corona del Mar, Calif.

Sir:

You said Governor Scranton's popularity hasn't suffered. I disagree. He was elected because he said there would be no new taxes. There aren't any new ones, just higher old ones.

E. HAAS JR.

Chester, Pa.

Sir:

I am still wondering why you bothered to show an ass with an elephant in the background.

WILLIAM D. BERG

Evanston, Ill.

Sir:

When Goldwater says. "The issue in the South, you know, is not integration. It's states' rights," it indicates that he is very stupid, very naive, or a very good politician.

GARY LATTIMER

Philadelphia

Sir:

Senator Goldwater in his column always spells out his position clearly, frankly and honestly, ending by asking the reader, "How do you stand, sir?"

Unquestionably, more and more are proudly answering the Senator, "We Stand with Goldwater!"

RICHARD F. MORGAN

Shamokin, Pa.

McNamara's Critics

Sir:

We would like to disagree violently with S.L.A. Marshall that "McNamara has lost the confidence of the armed services" [May 31]. As young members of the Officers' Corps of the U.S. Air Force, we look upon Secretary McNamara's efforts to give some meaningful purpose to military expenditures as a refreshing breeze in an otherwise cesspool atmosphere of basic incompetence, empire building, wanton waste and a "don't rock the gravy train" attitude. Secretary McNamara's reforms have had the only really uplifting effect on officer morale in the past five years.

CAPTAIN ROBERT R. BELLIVEAU

CAPTAIN JOSEPH R. GAETA

CAPTAIN R. JAMES BAILEY

CAPTAIN LEONARD S. GOLDBERG

MAJOR DON R. CRAINE

CAPTAIN CHARLES SWEIGARD

CAPTAIN JAMES K. PENRY

CAPTAIN Louis F. SCIAN

U.S. Air Force Base

Tachikawa, Japan

Outstandin' Hueys

Sir:

At the invitation of the U.S. Army, I observed the use of helicopters in combat in Viet Nam and want to congratulate you on your excellent story [June 7] on the use our troops are making there of the "Huey" or UH 1-B Iroquois.

Your article was the most accurate and revealing on this subject yet published in a magazine of general circulation.

ELTON J. SMITH

Bell Helicopter Co.

Hurst, Texas

The Portable Feeder

Sir:

I was delighted to read [June 7] about the latest innovation in baby feeders. About two years ago I, too, thought I'd found the best product available--no measuring, no mixing, no rewarming, re-washing or sterilizing. The drawback was that I couldn't be thrown away.

(MRS.) BARBARA RUBIN

Bloomington, Ind.

Aid to Education

Sir:

Congratulations on your clarion call [June 7] to American business corporations! Only a small fraction of the nation's business corporations are contributing to higher education. Let's hope that the unconvinced firms see the light before it's too late--before they try to recruit the college graduate who isn't there.

GERALD P. BURNS

Executive Director

Independent College Funds of America

New York City

Cure for Negativism

Sir:

I wish to thank TIME for recommending my new book [June 7] by uniquely demonstrating the need for it among professional opinion-molders. Your writer's enthusiasm for negativism makes him a perfect example of the individual who can benefit most from the book.

My only regret is that those responsible for the article apparently have been too lethargic to practice the "Recipes for Living and Loving." To them I particularly recommend the tether-ball recipe.

LAURA ARCHERA HUXLEY

Los Angeles

The Prep School Gang

Sir:

We are appalled by the comments [June 14] of Mr. Capp about our prep schools. The only school for him is Al-capp-traz.

TOBY HARTER

The Choate School

Wallingford, Conn.

Sir:

I react in just one way to Al Capp's remarks that a prep school is a big gang as vicious as any in New York but without the guts: I'd like to punch Capp in his big leaking mouth. My research into the gangs of New York has failed to turn up a single character who has been willing to address himself to an enemy without a gun, a knife or help--hardly the symbols of guts.

ALAN HYND

Westport, Conn.

Sweeney's Way

Sir:

I am very appreciative of your friendly and lively piece [June 14].

There is one phrase in it, however, I would like to correct. Your text reads: ". . . aside from having to display some Remington cowboy art that he loathes . . . "

I have never used the term "loathe" about any work of art. Quite contrary to the implication of your writer, I am very happy that the Museum of Fine Arts boasts such a rich collection of Remington's work which gives pleasure to so many of our visitors.

JAMES JOHNSON SWEENEY

Director

Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Goodbye, God

Sir:

The Harvard professor who heard the ending of his son's prayer did not listen carefully to him [May 31].

It is my belief he said, "And now, good--by God we're going to Chicago."

HAL G. PALMER

Hays, Kans.

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