Dublin Core
Title
Box 19, Folder 17, Document 4
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
feral Tribune
TOR Bagg
arade
Lord
ht-day
Davies
1 been
ad with
‘uglas
. Fair-
i-old
arges,
pride
All Alone With His Courage
A Dixie Mayor and Rights
By Walter Rugaber
Special to the Herald Tribune
ATLANTA.
For days the word went
out from the big business
men and civic leaders, the
political pros and public opin-
ion molders, the people in
Atlanta who usually count
the most.
“You're making a big mis-
take.”
ueened very carefully.
Then, all alone with his
courage, he flew off to Wash-
ington and went before the
Senate Commerce Commit-
tee to read a carefully drafted
14-page statement
“Gentlemen,” the Mayor
‘said firmly, “If I had your
problem, armed with the lo-
cal experience I have had,
I would pass a public ac-
commodations law.”
Mr. Allen thus became the
Srst—and just possibly the
“Southern politician to
“hie approval of i
“al portion
father’s multi - million dollar
office supply firm he became
president of both the city and
state chambers of commerce.
But now the board room
boys are a little on edge, None
of that “Mau Mau” stuff, of
course. While the Mayor's
political life may be damaged,
his personal stature is ad-
judged secure.
“It took a lot of courage to _
do what he did,” one acquain-
tance said with a touch of
awe, “and if that’s his per-
sonal view—hell, I respect
him for it.”
Sure, the friend continued,
segregation is wrong. But a
Federal law against is some-
thing else. This was the crux
of the worry: Mr. Allen had
“deserted private enterprise.”
The prominent owner of
several cafeterias in town
sent the Mayor a long, sting-
ing telegram expressing shock
and disappointment, then
placed blown-up copies in his
windows.
But in perfect illustration
of the temper of things, the
man’s eating places were he-
ing picketed at the same time
by whites whose signs
branded him “Ingder for
Kennedy and was angling for
a Federal job.
Mr. Allen denied it stoutly,
insisting that ke talked with
no one in Washington except
the committee official who
invited him to appear.
He later received a short
letter from the President
which praised “a number of
effective points” in the state-
ment. Mayor Allen seemed
genuinely surprised by it.
About his testimony he says
simply that the nation’s May-
ors have been stuck out on a
limb and left there to handle
‘the whole racial crisis by
themselves.
The Supreme Court has
been striking dewn segrega-
tion laws for years, he points
out, and yet no really solid’
legislation has taken ‘their!
place.
Nething will improve
TOR Bagg
arade
Lord
ht-day
Davies
1 been
ad with
‘uglas
. Fair-
i-old
arges,
pride
All Alone With His Courage
A Dixie Mayor and Rights
By Walter Rugaber
Special to the Herald Tribune
ATLANTA.
For days the word went
out from the big business
men and civic leaders, the
political pros and public opin-
ion molders, the people in
Atlanta who usually count
the most.
“You're making a big mis-
take.”
ueened very carefully.
Then, all alone with his
courage, he flew off to Wash-
ington and went before the
Senate Commerce Commit-
tee to read a carefully drafted
14-page statement
“Gentlemen,” the Mayor
‘said firmly, “If I had your
problem, armed with the lo-
cal experience I have had,
I would pass a public ac-
commodations law.”
Mr. Allen thus became the
Srst—and just possibly the
“Southern politician to
“hie approval of i
“al portion
father’s multi - million dollar
office supply firm he became
president of both the city and
state chambers of commerce.
But now the board room
boys are a little on edge, None
of that “Mau Mau” stuff, of
course. While the Mayor's
political life may be damaged,
his personal stature is ad-
judged secure.
“It took a lot of courage to _
do what he did,” one acquain-
tance said with a touch of
awe, “and if that’s his per-
sonal view—hell, I respect
him for it.”
Sure, the friend continued,
segregation is wrong. But a
Federal law against is some-
thing else. This was the crux
of the worry: Mr. Allen had
“deserted private enterprise.”
The prominent owner of
several cafeterias in town
sent the Mayor a long, sting-
ing telegram expressing shock
and disappointment, then
placed blown-up copies in his
windows.
But in perfect illustration
of the temper of things, the
man’s eating places were he-
ing picketed at the same time
by whites whose signs
branded him “Ingder for
Kennedy and was angling for
a Federal job.
Mr. Allen denied it stoutly,
insisting that ke talked with
no one in Washington except
the committee official who
invited him to appear.
He later received a short
letter from the President
which praised “a number of
effective points” in the state-
ment. Mayor Allen seemed
genuinely surprised by it.
About his testimony he says
simply that the nation’s May-
ors have been stuck out on a
limb and left there to handle
‘the whole racial crisis by
themselves.
The Supreme Court has
been striking dewn segrega-
tion laws for years, he points
out, and yet no really solid’
legislation has taken ‘their!
place.
Nething will improve
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