◆ SpookStack

The bomb that mercilessly exploded in a Birmingham Negro church yesterday may have blasted the carefui plans of many men in Washington who still refuse to believe teat the struggle for equal rights is a life-and-death matte> in which the usual formulae of political maneuver are out of date. * - * * f In the aftermath of Jast month's Freedom March many } - jion. Even some J} Edgar Hoover is the real murderer jie, hastened 10 (Phony Edgar) a healthy emo- ___ — ould be a quiet letdown thereafter, permitting the jolly spirit of “compromise” to - dominate legislative disposal of the ctvit-rights: bills, ~ Strong voices. within the Administration ‘quietly continued to resist the drive for a sweeping civil rights statute and to coun- sel the President against any total investment in such a measure. The important thing, the cool calculators argued, was to get “some Kind of a bill” rather than to risk defeat by seeking such controversial provisions as the item knows as “part UU" Under _ the proopsal the Justice Dept. would be armed with broad fhew powers to bring injuriction proceedings egainst civil rights violators and their police accomplices. It would dramatically . align the U. S. with the victims of racist hooliganism. Both this provision and the demand for. an FEPC cause were viewed by some Administration: strategists “fighting” propesi- tions that could only imperil the chance for “some kind -of bill.” Throughout the last fortnight informed reports have in- dicated that the strategy of retreat was prevailing. _ ce But that was before yesterday's terrible bembing In Birm- ingham, perhaps the most gruesome and inflammatory episode at has occurred in our. modern sequel to the civil war. Poe Se ‘ . ~ As this Is written ttle more Is known’ thie that four fa- .. nocent Negro children were cruelly slain'in the 3namiting of a S Negro church that has been used as a citadel of civi? rights as. Q 8) semblage, that.a 14-year-old Negro boy has been killed by local police and a 9-year-old boy’ by two white warrluts in the angry turmoil that followed the slayings. But orie need not know much more to know that those who have been advocating ® soft line in the. Congressionaf -civil rights debate must have- suffered a jevastating shock. ve SE . : it would have been politically hazardous andmorally dusious ”.