Memorandum, E. Frederic Morrow to Sherman Adams

THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON July 12, 1957 CONFIDENTIAL RJS 4-15-66 MEMORANDUM FOR GOVERNOR ADAMS This note is not intended to be presumptuous, but informative. Negro citizens are alarmed over reports that the Administration will "soften" the requirements of the Administration bill on Civil Rights before Congress. The general feeling is that this is a very definite retreat from the Platform of the Administration and the attitude on Civil Rights it has maintained since California. Negroes are primarily concerned with and in Civil Rights legislation, so they would rather have no legislation at all than to have a watered- down version that would merely be giving lip service to democratic ideals. The rapid manner in which the bill went through the House and the forthright way in which Senator Knowland got the bill before the Senate had the Administration and the Republican Party well on the way toward regaining the confidence and the votes of Negro voters in this country. However, in the last few days the talk of Administra- tion capitulation to the South has resulted in a complete turnabout in feeling and attitude by Negro leadership. Any weakening of the Administration bill will make it very difficult for any speaker to appear before Negro audiences in this country in an appeal for support in 1958 and 1960. It is my personal feeling that up till now the Republicans have maintained a strong moral position that win, lose or draw would have resulted in a new strength and new admiration on the part of millions of American voters. As it stands now we are not only threatened with loss of this high moral position, but also with possible loss of the legislation and thousands of potential votes. E. Frederic Morrow ful 3