MARCHERS READY FOR LAST LAP

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30709, 26 March 1965, Page 9

MARCHERS READY FOR LAST LAP

(N.Z.P.A.- Reuter—Copyright) MONTGOMERY (Alabama), March 25. A civil rights “army,” swollen by hundreds of fresh recruits and world names from show business, stood poised today for the final six-mile march to the Alabama state capital. The “army,” led by Dr. Martin Luther King, is expected to arrive at the Capitol building at 8.30 a.m. N.Z. time tomorrow morning. At a mass rally near the marchers’ camp last night, from a stage built on wooden boxes, the master-of-ceremonies, Ossie Davis, an actor, told a crowd of 30,000: “You are marching from injustice to justice, from slavery to freedom, from darkness to light, and from Montgomery into history.”

Governor George Wallace gave no hint of his plans as the freedom marchers, perhaps numbering 10,000, prepared to mount the marble steps of the capitol and present him with a petition demanding full rights for Negroes.

The Governor has declared the day a “legal holiday” for all female employees of state agencies in the city, a gesture apparently designed to emphasise the concern of white segregationists for their women.

Governor Wallace will be at the capitol today. The Mayor (Mr Earl James) appealed to Montgomery’s 150,000 citizens to respect law and order so our “image will remain untarnished before the world.” The marchers will try to

present a petition for Negro voting rights to Governor Wallace. Dr. King’s aides are fearful of what might happen when the marchers disperse to return to their home cities.

Until they ascend the marble steps of the capitol building they are protected by the Federal Court order which sanctioned the walk.

Dr. King’s assistants have warned the marchers not to talk to Alabamans and to avoid provocation as far as possible. Most of the city’s people are expected to stay indoors. Chartered flights and fullybooked scheduled flights were due in Montgomery early today bringing more demonstrators.

In the crush at last night’s rally, held on a school baseball field, at least seven persons fainted and march leaders repeatedly asked people not to push forward. A big army searchlight on the back of a lorry lighted the road leading to the field, as Federalised National Guardsmen continued their security watch. Sammy Davis Jun., taking the day off from his hit Broadway musical “Golden Boy,” led the singing of “The Stars and Stripes.” Harry Belafonte and the Chad Mitchell Trio also joined in the entertainment.

Dr. Ralph Bunche, the United Nations Under-Secre-tary, told the gathering his feet were tired from marching.

He said he had met Mr Wallace at President Johnson’s inauguration and the Governor had invited him to Montgomery.

“I just want him to know I’m on my way—plenty of us are on our way,” he said amid cheers.