◆ SpookStack

‘3 gutting the averace lime In some of these areas, ; an t Jakes the Goverament to het is open “to eriti- ” in the field eid ennedy record. One & last cism. For example, it was rignts, where he i une’s civil rights BHE that conclude tax cases from 36 months ten years ago to 14 months now. : Miller's organized crime di- vision, with a greatly en- iarged siafi, fas boasted iis number of convictions from 13 in 1969 te 284 ia 1963, Clark has reduced the back- log of Federal eondemnation cases to the lowest level in 249 years, All this, hawever, has not been achieved without some severe: morale pcahlems fn he Jower levels of the Jus- ice Department. There is dissatisfaction there, some af it arising from a feeling “that che Attorney General has ’ major blunder fer FAI agents te bang on doars in the middle af the night to gather information ahaut fhe steel price increase in 1762. femme rin bepepega ew eeeae, This: gave ihe quite properly, of an ancrr and frustrated Governimenl that was taking revence on a segment of the economy Lhat had challenged it. _ From that point on, how- ver, the Department walked cautiously as far as bis busi- ness was concerned. }| THERE 1S also a feeling tin Many quarters thar Ken- edy has used the Juslire De- ariment to setile his per- sonal feud with James R. _the hottest spot in the Cabi- ict, Kennedy has earned many admirers and made many cnemics. For every one who complains that he has hren toa unrilenting, ix ane who says he bas fre- quenily been too soft. For cxampie, he is. eriti-; cized for pushing tng hard at the University of Mixsissippl, where Federal troops were needed ta quell a near-rehel- lion, Bat the riot there was, in Jarge part, the result of a miscaiculalion hy the At- _torner General and of an ef- he anit oan 20F, 1G ne THE MISSISSIPPI situation| was, however, typical of the| nere-are three eislaton, ie aie ot tad Im the area of enncdy and his aldes nursed through Congress. Next is the package of bills broadening the jurisdiction ef the Federal criminal law a akon EDI hale eae tho eS ee et a Hit ag Fa. Scart of Kennedy's = anti- erime drive. The most con- trovertial of these billsz, 2 quest by Kennedy that the FBI he allowed to tap wires : legally, was defeated, but his ] espousal of it ied some civ § libertarians to question hist understanding of what civil } liberties are all about z THE THIRD major piece of lepisiation was signed at the White House just last week. It is the criminal jus- tien,: ‘RKever understood the prob- , : , Jems of litigation and some offa. Kennedy denies this vay Kennedy attempted to! tice bill through which, for = wf it from a feeling that Ken- but there is some truth to it. andle civil rights problems. the first time, Congress has fo inedy has becn much too in- No other individual has re- The effort was to persuade authorized the use of Federal go formal and condescending for { ceived the kind of scrutiny officials that Negro advance- funds to provide attorneys |.” 2 Cabinet officer. that has been focused on the = ment was inevitable. This! for persons accused of Fed- — leader of the Teamsters. policy of persuasion worked eral crimes and loa poor lo onan THE PUBLIC, however, There has also been some in some places; there is a pay thcir own icra! bills. po fooks at the Justice Depart- substantial criticism of a string of counties across the Such a measure has been a: Iment from a view quite dif- few men whose appointments South where Negroes are Joucht by the Justice Depart. 7 ferent from that of the law- fe the Fedcral bench were now registering to vote, with- nent for many years and its 7 yers. Its questions are: Has ecommended by Kennedy. cut lawsuits and without. passage, coupled with his ef- - the department rendered jus- Some of his sciections have publicity. But it did not work forts to eliminate the abuses tice? Has its power to haul indeed been bad. But, on bal- in Mississippi, where persua- now surrounding the release i. individuals into court been ance, his cholces have im- sion was useless and where of suspects ‘on bail, mar b- ‘ used vindictively or for polit- Proved the quality of the fiennedy underestimated the the most human itcce bez. ical purposes? Has the At.’ Federal fadiclary. ~ forces opposing dgsegregs; chievement of Robert Ken- ;/ 7. itorney General acted wisely ‘Uein . edy's career as Atiorney fe in the field of civil rights Seneral., : r and in his choice of f legisla, truss ba Sea vfon to” support? woe ee s. x ' Lid TH, tl pea a Ly, ~~ = ~ SS - >" a ee St al ee ot ery . Broa eet, - -fa%, ‘ee . ~ Ca rr Ta r en Sk es fu : ee a ye See ane ts - act