European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 01, 1967, Darmstadt, Hesse Right now in t there there s this tremendous fear of crime that looks at Only one aspect of it the horror of there s the riots. They bring on a great personal fear and the strongest instinct is self preservation. People Don t seem to think at times like this. Most think this has been a really massive negro uprising in Newark and Detroit and other places though probably less than 3 per cent of the negroes in those cities was involved. What do you do i think you just hold As firm a hand on the rudder As you can until this it is Likely that nobody outside his immediate family and perhaps nobody within it has plumbed the Depths of William Ramsey Clark. His Honey blonde wife of 18 years Georgia insists the face he turns to the outside world is much the same As the one she sees at Home. His Mother used to Call him of Man River she says laughing. He s always been that the face is a rather Plain pleas ant one topped by soft Light Brown hair bordered by prominent ears with deep creases around and above the Brown eyes. Clark is 6 feet 3, a spare 180-Pounder who walks talks and thinks with slow deliberation. He was born in Dallas dec. 18, 1927,More than 3y 2 years after j. Edgar Hoover had become director of the Fri. Clark is now Hoover s nominal Boss but has few delusions about that. The family s roots were deep in the Law on both sides. And Tom Clark was working in the Justice department antitrust division when Ramsey was a boy of 10. The elder Clark would late be Harry s. Truman s attorney general theirs is the Only father son act the department has Ever had and a supreme court Justice from 1949 until Las Spring. From the age of 17 on when he joined the marines Ramsey Clark saw Little of his Busy father. And he absorbed an accepted few of the elder s political and philosophic views. Clark was an academic Whiz from the first Grade on. After a two year hitch in the marines As a courier he earned his Bachelor s degree at the University of Texas. And in 18 Brief months at the University of Chicago taking As Many courses As time would allow he walked off with the degrees of master of history and doctor of jurisprudence. Inthe meantime he had married Georgia Welch daughter of a produce dealer. Clark practice Law for 10 years inthe family firm in Dallas. But he Felt he was t making a contribution nothings and when John f. Kennedy be came president in 1961, Washington was where Clark wanted to be. Through the efforts of his father vice president Lyndon b. Johnson and House speaker Sam Rayburn another texan regained appointment As assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice department s lands division. Up despite this brow mopping Clark is said never to lose his Cool. Friendship with Johnson arc exaggerated. He s a close Friend of dads but i doubt if i saw him More than six Rclark says accounts of his personal 10 times before 1961." today however the two May consult that often in a week. While he was not a member of . Robert f. Kennedy s touch football set Clark soon became a part of his inner Circle of advisers in the civil rights crises and organized crime campaigns of the Early 60s. When Deputy atty. Gen. Nichola Katzenbach became attorney general Clark succeeded him in the depart ment s Workhorse Job with its frequent legislative dealings with Congress audits delicate involvement with Federal judicial appointments. Clark became acting attorney Gen eral last fall when Katzenbach moved to the state department. Displaying no concern Over his future Clark ran the department quietly from his old office until Johnson promoted him last february. Ramsey Clark s Day begins at6 30 . In a modest $35, on Lake Barcroft in Washington s Virginia suburbs. He grinds the Coffee from Beans swims the narrow Lake in War weather sweats through Royal Canad an air Force calisthenic. He s entitled to a chauffeured Cadilla limousine with its Telephone in the Back window. But something in his Texas populist nature rebels at that and he turned it in soon after his appointment. So happiness for Ramsey Clark is a12-mile commute it gives me time to think in the Blue itis a hulking 1949 Oldsmobile converti ble its top Long since gone its Only overnight Protection from the elements Young Tommy Clark s Green tent. Theca was a hand me Down from his father who got it As a gift at a Dallas testimonial dinner. The average Day when there is no congressional com Mittee to face is a series of meetings with subordinates Fri officials an with senators and congressmen an occasional trip to the Capitol to conf Erwith key legislators lunch from a tray on his desk and frequent glasses of ice Tea. The mood throughout the Clay is Serene and informal. He works in shirt sleeves his inexpensive suit coat draped Over a chair. Even in moments of stress his Demeanour does not change. When the Calm of one recent workday was interrupted by a telephoned re port from an aide on racial trouble Clark who does not swear emitted his strongest exclamation of the Clay. Good god he said into the really worries the tone however was the same he used a moment latter to order a Glass of Tea. On an intricate matter of Law where another lawyer might query what precedent is there what Are the authorities Clark will drawl now this in t the beginning of history what been Goin on nobody who knows Clark can remember his Ever losing his Cool. He was Here 48 hours solid during the Detroit riots one associate re counted and his patience was in exhaustible. He was bushed and looked awful but he acted at All times As if it were 11 o clock on a tuesday but when Justice Clark phoned soon after his son s Cabinet appointment to Tell Ramsey he would retire from the court to avoid any suggestion of conflict of interest an aide reported that you Gclark got pretty choked up i once Home again it s usually about9 first Stop is the i i set the material Possession from which be gotten More pleasure than anything else and an opera recording. He and his wife Are opera buffs and music is usually in the air whenever he is at Home. Saturday is an abbreviated work Day he quits at 5 instead of 8but sunday barring crisis is reserved for the fam ily. Georgia his Bright 13-year-old Blond son Tom and when she s visit ing his daughter Ronda 15. A pretty blonde Ronda attends the Institute Ologo medics at Wichita kan., for treat ment of speech and hearing difficulties stemming from congenital brain dam , hat does the future hold for a 39 year old who already has risen to thinner Circle of government Clark professes Little interest in elec Tive politics. Will he become the ninth attorney general to join the supreme court of the United states i m really not interested he avers. But president Johnson dropped what might have been a hint when he spoke at Clark s induction. He referred to father who was a former attorney Gen eral and a supreme court Justice and Ason who is now an attorney general and could be something else the Prospect that secretly holds out the most pleasure for Clark is a Small Campus a Light teaching Job and ample time for Reading writing and watching the Clouds Roll by. The most prominent ornament on his desk is a Blue and White tile with the Spanish inscription que Bonito is no Hacer Nada y despues de no Hacer Nada with the closest thing to a Broad Grin he can manage Ramsey Clark Tran slates How Beautiful it is to do Noth ing and after doing nothing to but he adds with a sigh you really can t make a contribution that Way can you a Long Day a typical Day in the life of . Ramsey Clark 6 30 . Rises exercises reads newspapers.8 15breakfast. 8 45begins 12-mile drive to work.9 20arrives at department of jus Tice looks Over reports.9 50a Senate committee chairman telephones.10 00 Roger Wilkins director of sunday october i 1967 Community relations service Tele phones. 10 15asst. Atty. Gen. John Doar civil rights is first visitor. 11 00asst. Atty. Gen. Fred m. Vin son or. And . Atty. David Bress. 11 30deputy Gen. Warren Christo Pher Vinson and four attorneys con fer.12 30christopher. 12 55lunch at desk a hot dog potato chips sliced tomatoes iced Tea. 1 15a visitor from the Central intelligence Agency. 2 00rides to the Capitol to Confer with a congressman.3 15returns confers with press on the phone. 3 45chats for an hour with a group of College students. 4 45reads mail press clippings Dis cusses speaking engagements with Secretary. 5 30james v. Bennett retired director of Bureau of prisons. 6 00returns several phone Calls signs mail.6 30asst. Atty. Gen. Donald Turner antitrust telephones. 6 45phones House committee chair the stars and strips Man to thank him for a favourable vote on legislation that Day. 6 50discusses possible television appearances with press officer. Christo Pher returns to discuss several Federal appointments remains until 7 50. 7 55leaves department picks up Friend at White House. 8 40arrives at Home mixes a Light drink listens to opera. 10 00dinner. 10 45goes through night Reading on Dopart meat affairs. 11 40retires. Page 15
