European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 8, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                              Page 4 the stars and stripes monday april a 1968 Washington was t different we y by Elizabeth Wharton Washington up you watch a City you love tear itself apart with violence and you move from disbelief to horror to  have read about this kind of thing in other cities. And you have Felt badly about it but dispassionately and from  were names on a map they weren t  weren t cities built on a foundation of National love of National Faith in a Bright  weren t cities with Broad avenues and Parks that you knew. And above All monuments emblazoned with words like Freedom and Justice and  were pretty smug about Washington. You thought Washington was different. You weep at the murder Ondr. Martin Luther King and you assume that your Negr neighbors know that you share ing we their Shock and  when this ugly thing begins to happen you can t believe  hear reports of looting and burning and you think they re Only wild rumours because it can t happen  the stores begin to close and the Banks and  think maybe you d better Stock up on cigarettes an sandwiches in Case you have to work late. But the Sandwich Barin the building is closed and you Start to get  look out of your office windows in the National pres building at 14th and f its. N.w., and see the tree beginning to Blossom in the Bright Spring Sunshine the people stopping for red lights at Street Corners because it s the Law to Stop for red lights and you go Back to your  for Long though. Soon there s the splintering crash of breaking Glass across the the capital Burns smoke from East Washington. In this picture made lower right to user left 6th Street crosses burning buildings covers much of North from a helicopter ii Street runs from it in foreground. A photo the extremists Are abroad Kintos death excuse or trigger by Henry keys Washington up thou Sands of us Felt grief for or. King but there was no grief for him in the streets Only greed and mindless  in this sentence the washing ton daily news has Given a succinct answer to the question dominating All others in the National capital to what extent is there relationship Between thursday s assassination of the negro apostle of nonviolence and the vicious rioting that has Over whelmed the capital and other american cities. The temptation in the Light of what the White Man sees Hap pening about him is too regard or. King s death As the convenient excuse of criminals to take to the streets with Brick and Torch to plunder and de stroy. But to accept that As the sole connection is to disregard the fact that or. King was Mur dered by a racist hate filled White Man that his murder aroused anger in White As Wellas negro breasts that the anger burned More fiercely in negro  is to disregard also the grim warnings of president Johnson s special riot commis Sion in a report barely a month old f that already the nation s efforts toward an integrate society have been marked by  the negro can never forget that White society i deeply implicated in the ghetto White institutions created it White institutions maintain it and White society condones  negroes in slum areas might come to look upon the deprivation fundamental Pov erty and racial segregation to which they Are condemned As proper justification for violent protest and perhaps for extending support to extremists advocating civil disruption by guerrilla tactics. On Friday less than 24 hours after or. King s assassination students at Washington s How Ard University a negro College gave form to that  pulled Down the american Flag flying on the Campus an raised in its Stead their Black red and Gold Black nationalist  Shook clenched fists in the Black Power Salute As a girl student cried the White Man has committed genocide forbears. we shall commit  gangs of negro youths and older men roaming the streets looting and burning paid or. King s memory Little heed. Many of them were obviously out to Rob and destroy. Circulating in bands of 15 or20, some carried furled umbrellas to shatter store windows. At first they were in High Good humor. They broke shop windows and laughed As the scooped up jewelry perfume shoes suits but As the afternoon wore on and the fires multiplied their mood changed into one of  negro manager of a watch repair shop in the negro sector of 14th Street was bitter. This is no sympathy thing for or. King he said. It s hooliganism. About Many of the marauding bands he was undoubtedly right. Greed and a mindless orgy of plundering and burning seemed to be their sole  Many among them were demonstrating their hatred of the White Man and protesting the hopelessness of the ghetto there was no Way of telling. The one thing that Washington feels it knows for sure is that if it has not yet come to it negro racism will have its Day in the  extremists Are abroad and a Martyr has fallen in the negro cause. Street and you stare incredulously at kids running away from a looted clothing store. Then the eerie Hoot of police sirens and Wall of ambulances begin to sound. There s the sight and scent of smoke in the air. Police in riot helmets carrying ugly guns and heavy wooden Billy Sticks begin to swarm on the sidewalk below. One of them hits out at a kid who was t doing anything that you could see but he does give Chase when the youngster runs away. A red station Wagon carrying three negro youths is stopped just below your window. On policeman stands guard with a riot gun while others search both the boys and their car then let them go. You re reassured by a look atthe television screen. The networks Are running their Normal afternoon soap operas and game shows As you turn away from these you accidentally bump a negro messenger delivering some documents. Of sorry Yon say. That s Okay he smiles and your eyes meet for an instant. Am i your enemy you want to ask. Do you hate me because i Mwhite but you Don t ask it and the moment is Over. A reporter returns Ashen faced and with a Bruise on his Cheek. He d been manhandled and robbed by a gang of toughs and he d been carrying a goo Deal of Cash because it was pay Day. Since everything downtown closed at the first hint of the outbreaks in late afternoon the streets Ore jammed with cars and buses As scores of thousand of people try to get Home to the suburbs at the same time. Soon even the intersections Are clogged. Apparently it s no longer illegal to Cross on a red Light. Someone in the office Lookout and laughs at a plainclothes Man who is waving what lookalike a baseball Bat and chasing a group of negroes. You yell for god s Sake Don t  you remember the words carved in Granite on the building which houses you country s archives what is past is  and for the first time the words Aront proud and hopeful but ominous. A Friend comes by your desk and says you re crying. Why Are you crying you simply shrug and Don t answer. But you want to ask Why Arent you Man Why Aren t you european edition cot. James w. Campbell a a .,.lt. Col.  jr., up. Mart Proctor. Mab a Elmer o. Prank. Henry t. Epstein. � an unofficial nowt Papoff of and Fop thou to.  forc pub Luh a by commander in Rohlof . European command  Dally at a i Gormany military Addomi the. Staro and Tulpo Apo 9�m. I"""0" " a the. Taro and Wrt poo pot Faeh 10l4, a Darmstadt 0rm.ny. T. I Mhelen Rii m Darm Tadt  trip Proulx Tow my. Tolo York offlc., my a Hon 8ton now York 100h, toll it  United states la an open society in which the p vat Sto know w cow Rishovd Anil guarded president Lyndon b.