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Show Litorial the' ?ace Riots In Utah? the" )U- lt-A surprising number of supposedly intelligent resists resi-sts of Salt Lake City have been taken in by rumors that 'arts-like riot will take place in Salt Lake City this ""kend when the Mormon Church gathers for its general tS:Ference. t How these rumors began is a matter of speculation. Sicials of the Utah National Guard claim that their arent riot control maneuvers started the stories. For casual observer, an equally realistic conclusion is that on rumors caused the National Guard to begin the riot trol practice. This conclusion further strengthened ia:he fact that the rumors began several weeks ago. At any rate the Guard did undergo what appeared to "ntensive riot control training, beginning with a prac-alert prac-alert last Thursday and continuing Saturday and day. Though some reports termed the maneuvers :tly for civil defense, it didn't look that way. And whichever version of what went on is accurate, fact remains that all of Salt Lake City is talking about Guard's riot training. But even more frightening than the Guard's apparent leuvers are the other rumors. They have reached out-lish out-lish proportions. According to different versions, 17 bombs are missing n Hill Air Force base, dynamite has been procured, :1s and motels are booked for the weekend, all plane hts from Los Angeles to Salt Lake are chartered by atts Negroes," a Negro man bought 40 rifles from a ntown sporting goods store, and 3500 "transient roes" have already arrived in Salt Lake. The ridiculousness of these rumors is obvious but arently not obvious enough, because some people ar by them. Unfortunately, the people who are doing swearing are, in almost all cases, the least informed. The Utah Association for the Advancement of Col- I People, the group which has been blamed by many starting the rumors, is doing everything it can to II them. Johnny Driver, local NAACP chapter presi-t, presi-t, has told the press on numerous occasions that the - tors amount to nothing. NAACP sources have told the "Chronicle" that the up has carried on an investigation of each of the tors and finds them all groundless. In a statement issued late Monday night the NAACP I, "We deplore the malicious and totally irresponsible iors circulating in many sections of the state to the ct that Negroes are planning a riot at the L.D.C. con-mce. con-mce. "Normally the NAACP ignores such absurd notions, vn because of the unbelievably incredible suggestion that ot would be planned and executed from within the oujro community, the NAACP has, through various ' )onsible government agencies and through its private tacts, investigated the rumors and found them to be l0l. sntly false." The statement also credited police and National ngjirdsmen with helping to spread the rumors, ds, Conference traditionally is a "sell-out" affair, with 59-rmons coming from all over the world to hear church lers and the Tabernacle Choir. It will be interesting jee how the rumors affect Conference attendance, jcli Much of the uneasiness is obviously caused by fear et something similar to the Watts riot in Los Angeles, jb fears, it seems to us, are ungrounded. In the first :all:e- we are not living in a Negro ghetto. There is ually no racial tension in Salt Lake City. We have us civil rights problems but they have always been ighS"t on a high level. There is no reason that this fus wl0n should change. at Maybe they did say it can't happen in Los Angeles. ertheless, we say it won't happen here. see |
