INSIDE REPORT . .THE WATTS BACKLASH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000100550005-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 5, 1999
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: October 6, 1965
• Content Type: NSPR

? WASHINGTON POST
CPYRGHT AND TIMPS ul;Tt . n
Sanitized - Approved F~t~~tel~a CIA-RDP75-00149 OM~0005-9
Isde Report o . By Rowvlarid E ans and Robert Novak
The Watts Backl8
e
point on Aug. 12 when the
Watts rioting was turning
r into insurrection, an attempt
to calm down frenzied Ne-
groes was .offered by John
Buggs, chairman,. , of the,
County ':Humana Relations
Council.
Buggs is a respected offi-
cial' of Los Angeles County.
But he also happens to be a
?;: Negro. Thus, his offer was
' turned down flat by Deputy,:
Police Chief Roger Mur- '
dock. "We consider you part
of the ? problem," Murdock'':
The incident by no means
puts the blame on the Los
Angeles police for the racial
crisis here. What Murdock's
position fairly symbolizes is
the hardening of the white
community's attitude to
ward Negroes generally as a.',
result of the Watts riots. '
Far from awakening whites,/.:
to the deepening Negro,'
I; a classic white backlash.
!, This W a t t s backlash
creates 'a vicious circle. '-
Anti-Negro emotions stirred,
by the riots make it diffi-
cult politically to take steps
:j easing tensions in Negro
ghettoes here. This inade.
to the Negroes? may trigger
further Negro violence. And
the violence almost certainly
would intensify the backlash.
WHAT MAKES this
clous. circle so dangerous is..
dare nominate anything but
a lily-white ticket.
Indeed, if, that election
were held today, it would
be deeply affected by the
backlash.
By ' taking 'an. insensitive,
hard-nosed attitude toward
the Negroes (refusing even
that the ? white backlash is among whites - of not only
not lir. it
t.-- l_._... Los Angeles County b
t
u
e to
ich,.liberal Jewish commu-' Diego Counties to the south.
ities in Beverly Hills and ~ Because these' three coup-
uch unreasoning panic that the State's, voters, Yorty is
cores of families laid off-. seriously considering -seek-/
egro servants. ,
One example points up
his reaction. Before Watts,
he Democratic National ? Brown.
-vA
aise money for Negro reg- . Ronald Reagan (the
le-
1-Istration by charging $1000 Republican . contender ' for
uncheon with the Rev. Dr. ' white backlash, Brown' must
he drawing card. After push too hard for ap?pro.
atts, the plan' was dronned_
usinessmen who were The Los' Angeles , police
ounted on to attend the'. provide ' a case in point,
inch now ...-iA
t
1000-or 'even $1-to
hear of -?., " ?? brutality" ges
rr. Kina polio olice brutality" . are
While both Republicans grossly overblown. "Police
heir State tickets Yet, tension, wbuld be re.
1966, they now wo 1
not t.;A
-.....:.E..,l,,__`Yi??rLi~ILP.'?.~l'~Y.--.r..W ~......_ r..J r - n..nw...
egroes were added to the
force, if an intensive course
in human relations were
taught at the Police. Acad. .
emy, and - ultimately -- if
hard-boiled Police Chief
William Parker were retired
,with honor.
But Parker has become a
folk hero to southern Cali-
fornia whites. And though'
an outstanding police ad-
ministrator, Parker is in
flexible when it comes . to
reforms. Consequently, a.
politician who tries to 'move
Parker or his police does ?
so at great political risk.
In short, the overwhelm-
ing white reaction to Watts
has been anger and inactiv-
ity. What passes for a white
establishment in sprawling"
Los . Angeles has - not. re-
sponded to crisis. Neither
emergency nor long-term so,
lutions are in prospect.
ONE MEMBER of the +1'
understand the crisis is
John McCone, a conserva-
headed the AEC and CIA
in Washington and was
named by Gov. Brown to in-
vestigate the riots, In pri-
vate conversation with 'well-
terest in Watts. To avoid
another holocaust, he knows
there must be at least 5000
ertain-accelerating, t h e;
FOIAb3b
Sanitized - Approved For Release CIA-RDP75-00149?R0001.00550005-9
ing the Democratic nomina
tion for Governor. against
two-term Gov. Edmund G.