CRS enlisted the Advertising Council's assistance in preparing a nationwide public service advertising campaign in support of this aspect of the Service's activity.

NATIONAL CITIZENS COMMITTEE FOR COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Shortly after signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, President Johnson appointed about 450 distinguished men and women to the National Citizens Committee for Community Relations. The President said: "Upon you and in your communities fall the great task of our times, the task of fostering understanding, the task of assuring justice for all Americans."

Under the chairmanship of Arthur H. Dean, this group of prominent Americans has provided CRS invaluable assistance, not only in tense conciliation situations, but also at the precrisis stage when citizen and business support is a vital ingredient in helping a community secure the goals of equal opportunity. In many ways this assembly of opinion-molders has helped crystallize the public commitment to civil rights and equal opportunity.

Here are only a few of the many important ways in which NCC members have helped CRS:

The first fair housing ordinance adopted in a southern community resulted from the efforts of one NCC member who had been asked by CRS to look into a complaint of housing discrimination referred to the Service by the President's Committee on Equal Opportunity in Housing. The NCC member worked closely with city officials and other agencies prominent in the local community.

A business magazine publisher was instrumental in forming the Business Press Advisory Council on Civil Rights to provide editorial material periodically to the Nation's business press. CRS has cooperated with Plans for Progress, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other public and private agencies in the distribution of these materials.

The chairman and president of a large southern engineering company encouraged local contractors to set the pace in that part of the country for equal employment opportunity programs.

A northwestern city attorney and chairman of the local human relations commission cooperated with CRS in resolving a tense police-community relations problem in the community.

Three NCC members in one Southwestern State helped arrange a statewide conference on civil rights with the cooperation of the Governor.

Several NCC members in one Southern State took the lead in stimulating the leading business associations of the State to take full page ads in all the newspapers of the State calling for compliance with the civil rights laws.

The women's subcommittee of the NCC made plans to sponsor a pilot Community Relations Leadership Development Institute for women in the New England region (conducted Dec. 7-10, 1965). Its objective: to provide insight and techniques to enable these community leaders-including those from deprived areas-to work together to help their cities speed the achieve. ment of civil rights and equal opportunity for all. Subjects emphasized: developing and strengthening community relations commissions; police. community relations; encouraging compliance with title VI of the Civil Rights Act: improving local antipoverty programs that impinge on race relations. Careful evaluation of the impact of the institute on participants is underway to determine whether, and in what ways, further institutes in other regions are to be encouraged.

A rudimentary speakers list has been established with over 100 members volunteering to serve. While it is assumed that most of their speeches go unreported to CRS headquarters, members have advised us of more than 50 speeches given on relevant topics.

FEDERAL PROGRAM LIAISON

In community after community, one significant means of reducing racial tensions and improving opportunities for deprived minorities is the introduction, reorientation or enlargement of Federal programs. Conciliators are constantly asked for information about a variety of Federal programs and for assistance in implementing them. For example, CRS has on occasion helped OEO resolve serious disputes that have developed over representation questions on a community action program advisory board.

Accordingly, CRS often seeks to focus community attention on Federal programs which could benefit the community, especially where the programs will help alleviate the disparities that exist between minority and majority groups. This may involve providing the local community with on-the-spot information or materials about a particular Federal program, putting the Federal agency in communication with the community, or assisting the Federal agency and the community in their efforts to expedite a particular Federal program affecting minority group problems. CRS has worked cooperatively with 23 Federal agencies on problems involving 42 different communities.

Because of the experience it gained in carrying out the mission of the task force on urban problems, moreover, CRS is often asked to advise Federal agencies on community-relations problems relating to the effectiveness of Federal programs. These requests have been received from the Department of Labor; Office of Economic Opportunity; Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; and other Federal agencies.

Because of the nature of the Service's responsibility in disputes, the Department of Justice is the agency with which we have worked most frequently and continuously. Other agencies in order of frequency are the Office of Education in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; Office of Economic Opportunity; Housing and Home Finance Agency; Department of Agriculture; Department of the Interior; Department of Labor; and with other agencies within the Department of Commerce.

In short, the Federal program activities of the Service have been an effective conciliation tool and have significantly aided the Service in its efforts to avert crisis and disorder in many small rural towns in the South and large cities in the North. But more importantly these activities have been invaluable to communities who need and are searching for programs to upgrade jobs, education, and other opportunities usually denied minority groups.

COOPERATION WITH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC AGENCIES

Under title X, CRS has an affirmative duty to "seek and utilize the cooperation of State or local, public or private agencies." Through this cooperation, the Service is able to strengthen or re-enforce the efforts of agencies, institutions, groups, or other community mechanisms which influence the progress of intergroup relations.

Under a variety of circumstances, during fiscal year 1965, CRS worked with over 100 national organizations, including business, professional, labor, and civic organizations; civil rights groups; and State and Federal agencies concerned with civil rights programs.

In most conciliation efforts, the public and private groups operating in the local community are a vital resource for affecting community change. Many problems, however, cannot be resolved by working exclusively with these groups in the community. Quite often, what a private agency does at the community level is the result of decisions made elsewhere. Any practical effort to help a community, therefore, requires CRS to work closely, not only with local groups and agencies, but also with those operating on a State or National level-the State house, the Federal Government, the corporation home office and the headquarters of civil rights and other civic groups, organizations, or agencies. In fiscal year 1965, CRS has received invaluable assistance from many public and private organizations in its work in communities. Civil rights groups provided CRS with an assessment of racial tension in many cities and towns which was helpful in pinpointing potential problem communities.

Groups concerned with the quality of the society, increasingly are seeking to participate in America's striving for first class citizenship for all. A number have come to the CRS for guidance in the development of useful programs in which their resources might be engaged.

Some sought advice on their respective efforts to desegregate their own constituent organizations; or to stimulate community programs for job development, skill elevation and to discourage school dropouts; or to build up inner-city programs serving youth; or to conduct inner-city voter education efforts.

Social service agencies with a tradition of service to the disadvantaged some. times find that well-conceived and motivated programs sometimes seem to miss the mark, generating as much resentment as appreciation within the beneficiary community. They have asked CRS for guidance in developing improved intergroup communication and cooperation.

MEDIA ASSISTANCE

Media treatment of civil rights issues and problems is an important factor in the expansion or reduction of community tensions. CRS regularly receives requests for assistance on race relations prolems relating to the media. Many of these come from the media itself, seeking advice and guidance in their coverage of race relations issues in their communities. Some come from public and private human relations groups seeking counsel on how to work with their local media. In addition, CRS field personnel receive in-house training on how to cope with the media aspects of solving race relations problems.

CRS worked with members of the National Citizens Committee and local human relations commissions in the conduct of three media seminars in support of the Task Force on Urban Problems. The seminars were focused on the "Chicago plan." This is a voluntary plan developed by the Chicago press and the Chicago Commission on Human Relations for responsible news coverage during periods of racial tension. At the three locally sponsored seminars for news media representatives, police officials and human relations personnel, CRS arranged for members of the Chicago commission to explain their teamwork with the Chicago press. CRS subsequently received several inquiries from other cities about these seminars, including one from the McCone Commission in Los Angeles. It is significant that the report of the McCone Commission urged: "members of all media [to] meet and consider whether there might be wisdom in the establishment of guidelines completely voluntary on their part, for reporting such disasters *** we believe news media may be able to find a voluntary basis for exercising restraint and prudence in reporting inflammatory incidents."

CRS provided assistance to the Business Press Advisory Council on Civil Rights organized by the National Citizens Committee. The council regularly provides articles on businessmen's involvement in community civil rights problems to more than 400 trade publications across the Nation. Material for the articles is provided by CRS.

CHAPTER VI. ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT

Prior to and after the passage of the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964, a task force of 18 persons was established and financed by an allocation of $25,000 from the President's Emergency Fund. Many other agencies contributed the services of their staff members to organize and develop the policies and procedures of the newly authorized Service.

The law provides that the Director of the Service be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. LeRoy Collins, former Governor of Florida, was appointed by President Johnson and following Senate confirmation assumed his duties on August 1, 1964.

On October 7, 1964, the President approved the Supplemental Appropriation Act which provided $1,100,000 and authorized a staff of 51 positions.

Subsequent to the enactment of the appropriation on October 7, 1964, CRS has devoted much of its energies to the recruitment and selection of trained and qualified personnel. The Civil Service Commission approved the establishment of 24 professional positions under schedule B authority as a special and critical skill, and standards were established to assure the employment of qualified personnel. Under Civil Service Commission procedures, the qualifications of each professional staff member selected were carefully reviewed by the Commission to insure that their educational background and experience fully qualified them for their assigned duties.

CRS employment by months, October 1964-October 1965

The sharp increase in temporary employment during the summer of 1965 reflects the additional persons required to help staff the Summer Task Force on Urban Problems.

During the first year of operation, three of CRS's key employees left the Service. The Director, Governor Collins, was appointed Under Secretary of Commerce on July 1, 1965. Both the Associate Director for Conciliation and the Assistant Director for Media Relations resigned to accept positions in the private sector. Harold Fleming, the first Deputy Director of the Agency served only 5 months. These resignations retarded efforts to develop the organization while at the same time responding to community requests for assistance.

Initially, CRS expected to operate with a small permanent staff that would be augmented by using expert and experienced conciliators under contract or as temporary employees. These persons were regularly employed by business, universities, private organizations, and religious organizations. They were called ad hoc conciliators. Orientation and evaluation sessions were held on December 16 and 18, 1964, and again on April 30, May 5, May 13, and May 20, 1965, to indoctrinate the participants in the policies and methods of CRS and to evaluate in depth their qualifications to perform delicate and sensitive conciliation duties. In all, 82 persons received orientation and training in the policies and operating procedures of CRS. Through October 1, 1965, 53 of these persons have been used. It soon became evident, however, that the ad hoc conciliators were busy people and because of their experience and positions, could not devote their continuing attention to the tensions and problems of the communities to which they were assigned. Further, in some instances the lack of knowledge of general governmental procedures and policies has hampered them in carrying out their assignments. These recognized limitations led the Service on April 28, 1965, to ask the Secretary of Commerce and the Bureau of the Budget to approve an increase in the number of permanent employees from 51 positions to 67 by using a portion of the $375,000 which had been earmarked for ad hoc conciliator services to pay the additional direct hire personnel costs. Thus, no increase in appropriated funds was required when the request for the increase in staff was approved on April 30, 1965.

CRS continues to use carefully selected experienced conciliators on a limited basis to review the status of compliance in communities or to perform carefully defined preliminary negotiations with individuals in troubled communities.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

The time consumed in the careful selection and appointment of the best obtainable professional staff, together with the reduced costs in travel and other costs related to this delay in the selection of personnel permitted CRS to show a savings of $285,000 in the funds appropriated for fiscal year 1965.

Senator JAVITS. Mr. Wilkins, when were you first approached to take this position?

Mr. WILKINS. Sometime in the middle of-well, there was some conversation about it, I guess, early in December 1965.

Senator JAVITS. Now, at that time you understood that this Service would be transferred to the Department of Justice, did you not? Mr. WILKINS. Yes, sir.

Senator JAVITS. And is it a fact that those who first approached you to take this on were from the Department of Justice?

I don't wish to pry into the secrets of the executive branch. I am not trying to coerce you into telling us. But I do want to know whether or not you were first approached in this matter by anyone in the Department of Justice.

Mr. WILKINS. As a matter of fact, I was not first approached by someone from the Department of Justice. I was approached by someone else.

Senator JAVITS. But you were aware that it would go to the Department of Justice?

Mr. WILKINS. Oh, yes, sir.

Senator JAVITS. And were you asked as to your willingness to serve in the Department of Justice in this capacity?

Mr. WILKINS. No, sir. Not explicitly. I had made my views about the posture that I believed the Service should have in the Department of Justice, known even prior to the time people began to talk to me about becoming Director.

In the conversations about my becoming Director, there was discussion about the posture that the agency would have.

Senator JAVITS. The what?

Mr. WILKINS. The posture that the agency would have in the Department. But no discussion about whether I approved or disapproved of the decision the President had taken.

Senator JAVITS. Well, did you understand that you would be called upon to defend the transfer from Commerce to Justice?

Mr. WILKINS. Yes, sir.

Senator JAVITS. You did?

Mr. WILKINS. Yes, sir.

Senator JAVITS. You were fully prepared to do that?
Mr. WILKINS. Yes, sir.

Senator JAVITS. Isn't it fair to say that you are the Director chosen for the Conciliation Service who was to carry the ball for the transfer? Mr. WILKINS. No, sir; I don't think it is fair to say that, Senator Javits. I think it is fair to say that the Service needed a Director, and that it was somebody's judgment, not mine, that I would be the best man to take the job. The job of directing the activities of the Service,