348 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

Ohio, letter was sent out. It reflects what I believe — and I say this
because I am not voting in Maryland and have no allegiances at all
— it reflects a very happy development in American politics, that the
chief office holder in the State, the chief administrative officer, would
feel within himself that he wanted to approach a difficult problem with
all the advice he could get, and I discount all the nice things he said
about my leadership. The mere fact that he wanted to discuss this,
wanted to evaluate what his State is doing, and does this voluntarily,
without any pressure, without party pressure or anything else, is a
very satisfying development.

QUESTION: In line with that, Governor, last week you'll recall that
Baltimore Negro ministers said they had to ask for a meeting with
you because they felt that the line of communication was not as clear
as they felt it ought to be. Yet four weeks ago you invited Mr. Wilkins
here. Do you regard Mr. Wilkins as being able to do more than the
ministers in Baltimore?

GOVERNOR:

No, I wouldn't put it on that basis. But I will say that in every
great movement there are certain leaders who are able to capture the
imagination and respect of most of the people, are interested in what's
going on, and I place Mr. Wilkins in that particular position of
leadership where he has not only struck the spark of respect in the
Negro community but in the white community. He is a common rally-
ing point because of the sagacity of what he said — and because of
his ability to keep down the sometimes very difficult to suppress, im-
mediate emotional reactions, that makes him of singular value in
approaching this problem. The ministers, of course, are valuable also.
There is no question about it. Not just the ministers. The people on
the streets are valuable. Every cross section of our population has its
place in solving this tremendous problem we have to face.
MR. WILKINS:

May I please have this one remark on this because I wouldn't want
to come to Maryland and leave — because you can never tell what
will occur to a reporter, of course. I don't pose to know more about
Maryland's problems than the ministers do. I didn't come in the con-
text of being an alternative to the voice of the Negro citizens of Mary-
land. It's simply a supplementary voice, if you will have that kind of
an interpretation, but not an alternative voice.

QUESTION: Mr. Wilkins, did the Governor ask you anything about
"riot control, " and if he didn't ask you that, what would you have
told him if he did?