NEWS CONFERENCE 771

(Mayor Daley's Riot Order)

Q. Governor, do you feel there is any merit in Mayor Daley's order
to the Chicago police to shoot arsonists and looters?

A. I think it's an oversimplified reaction and an oversimplified ap-
proach. No one can make a judgment on what to do in a situation
like that unless he is a professional who is on the scene in full cogni-
zance of the surrounding situations. Now I would say, to use a couple
of extreme examples: to shoot a 12-year-old child who is seen with a
box of matches stopping near a building would be the height of
complete callousness; I'd say on the other hand if a man had hurled
a Molotov cocktail into a pile of gasoline-soaked rags in a building
that was going up in flames, where there are people who are sleeping
in that building, I wouldn't hesitate for a minute if I were a law en-
forcement officer to shoot him if he didn't stop on my command to
stop. You can't just generalize this. The surrounding circumstances
are the things that must govern.

Q. The main controversy concerns looters rather than arsonists.

A. Well, I think it would have to be a pretty extreme situation, and
I doubt if I could visualize a situation right offhand that would
justify shooting down someone who is taking a commodity out of a
store. I think it's like killing an ant with an axe.

(Baltimore during the Summer)

Q. Governor, would you be willing to hazard a guess as to how
Baltimore will rest through the rest of the summer after having gone
through (interruption)....

A. I have no idea. I have no idea of what will happen the rest of the
summer. I can only hope that through the concentrated efforts of all
those who are interested in avoiding other outbursts of violence we
will be able to contain it. I am ready, willing, and able to work with
anyone in this regard.

(Favorite Son)

Q. Governor, have you decided to be a favorite son candidate at the
Republican Convention?

A. I haven't and other than what I read in the paper and heard
from one or two leaders — I don't have any thoughts on it at the
moment. No one is urging me — no great number of Republicans are
urging me to do this.