November 3, 1961

MEMORANDUM to the Chief of Protocol

FROM: Pedro A. Sanjuan

SUBJECT: Background on the Route 40 Campaign

On June 26 Ambassador Adam Malick Sow of the Republic of Chad was en route to Washington to present his credentials to President Kennedy. He stopped at a restaurant on Route 40 in Maryland, where he was refused service. When he arrived in Washington, the Ambassador told his story to Protocol and then to the President at the White House. The President asked Protocol to look into the matter by establishing contacts with the Marylad authorities.

As a result of the President's request, a coordinated program of public information was begun involving the White House, the Department of State, and the Office of the Governor of Maryland. Teams were eventually sent out by the White House, Protocol, and the Governor's Office to carry the message to some 70 restaurant owners along Route 40. The Department supported the passage of a public accomodations bill before the Legislative Council of Maryland at Governor Tawes' request. Editors from daily and weekly newspapers in Maryland were invited to the Department. They were asked to support the efforts being made to end Maryland's discriminatory practices, which, during a period of four months, had given rise to 9 incidents involving African diplomats and were depriving many American citizens of equal treatment in public places. Radio and television stations in Maryland became interested in the issue and use was made of these channels to carry the message to the citizens of Maryland. Several meetings were held in Maryland in which Department of State, White House, and Maryland officials spoke to civic leaders, local public officials, religious and professional groups. At one of these meetings held in Aberdeen, a message from the President was delivered to those attending the meeting.

A committee was formed, representing the restaurant owners on Route 40, to continue the campaign to bring about some degree of voluntary desegregation. The Maryland Restaurant Association declared itself in favor of a public accomodations law. The Legislative Council of the General Assembly of Maryland voted in favor of a public accomodations bill which simultaneously received full support of the Governor.

At this point the Congress of Racial Equality announced that unless a large number of restaurants on Route 40 desegregated their facilities voluntarily by November 11, CORE would stage a large demonstration all along that route. On November 8 the committee of restauranteurs was able to report that 35 restaurant owners had agreed to open their doors byNovember 22 to all customers regardless of their color. This committee felt that full voluntary desegregation could be obtained by December 1. This promise was accepted by CORE as fulfilling the spirit of its demands.

The result of the efforts made by the Federal Government and the Maryland authorities has been that of effectively desegregating most of the restaurants along Route 40. This should represent a definite step forward toward the lowering of the color bar to African diplomats in Washington and at the U.N. Chances of further incidents on Route 40 are now greatly diminished.

This campaign, which was launched at the request of the President, has been coordinated by Mr. Dutton's office at the White House, and by the Office of Protocol in the Department with the support of the Governor of Maryland. Invaluable assistance in the efforts has also been received from:

Favorable coverage of these efforts by the Washington Post, the Evening Star, the Baltimore Sun, the New York Times, Time, Life, and the Reporter magazines as well as by numerous dailies and weeklies in Maryland, and the support of Baltimore and Washington radio and television stations (particularly WTOP) has been a definite factor in swinging public opinion in favor of the desegregation thus far attained on Route 40.

The efforts of CORE, particularly the sensible moderation this organization showed in accepting the partial fulfillment of its petition to the restaurant owners, should not be overlooked in recounting the efforts that eventually led to a partial solution of the problem along Route 40 and in the entire state of Maryland.

The program ahead involves getting voluntary cooperation from the rest of the restaurant owners on Route 40 and the passage of the proposed public accomodations bill into law. The Maryland authorities will need further assistance from the Department in bringing the campaign to a successful close, which will ensure the elimination of incidents in the state of Maryland.

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