President Eisenhower today indicated at his press conference that he does not support the Ives-Humphrey FEPC Bill and does not share Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell’s views favoring the bill.
The President was asked if he backed the expression of Secretary Mitchell supporting the FEPC measure on which hearings are now being conducted by a Senate Labor Subcommittee headed by Sen. Irving M. Ives. Mr. Eisenhower replied that he had made known many times that he is certain the FEPC question is best handled on a voluntary basis without a compulsory law. While Secretary Mitchell’s views were respected, Mr. Eisenhower made known that these views differed from his own approach.
The Ives-Humphrey Bill is supported by major organizations devoted to civil rights. It has long been the position of these organizations that an FEPC bill without enforcement powers is of little value. The bill is designed to protect employees from discrimination on racial or religious grounds. Secretary Mitchell has supported the bill in a letter to Sen. Ives but the President’s expression today makes it apparent that the White House is not in agreement.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
