In Search of Enthusiasm

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Nixon was careful to divorce the crime problem from rioting and racial tension. He had dealt with that in an earlier position paper stressing the need for black economic progress (TIME, May 3). Last week his statement on racial accommodation drew praise from an unexpected source—the militant Congress of Racial Equality, which put forward its own plan for Negro selfhelp. Roy Innis, CORE associate national director, said Nixon's speech "opened the eyes of a lot of people" and made him a "contender for the black vote." Until now Nixon has not been particularly popular among Negro leaders. If Innis starts a trend, the Republican campaign may generate support that even Nixon has not banked on.