.NjI1OA.NjI1OA

CARYS. HOOKS W . CUMMINS TR I T C HLER ROBERT W . WARREN V I RG I L J . HEND!::RSON PRESIDENT SECRET ARY•TREASURER V I CE•P RES.-LAND V I CE•PRES.-LOAN SERVICING REAL ESTATE• LOANS • DEVELOPERS 30 PRYOR STREET, s. w. / ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303 I TELEPHONE 523-6262 September 7, 1966 My dear Ivan, You are one of the busiest and most harassed men I know of. While I was driving home yesterday afternoon with the car radio turied to WSB hearing about what you and our police department were doing in connection with "black power", I could not keep from remembering that just twenty-three years ago while I was stationed at Camp Van Dorn, Centerville, Mississippi, as the Post Engineer, that the Commanding Officer, Col. Guthrie, his Executive Officer, Lt . Col. Reeves, and myself, unarmed, faced 1,000 Negros who were members of an infantry re g iment that rioted and killed in California, and later they rioted and kill e d in Ar izona. When they were s e n t to us in Mississippi, they got off the train in our railroad yard with their bayonets fi xe d and their helmets on and we knew that all Hell was going to break loose. It did - the next night, which was Saturday . We three unarme d officers knew that our time had come, until we were rescued by a battalion of white infantry from the 99th Division, who had been specially trained for riot duty. It was no t a g ood fee ling. Later, this Negro regiment was put into "deep freeze" by being sent to Alaska - a total failure of the efforts on the part of the wife of our Pres iden t to have an all Negro infantry regiment. I don't b e lieve in bl ack power, o r white power, but just Chr i stian American Power, and i t take s men of your calibre to l e ad the way. We are very p rou d of you. With kindest p e rsona l reg ards. ~ y yours, R

1~t en

Honor abl e Ivan All e n, Jr . Mayor , City o f Atlanta Ci ty Ha ll Atlanta , Georgia �