I'm just a
lawyer down here on a temporary job, and I can only talk with you
about these things. But you can't tell about those guys in
Washington. They will have to be closing some bases soon. Now put
yourself in their shoes. Which would you shut, those bases that
don't have race problems or those that do?" Again, they got the
point. In other words, an implied economic threat by the
commander would work well. Hell, the commanders were always
getting good citizenship awards and ignoring the major
citizenship problem of the era. Commanders were local heroes, and
they had plenty of influence. They use it. The trouble was most
commanders were ignorant of the ferment among their own men on
this subject. In all my trips I hinted at sanctions and base (p. 544)
closings. The dutch uncle approach. I wanted the commanders
to do the same. I talked economics to the community leaders. It
opened their eyes. The commanders could do the same.[21-50]

[Footnote 21-49: "Initial Rpt," pp. 68-71.]

[Footnote 21-50: Interv, author with Gesell, 13 May
72.]

The committee further refined its concepts of economic sanctions
during the course of its hearings. Commanders were frequently quizzed
on the probable effects of the imposition of off-limits sanctions or
base closings.[21-51] Despite the reluctance of most commanders to
invoke sanctions, committee members, assuming that no community would
long persist in a social order detrimental to its economic welfare,
came to the belief that ultimately only a firm and uncompromising
policy of economic sanctions would eliminate off-base discrimination.
The committee was obviously aware of the controversial aspects of its
recommendation, and it stressed that the department's objective should
always be "the preservation of morale, not the punishment of local
communities which have a tradition of segregation."[21-52]

[Footnote 21-51: Memo for Rcd, Dep for Manpower,
Personnel, & Organization, USAF, 14 Nov 62, sub:
Meeting of President's Committee on Equal
Opportunity in the Armed Forces, SecAF files.
Deputy Goode's assumptions about the committee's
thinking were later confirmed in its "Initial Rpt,"
pages 68-71, and in author's interview