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Georgia editors write about Lt. Calley. Page 4
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By Quimby Melton
Sunday is Palm Sunday.
The title of that day’s Interna
tional Sunday School lesson is
“Christ Acclaimed and Reject
ed. ” Background Scripture is
Matthew 21:1-17; 33-46.
The Memory Selection is
“The stone which the builders
rejected, die same is become
the head of the corner.” (Matt
hew 21:42).
On that first Palm Sunday,
nearly 2,000 years ago, thou
sands of devout Jews were
gathering in Jerusalem to cele
brate the Passover. Among
those pilgrims was Jesus Christ
with his disciples. As Jesus
entered the city, riding on a colt,
word quickly flashed along the
highway, “Here comes the man
who performs miracles such as
no one, not even the prophets of
old, ever did.” The streets be
came lined with people who,
caught up in the enthusiasm of
the day, remembering the
miracles were almost ready to
accept Him as the long promis
ed Messiah. They shouted
“hozanna to the son of David.”
But within less than a week
many of them were in the crowd
that shouted “let Him be cruci
fied.”
Sunday they Acclaimed Him.
The very next Thursday they
rejected and condemned Him.
Palm Sunday opens the door
to Holy Week. And on this day
all who claim to be Christians
will have a chance, as did the
crowds at Jerusalem, to Ac
claim (Accept) or Reject Jesus
Christ. And the decision will be
a personal matter. No one else
can make this choice for any of
us.
As we ponder the matter, let’s
remember that Jesus once said
“He who is not with me is
against me, and he who does not
gather scatters.” (Luke 11:23.)
Jesus has every right to insist
an complete and positive accep
tance of Him as Lord and
Master.
And there is another thing we
should think of as we study
Palm Sunday’s message. The
multitude in Jerusalem was
offered a chance to make their
decision that day. They were
not to put off this important
decision “until a more conveni
ent day.” And, too, we must
remember that Jesus Himself
said it was as serious a sin to be
“lukewarm” to God as to totally
reject Him.
Our background scripture
tells the parable of “a house
holder”. This is the third
parable Jesus told that was
aimed at the Pharisees. For it
was the Pharisees who refused
to accept Jesus as the Messiah,
and it was they who, fearing the
power of Jesus Christ to win
over “the multitude”, had
decided they had to do some
thing to get rid of Him. It was
their influence and the luke
warm attitude of some of his so
called followers that led to the
Cross on Calvary.
These people did not realize
what an important part their
action would have in proving
that Jesus was exactly what He
claimed to be, the Son of God
who said, “This is my beloved
son”; and was the Messiah the
prophets had promised.
Holy Week is the time when
all will be challenged to Accept
or Reject. And the months that
follow will be the times to test
our loyalty, to stick to our
commitments, and to hope and
pray that our lives will be ac
ceptable to God our Father.
<1
“Folks from the church ought
to call on the poor at least as
regularly as the bill collectors
do.”
\i / J
9 aw# 9
Veteran leaders backing efforts here in support of Lt William Calley are (l-r) Isaiah Miller of
Legion Post 546, Gerald Gillespie of VFW Post 5448 and F. A. Goodrum of Legion Post 15.
Private school
is planned here
The Griffin Educational
Foundation announced today
that it would open a private
school here in the fall with
grades one through eight. The
foundation said it planned to
add a grade each year and
would initiate a kindergarten if
enough interest is shown.
The foundation said it had
secured option on a “choice
piece of property that is well
located.” The foundation said it
planned to build a new, modern
school and present a program
that would meet standards of
regulatory agencies including
boards of accreditation.
The foundation did not an
nounce the location of the
Nancy Hanks to go
The Nancy Hanks, the only
passenger train serving Griffin,
will be discontinued May 1 then
the new Railpax railroad ser
vice goes into service.
The railroad notified Gov.
Jimmy Carter and the State
Public Service Commission
Thursday it expected to sign an
agreement with National Rail
road Passenger Corp. (Railpax)
which would relieve Central of
Georgia of the responsibility for
operating the train.
An Atlanta-to-Savannah route
is not included in the Railpax
Sam Saul’s boys
pay him tribute
“Mr. Saul helped me get a
Scout uniform.”
“Mr. Saul was always there
when we needed him.”
“Mr. Saul never shouted at
any of the boys.”
“He’s been an inspiration to
me and showed me the true
meaning of character, honesty
and the higher things in life.”
On and on they went.
These were grown men
speaking. Some were greying,
some were trim and others had
picked up a few pounds since
they were Boy Scouts. All were
well dressed.
But all of them came with a
smile to thank Sam Saul for the
influence he had had on them
when he was leader of Boy
Scout Troop 10.
Mr. Saul has retired and plans
DAILY NEWS
Daily Since 1872
proposed school.
The announcement was made
by Frank Stovall, Griffin busi
nessman.
The Foundation’s board of
directors, headed by Dr. Ralph
Hajosey, includes Laverne Hin
son, Frank Harris, Warren
Wells, Dr. Lucien Tatum, and
Mr. Stovall, secretary.
The foundation announced it
planned to invite enrollment in
a couple of weeks.
Costs and other details were
not announced.
The school backers said they
would have office space soon
where applications for enroll
ment could be made.
Students will be accepted
plan for national passenger ser
vice.
PSC Chairman Ben T. Wig
gins said he was “sadly disap
pointed” at the decision because
the commission had tried “for
years” to keep the Nancy Hanks
running.
The Southern Railway, which
owns Central of Georgia, had
held out joining Railpax but the
Central of Georgia move was
an indication Southern might
follow suit.
The PSC also received notice
to move to Florida in a few
weeks. When some of his former
troop members learned of this,
they got together and planned a
party to honor their former
Scoutmaster.
The affair was held at Bonan
za restaurant last night. It
started when Henry Collins,
businessman, Lamar Polk of
the Georgia Department of
Public Safety, and Billy Bee
land, an officer with the Griffin
Fire Department, put up two
signs.
They read: “Mr. Sam Saul...
.this is your night.”
One by one the men stood to
give their personal word of
thanks to Mr. Saul. Most of the
former Scouts brought their
wives to the affair.
T. L. Tarleton, who is Troop
GRIFFIN
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Friday, April 2, 1971
without regard to race, creed or
color, the backers said.
Prospective headmasters
have been interviewed and the
school directors said they plan
to contract with one of these
next week.
The board also invited quali
fied teachers interested in being
on the faculty to contact board
members.
Classes will be limited to 25
students each, the directors
said.
They said the building would
be modem in every respect
including central air condition,
heating and carpeted class
rooms.
10 Scoutmaster of the troop at
present, reported that in recent
years, he has had 26 boys to get
the Eagle Scout Badge. He said
that it was the good leadership
of Mr. Saul which formed the
foundation of the troop and has
made it what it is today.
Mr. Saul and Mr. Tarleton
both are holders of the Silver
Beaver, Scouting’s highest
award. Both wore the medals
last night to the testimonial.
Former Scouters under Mr.
Saul came from all sections of
Georgia and some came from
out of state to honor their for
mer leader.
The group presented him a
silver service set, a tape
recorder and a tape of the testi
monial dinner.
Vet leaders here
support Calley
Leaders of four veterans
organizations have wired
President Nixon, Georgia’s two
senators, and the Sixth District
Congressman asking them to
intervene on behalf of Lt.
William L. Calley.
They sent the telegrams last
night following a called meeting
of leaders of the four veterans
organizations.
The groups also said they
would run a petition campaign
seeking the unconditional
pardon of Lt. Calley.
Ivan Taylor, chairman of the
Spalding Republican Party,
sent a letter to the president
acting that the trial, conviction
Revamp
hearing
set here
A public hearing on reappor
tionment has been scheduled in
Griffin May 26. The time and
place will be announced.
Rep. Bill Williams of Gaines
ville, chairman of the House
Legislative and Congressional
Reapportionment Committee,
announced Griffin was one of 10
cities where such hearings
would be held.
Others are scheduled at
Athens today, Waycross April
19, Savannah April 29, Albany
May 10, Columbus May 17,
Cartersville June 7, Gainesville
June 16, Decatur June 23, and
Atlanta at the capitol June 24.
that the Seaboard Coastline
Railroad Co. was discontinuing
12 passenger service runs effec
tive May 1 with some of them
to be picked up by Railpax.
The Georgia Railroad is the
only railroad operating intra
state which has not as yet
joined the Railpax plan. Under
its state charter provision, the
Georgia Railroad is free from
county ad valorem taxes as long
as rail service is provided. It
now has an Atlanta-to-Augusta
route.
1 W fl
RJWOJiiliSKft?! ■
Sam Saul (third from left) accepts silver service from Billy
Beeland, Henry Collins and Lamar Pope (1-r). The silver and
a tape recorder with the program were presented to him as
Vol. 99 No. 78
and sentence of Lt. Calley be set
aside.
The lieutenant was convicted
by a court-martial at Ft.
Benning in connection with the
so called My Lai massacre. He
drew a life sentence.
Represented at the meeting
here last night were American
Legion Posts 15 and 546 and
VFW Posts 8480 and 5448.
Hulett Goodman of Griffin,
former state VFW commander,
served as chairman of the drive
for Lt. Calley.
The telegram to President
Nixon, Sen. Herman Talmadge,
Sen. David Gambrell and Rep.
John J. Flynt, Jr., said:
“We, the elected com
manders of the American
Legions and Veterans of
Foreign Wars, representing the
veterans of Spalding County,
Georgia, petition you as our
representatives to intervene in
behalf of Lt. Calley. Please
Advise.”
It was signed by Goodman,
Isiah Miller of Legion Post 546,
Jim Hedderman of Legion Post
15, Gerald Gillespie of VFW
Post 5448 and James Holland of
VFW Post 8480.
They said petitions would be
mailed to veterans asking that
they be signed and mailed to
President Nixon.
The petitions will ask:
“We, the undersigned,
petition the President of the
United States, commander in
chief of our Armed Forces, to
grant an unconditional pardon
of Ist Lt. Calley from conviction
and sentence of the court
martial in the My Lai incident.
We feel Lt. Calley was only
doing what he thought was
necessary to protect the men
under the command. Unless this
pardon is granted, our Armed
Forces will suffer an
irreparable damage and our
defense structure greatly
weakened.”
Signatures will be solicited
downtown tomorrow, the
veterans group said.
Mr. Taylor, Spalding GOP
Chairman, in his letter to the
President, asked that he set
aside the trial, conviction and
sentence of Lt. Calley and that
he be restored to his rightful
and honorable position in the
U.S. Army.
He said the conviction would
demoralize Armed Forces
personnel and their families.
Fix
*
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FT. BENNING, Ga.—Lt. William Calley salutes as he leaves
the fort stockade under Presidential order allowing him to
return to his own base quarters. (UPI)
Calley under
house arrest
FT. BENNING, Ga. (UPI)-
Lt. William L. Calley Jr.,
released by presidential order
from the Army stockade, was
under the military version of
house arrest today with the
virtual freedom of this huge
infantry base.
The 27-year-old soldier, sen
tenced to life imprisonment for
the murder of 22 Vietnamese
civilians in the My Lai
massacre, returned to his
bachelor apartment to the
cheers of his neighbors Thurs
day night.
President Nixon, in an order
from the Western White House
late Thursday, said Calley
should be kept out of prison
mementoes from men who had been under Mr. Saul’s
leadership as boys in Scout Troop 10.
Inside Tip
College
See Page 8
pending the appeal of his
conviction, which could take
years.
‘Light Guard’
Implementing that order,
Maj. Gen. Orwin C. Talbott, Ft
Benning’s commander, placed
Calley under “light guard”—
which means one uniformed
man—and confinement to quar
ters, which is equivalent to
house arrest.
The guard stays in his
apartment throughout the night.
Thursday night, for Galley’s
protection in these early days,
two armed military policemen
patroled the sidewalk in front
of the one-story red brick
building and one in the back.