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FEBRUARY 1965

CHURCHILL EXHIBIT AT WORLD'S FAIR
MALCOLM X'S HOME FIRE-BOMBED

Get into a conversation with a long time Queens resident and you're likely to discover a subscriber of the Long Island Star- Journal, a daily paper that informed the community about local and world news until it folded in 1968. A banner across the Star Journal masthead reminded readers that the newspaper's name came from the merger of the Long Island Daily Star (1876) and the North Shore Daily Journal - The Flushing Journal (1841).

The World’s Fair was in Queens, attracting visitors from far and wide. On February 3 the Star-Journal reported that the Fair "made news internationally as well as locally yesterday. While a subpoena was being served on the Fair Corporation, calling for its books and records to be produced in the office of City Controller Abe Beame, it was announced here and in London that a special tribute to Winston Churchill will be presented at the World’s Fair this season. The Pavilion will be turned into a comprehensive Churchill Center depicting the illustrious career of Sir Winston, Fair President Robert Moses said."

"Churchillian items will include works of art and memorabilia from his public and private lives; the proclamation signed by the late President Kennedy making him an honorary U.S. citizen and the American passport that accompanied it, a letter from Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the Atlantic Charter Draft." In July 1941 President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met to issue the Atlantic Charter, a joint declaration against fascism, although the United States would not enter World War II until the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

On February 1^st, the Star-Journal had run a story on Bladon, the small town in Oxfordshire, England, where the leader who had shepherded Great Britain through the dark days of World War 11 had just been buried. "Police estimate that more than 125,000 persons filed past the spot in Bladon yesterday where the great statesman was buried Saturday". The Churchill exhibition "‘will tie in perfectly with the theme of the Fair, "Peace Through Understanding,"’ said Robert Moses. Today, however, there was little peace between the Fair and the City Controller’s office. The city will bring the Fair into court if it fails to heed the subpoena served yesterday." On February 6, the Star-Journal reported that "the World’s Fair ran up a deficit of $17,540, 100 for its first year of operation, according to a report by its certified accountant."

Recreational drugs rather than recreation at the Fair were on the minds of College Point residents who were concerned by recent reports of the proliferation of "goof balls" and pep pills, amphetamines described as "easy to get-but deadly." On February 20 residents packed the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall in College to plan their war on drugs. War of the more traditional kind was also in the news, with Defense Secretary Robert McNamara causing a furor with his remark "that there is no fully effective defense against sneak attacks on U.S. airfields in South Vietnam." The Star-Journal sent reporters out to ask rapid-transit users what they thought of McNamara’s remarks and of the U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia.

"Step Up the War or Step Out. That was the dominant attitude today of Queens commuters questioned about recent Vietnam developments. The Queens people surveyed showed concern but not alarm. Most indicated disbelief that sneak attacks on U.S camps in Viet Nam could not be effectively prevented. Most of those questioned said U.S military action should be increased or else the U.S. should get out of the Viet War altogether."

Bertie Soden of Woodside believed that "‘We have to extend the war to North Viet Nam, because otherwise it will only drag on.’" Asria Taylor of Flushing said: "‘Our boys shouldn’t be dying over there. Why don’t we defend ourselves from sneak attacks when so much money is being spent for military equipment and weapons?’"

Violent conflicts came closer to home on February 15, when the Star-Journal reported the fire-bombing the previous day at the Queens home of civil rights leader Malcolm X, with the headline: "Dawn, Home Shattered-Police Guard the Fire-Scarred Home of Malcolm X-Cops Probe Bombing."

"Police today are still searching for leads in the fire-bombing of Malcolm X’s East Elmhurst home early yesterday morning. Their basic questions are: Who tossed the Molotov cocktail at the house on 23-11 97^th Street? And why? Malcolm, who aroused his wife and four daughters at 2.30 yesterday morning to escape the flames, flew to Detroit last night. Before leaving, Malcolm said of the bombing: ‘It doesn’t frighten me. It doesn’t quieten me down in any way or shut me up.’ Malcolm has been fighting with the Chicago-based [Black Muslim] organization over who owns the now-gutted East Elmhurst home. The Black Muslims claim it as a rectory belonging to them. Malcolm says it is his."

On February 21, Malcolm X was shot to death while speaking at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan. The Star-Journal had full coverage of the assassination, and also reported that in Harlem, Chicago and East Elmhurst police patrols were on the streets. "In East Elmhurst today, scores of extra police were assigned to watch over the quiet, residential neighborhood where Malcolm had lived until firebombed from his home last week. A special detail of uniformed patrolmen was on guard at the Corona home where Malcolm’s widow and children were reported staying.

On February 24 the Star-Journal reported that the headquarters of the Black Muslim organization had been moved from Manhattan to Corona. And the following day readers were informed that police were continuing to guard the Corona headquarters after a bomb scare had instigated a thorough search of the building that uncovered no bombs.

That’s the way it was in February 1965.

Compiled by Clare Doyle, Librarian, Greater Astoria Historical Society.