Supreme Court Upholds Decision Against Virginia Segregation Act; Turkey Accepts Mediation Offer

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21--The Supreme Court today dealt a severe blow to Virginia's declared policy of massive resistance to any racial integration in its public schools.

It did so by refusing to review a decision holding unconstitutional the state's 1956 Pupil Placement Act, cornerstone of the massive resistance framework.

The Pupil Placement Act removed from local school boards and division superintendents all power to assign pupils, and placed it in the hands of a state board.

The Supreme Court's action threw Virginia officials into a state of uncertainty about their next action. The state's attorney general, Kenneth Patty, said: "I just don't know and am unable to say what the effect will be on the over-all segregation picture in the state."

Judge Hoffman, in holding the Pupil Placement Act unconstitutional, said it provided no adequate remedy for Negroes seeking admission to white schools because of what he described as "the fixed and definite policy of school authorities with respect to segregation."

Hoffman noted that the same session of the Virginia General Assembly which passed that law also passed laws calling for the closing of schools and the withdrawal of state funds from any school departing from the policy of no integration.

Turkey Accepts Saud's Mediation

UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., Oct. 21--Turkey announced tonight it had accepted an offer from King Saud of Saudi Arabia to mediate the Turkish-Syrian crisis. Syria appeared to be holding back.

This word came as Sir Leslie Munro, president of the 82-nation General Assambly, called a meeting for tomorrow afternoon to begin debate on the Middle East problem.

Turkish Ambassador Seyfullah Esin said his government had informed the Saudi Arabian monarch that it was prepared to take part in mediation efforts. Asin heads Turkey's U.N. delegation.

But Syria denied published reports that Damascus had agreed to mediation now.