Thurgood Marshall today expressed the concern of his organization…

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NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND 
10 COLUMBUS CIRCLE « NEW YORK 19,N.Y. © JUdson 6-8397 

DR. ALLAN KNIGHT CHALMERS oa THURGOOD MARSHALL 
President Director-Counsel 

NEW YORK, Dec. 15,--Thurgood Marshall today expressed the consern 

of his organization over a preliminary ruling of the New York State 

Commission Against Discrimination in the case of American Jewish 

Congress ve. Arabian American 011 Company. 

This was an action instituted by the AJC contending that the 

Arabian American 0il1 Co. committed an unlawful discriminatory practice 

in questioning applicants for employment in New York State about relig~ 

ion and in refusing to employ Jewish personnel, The Investigating 

Commissioner, Elmer A. Carter, held on Novenber 10, 1958, that Aramco 

had not violated the lew, ruling that religion was a “bonafide occupa- 

tional qualification" for applicants whose employment would require an 

entry visa to Saudi Arabia, a nation which bars Jews from its territory 

Mr. Marshall, Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and 

Educational Fund, in a letter to Charles Abrams, Chairman of the Com- 

mission, sought permission for a member of his staff to appear at a 

rehearing of the case by the Chairman to argue for reversal of the 

earlier decision. His letter said in part: 

"Tt seems perilous to us to promulgate a rule of law which 

excuses blatant and admitted discriminatory practices on the 

plea that business dealings with third persons require such 

policies. Claims by firms that they practice racial or religious 

discrimination only to satisfy the demands of their customers 

or those with whom they do business, are not uncommon occurrences. 

Even when well founded, these claims have not been recognized 

as a legal excuse for discrimination. We feel that the purposes 

of New York's law against discrimination would not be served by 

making an exception in this case." 

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