FRIDAY,
"Everyone la ftouinern Oregon
Beada The Mill Tribune"
frubliihed Bs!!y except Saturday by
MEDFORD PRINTING CO.
33 Nonlirirgt-Pbii7J'-Il
ROBERT W RUHL. Editor
HERB GL-EV AdvirUilng Maneier
GERALD T. LATH AM, Bui Mjr
ERIC ft ALLEN JR, Mne. Editor
EARL H ADAMS, City Editor
HARRV CHIPMAN. Telef Editor
RICHARD JEWETT. Sportt Editor
OLIVE STARCH EH Women'! Editor
DALE ERlr.KSON. ClrcuUUon Mgr
An Independent Newspepei
Entered econd class matter at
Medlord. Oreaon. under Act 01
March 3, 1887
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
By Mill In Advance.
Daily and Sunday 1 year flSOC
Daily and Sunday moa. 1000
Dally end Sunday 3 mot. JOO
Sunday Only One year J00
Single Copy (Mailed) JOo
By Carrier And Mofr Rout.
Irtllj and Sunday 1 year 121.00
Daily and Sunday I mo. 1.7a
Sunday Only 1 mo.
Carrier and Vendor-pylgo
Official Paper of City ol Medlord
OMelaJ Paper of Jackson Coonty
United Praia International
Jull Leased Wirt
D P t Telepboto Newtp1cturea
member or audit-Bureau
OF CIRCULATIONS
Advertising R-PL"'""."'?.
KELSO ROBERTS i ASSOCI
ATES Ollcea In New York. Chi
cago Detroit San ITanctKO. Los
AnteJn, Seattle. Portleod.
Denver.
NiWtMPlt
V
rUllllHlll
AMOCIATION
NATION I
fOITOIIAl
Member California Newspijwr
PublUhen AuocUUon
Flight o' Time
Medford and Jackson County
History from tnt files of The
Mil Tribune 10. 20. 30- 40
end 50 yer ago.
10 VEARS AGO
Nov. 29. 1953 (Sunday)
Fog dispersal in the Medford
area is the purpose of a new
organization which has filed ar
ticles of incorporation in Salem.
Doreen Bonnert of Central
Point is one of six 4-H club
members in the nation to re
ceive a $300 college scholarship
for the meat animal project.
20 YEARS AGO
Nov. 29, 1943 (Monday)
Seth Bullis officially opens
camDaien week for Jackson
rvtuntv Citric Music Association
Frnm Arthur Perry's "Ye
Smudee Pot" column: "There
will be plenty of Christmas trees
in metropolitan centers. A spin
dly fir will only cost more than
a load or wooa,
30 YEARS AGO
Nov. 29. 1933 (Wednesday)
John Barneburg, former Jack
son County commissioner and
member of pioneer southern
Oregon family, dies after one
month illness.
Moore Hamilton, president of
Jackson County Young Demo
cratic Club, purchases Med
ford News after serving as edi
tor of the paper for several
months.
40 YEARS AGO
Nov. 29, 1923 (Thursday)
Gov. Walter Pierce relieves
Jackson County special prose
cutor of all duties and places
responsibility for law enforce
ment in hands of District Attor
ney Newton W. Borden.
County Agent Cate reports
that government has sent large
amount of dynamite to be sold
at low price to Jackson County
residents.
SO YEARS AGO
Nov. 29. 1913 (Saturday)
Mrs. E. E. Gore and Porter
J. Ncff among top prize winners
at Medford hospital fair.
Dan Robinson, Medford, suf
fers only minor injury when
struck in head by spent bullet
while driving a hayrack near
the cemetery.
What's Your I.Q.?
Ntft or tan correct it auparlor;
rati or tight it excellent) llvt or
six it good.
1. Are all four feet of a gallop
ing horse ever off the ground at
tne same time
2. Is a coot a bird, an insect,
or a nsnr
3. What is the name for a solid
object having twelve plane
laces .'
4. What is the origin ot the
name f rlday?
5. Who won the (irst Tunney.
Dempsey heavyweight cham
pionship fight?
6. Correct' (ha following:
"There are two reasons, neither
of which are mentioned.
7. Into what body of water
does the Ganges Kiver empty?
8. Name the writ commanding
a person to appear before a
court to testify as a witness.
9. What university founded in
1663 has been continuously oner
ated longer than any other In-
stltution of higher learning in
the U. S.?
10. How many Keys are on a
standard piano keyboard?
Answera: 1. Yet. 2. Bird. 3
Dodecahedron. .4. From the
Norse goddess. Frigga. S. Tun
ney. R. ". . . neither of which
is . ." T. Bay of Bengal, t. Sub
poena. 8. Harvard. 10. U.
4 A
Km
NOVEMBER 21. 1963
Watch Howell Appling
. When Gov. Mark Hatfield appointed Howell
Appling Jr. as secretary of state in January, 1959,
there were two immediate public reactions. Many
asked, "Who is Howell Appling Jr?" As many
expressed the opinion that Howell Appling Jr.
must be somebody who would follow Gov. Hat
field's bidding.
It took the citizens awhile to get acquainted
with Howell Appling Jr., but they learned rather
early that he was not going to be an errand boy
for Mark Hatfield. Soon after Appling was elect
ed in 1960 to a four-year term he began to show
his independence.
That independence has grown into outright
defiance of and strong disagreement with the
governor on legislation and philosophy of gov
ernment It is becoming one of the major news
stories in Oregon politics.
THE SPLIT between Hatfield and Appling de
veloped gradually and it was not until the
1961 session of the legislature that it became
clearly evident to others than those close to the
executive branch of state government. It showed
clearly then when Appling openly opposed Hat
field's plan for state government reorganization.
The split continued to widen and it became
apparent during the regular session of the legis
lature this year that it was taking on tne propor
tions of a chasm. Appling's alliance with those
legislators who dislike the governor and his pro'
m-ams was apparent throughout the session.
Meanwhile evidence
the legislature that Appling was getting very cozy
with elements in the Republican Party who do
not approve of Hatfield's liberal approach to
manv facets of government. Reports of the exist
ence of a private fund that had been established
by anti-Hatfield Republicans for the discretion
ary use of Appling shocked some people who had
not recognized the full measure of the split be
tween the governor and secretary of state.
AT THIS point Howell Appling can play a ma
jor role in determining the future course of
the Republican Party in Oregon. If he decides to
run for reelection next year he will, in effect, be
serving notice that he intends to be a candidate
in 1966 to succeed Hatfield as governor.
Mark Hatfield is the
1 man in Oregon today
reelected as secretary of
going to see him more actively challenging Hat
field's position. That would be quite something
in itself. But it would be more than a personal
dispute. The followers
apart in their philosophy
iunscaie iignt witnin ine pany wouia De in
evitable. Watch Howell Appling in the months imme
diately ahead. If he decides to stay in politics you
can prepare yourself to see some bloodletting
within the Republican Party.
Pendleton East Oregonian.
Like a Family...
"Why can't the state cut its expenses the way
my family has to?" Many,
pressed that feeling both
tax election.
All right, let's put the
your family :
t irst, you have not had
(That's when the last tax increase was passed,
and it was reduced in 1957.)
Second, prices of all
buy have gone up in the
third, you have more children. One has just
reached college age, and you must provide his
facilities and pay his professor. One is in high
school and one in grade school, and you must pay
about one-third of all of their expenses. Another
child is retarded and requires a special tutor.
Fourth, your married
serted by her husband and you're supporting her
children. Your aged parents have come to live
with you, and often require medical treatment.
FIFTH, a member of your family is mentally ill
1 and requires frequent psychiatric treatment
ami constant, nursing supervision.
Sixth, your spouse's brother is criminally in
clined and you must keep him locked up, pay a
guard for him, and pay
All together, 88 per
committed to the above
Seventh, there aren't
in your house for all of these people.
iMghth, you have just
savings.
Ninth, you are prohibited from going into
debt.
Tenth, your boss has
request for a pay raise, and suggested that you
economize at home. Do you have an urge to stran
gle him? Capital Press, Salem.
Preserve Small Motions
There is a definite attempt under way to dis
pense with the little automatic motions which
people perform in a subconscious, routine man
ner. We weren't even aware they were trouble
some until someone came along with a motorized
gadget and told us we could eliminate all the
trouble these movements had been causing us.
This is the year of the electric manicure set.
Before long there won't be anything left to do
except twiddle one's fingers. And if that becomes
popular, someone will come out with an electric
finger twiddler. Oregon Statesman, Salem.
was appearing outside
Republican Party s No.
but if Howell Appling is
state next year we are
of the two men are far
of government and a
many pesons have ex
before and since the
state on the basis of
a pay raise since 1955.
goods and services you
meantime.
daughter has been de
for rehabilitating him.
cent of your income is
items.
enough rooms and beds
used up the last ot your
just turned down your
SPORTSMEN!
KIDS! MANIACS!
A whole line of pistols
axuL other weapons.
ready to use.
includirvg-
W
skipip bisect to vgy
ALMOST ArJVWHERS M THE U.S.
...Communications...
Ltttari to the Editor mutt baar the mm) and address of tha "rilrr, arrnouoh undtr certain circumstance
tko uh of j ocn name or litial tor publication ia oarmhiiblo. The Mail Tribune reaervei the right to edit
all letters with a view to clarification and condensation. Letters submitted for publication must not exceed
400 words. The letters printed in this column do not necessarily represent the views of the papery In fact
the contrary is often the case.
Who Is Hurt? i
To
the Editor: During the
special legislative session the
legislators failed to pass the
cigarette tax, they did not re
duce their own salaries, which
jumped from $600 to $3,000 in
one jump, they made no provi
sion to employ the Attorney
General, who is paid a large
salary by taxpayers, to attend
to all legal business of the state
from the Governor down to
lesser dignitaries, which would
save legal fees up to $60,000.
They made no provision to cut
out junkets out of state borders,
at the taxpayers' expense.
James Rhodes, governor of
Ohio, has been acclaimed
throughout the country for
straightening out the tangled
fiscal affairs in Ohio since last
January. He is well on the way
to erase an $83 million deficit.
He fired 5,000 state employes
and trimmed department budg
ets to available revenue. He
aided in obtaining a 5 cent per
pack cigarette tax, which should
exist in every state, not only
to raise revenue but to save
many lives.
Perhaps the Oregon Leuisla-
ture thought it more economical
to cut the meager pensions of
tne lame and the b nd.
many of whom have contributed
to legislative salaries for manv
years, than to trim their own
pay checks for salaries and ex
orbitant expenses.
The voters learned the hard
way the folly of permittine elect
ed officials to raise their own
salaries.
The main reasons for exorbi
tant taxes are unreasonable leg
islative expenses, lack of con
trol of the purse strings by the
In the Day's News
By FRANK
As this is written, President
Lyndon B. Johnson has just de
livered to the Congress his in
augural addres.-i. In this restrict
ed space, it is impossible to
touch upon more than the high
lights of it.
He himself names these high
lights. In his address to the
congress, he said:
"FIRST, no memorial oration
or eulogy could more eloquent
ly honor President Kennedy's
memory than the earliest pos
sible passage of the Civil Rights
Bill for which he fought. Wc
have talked long enough in this
country about equal rights. We
have talked for 100 years or
more. It is time NOW to write
the second chapter and to
write it in books of law.
"I urge you again, as I did
in 1957, and again in 1!0, to
enact a Civil Rights law so that
wc can move forward to elimi
nate from this nation every
trace of discrimination and op
pression based upon race or
color. There could be no greater
source of strength to this nation
both at home and abroad."
fpilE thing to remember is
Athis:
That statement, which con
tains no weasel words, is made
by a SOUTHERNER.
If a civil rights law is to be
made to work as we want It to
work it must have the volun
tary backing of the South.
11 can't be made to work by
bayonets alone.
HE WENT on to say:
"AND SECOND, no act of
ours could more fittingly con
tinue the work of President Ken
nedy than the EARLIEST pas
sage of the tax bill for which
he (ought a bill designed to
Increase our national income,
our federal revenues, and our
Insurance against recession.
That bill, if passed without de
lay, means more security for
those now working and more
jobs for those now without
them."
'imported rifle.
with. requ.la-r
sharpshooter
telescopic sight
JVeaseirynoi to encos II
41 Zoos clix-nop. a auaA W
danger tV oss. J
people, the ownership of 51 per
cent of the land area of tne
State of Oregon by the federal
government, lack of accounting
and publication of all receipts
and expenditures of all public
money.
A potent remedy is for the
people to take more interest in
legislative matters and to turn
out and vote at all elections.
Ed Black
2573 Camp Joy Road
Grants Pass, Ore.
Misleading Advertising
To the Editor: Has it occured
to anyone else to do a bit of
mental figuring about the cur
rent Ford Motor Company pro
motion for their Comet automo
bile on the result of its adver
tised accomplishments at the
Daytona Speedway?
These advertisements are
calculated to give the impres
sion that one Comet ran a con
tinuous 100,000 miles at speeds
of more than 100 miles per hour
in two months time. This is im
possible and anyone can figure
how fast the car would have to
be going.
This deliberate misrepresen
tation, if it is not mistruth, is
the latest example of the low
esteem that we consumers are
held. Advertising knows we do
not think and will buy anything,
even items we do not need, if
they are made attractive enough
and repeated enough.
While there seems to be little
to do about the quantity of ad
vertising, it would seem that
it is our responsibility to raise
the standard of it by intelligent
buying. We rebel against gov
ernment telling us what to do
but happily rush out to follow
what advertising tells us to do.
JENKINS
UE THEN added:
J"1 "In this new spirit of ac
tion, the Congress can expect
the full cooperation and support
of the executive branch. And,
in particular, I pledge that the
expenditures of the government
will be administered WITH THE
UTMOST THRIFT AND FRU
GALITY. I will INSIST that the
government get a dollar's value
for a dollar spent.
"The government will set an
example of prudence and ECON
OMY." CO MUCH for our new Presi-
President.
Let's take a look now at the
new President's wife.
1VHAT of her name Ladybird?
" How did she get it?
It isn't an affectation. It is
what in her part of the country
is called a "pet" name. She is
called that because at the age
of two a nursemaid said of
her: "She is as purty as a lady
bird." The name has clung to her.
1VHAT sort of person is she?
' Well, Ihey wore married in
1934. Three years later, Lyndon
ran for Congress, and was elect
ed. It took some money to make
the campaign. They didn't have
any or, at least, they didn't
have anywhere near enough.
So -
She borrowed $10,000 from her
father with which to finance the
campaign. The loan was repaid
at the rate of $500 a month from
his $800 per month salary of a
congressman (congressmen got
less then ) That left them $300
a month to live on during the
first 20 months of his term.
'IMIAT'S the kind of woman our
1 new President has for a wife.
One can't help feeling that
spending recklessly and putting
the resulting deficits on the cuff
aren't going to be popular dur
ing the new administration.
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OREGON
Europe Has Given President Johnson
Thumbs Up Vote in
.
By PAUL R. AU.ERUr
I'nllH Press; Inlomllonl
LONDON (UPI)-In its first
stock-taking of President Lyn
don B. Johnson, Europe has
given him a thumbs up vote.
After the first shook over the
assassination of President Ken
nedy, and even some panic, a
mood of confidence that lead
ership of the Western alliance
remains In strong hands ap
pears to have taken hold.
Only events and the manner
in which Johnson deals with
them can prove the final ver
dict of America's allies, but a
survey of European capitals hy
United Press International re
porters shows that at the outset
Johnson has made a good im
pression. Many of Europe's leading
statesmen were able to make
their first assessment of the
new President when they went
to Washington for the Kennedy
funeral rites. Others iase their
hope in Johnson on vhat they
have seen of him on his trips
as vice president, and on his
It is time we began to reject
false and misleading claims by
refusal to buy those products.
(Name on file)
Medford
Birch View
To the Editor: Now that the
shock and unbelief are gone and
only stark reality remains, all
my sympathy goes out to the
Kennedy family, particularly to
Mrs. John F. Kennedy and her
two little kiddies. Although the
late President and I were at the
opposite ends of the political
spectrum, that makes no differ
ence now. This well planned,
brutal, cold blooded assassina
tion violates every decent in
stinct in every Christian Amer
ican. No one with the least bit
of human warmth and tender
ness in him can tolerate a sub
human act like this.
With our editor's permission I
would like very much to quote
the official stand of the John
Birch Society on this tragedy.
The following announcement was
made by Robert Welch, founder
of the society, over CBS radio,
quote, "The Council (of JBS)
sends its condolences to the
Kennedy family. The John Birch
Society condemns all violent ac
tion of this type to solve political
disagreements. The John Birch
Society believes in the use of
the ballot box to change direc
tion of our government. The
John Birch Society has pointed
out that the Communist and left
wing elements have made in
creasing use of assassinations
of heads of state to create the
desired chaos and disruption to
further their ends."
The passage in the Blue Book
mentions four Communist-inspired
assassinations in South
America. Please note that this
is a communist technique. And
remember that the man who
will undoubtedly go down in his
tory as President Kennedy's as
sassin is an admitted Commu
nist. There is no act too illegal,
or immoral no crime too great
for them to commit to gain their
objective.
The Federal Bureau of Inves
tigation has announced, accord
ing to the "American (now "Na
tional") Eagle" of March 1962,
that there are 300,000 known
Communist agents in America.
These are hard core men, fully
trained in subversion and espi
onagemore than a quarter of
a million of highly dangerous,
conscienceless, potential mur
derers. An incredible, deadly
danger to this nation when you
remember that our President
has allegedly just been killed by
a self confessed member of this
atheistic tribe of international
criminals. This is one of the ap
palling situations the John Birch
Society is trying to correct, in a
morally right, legal, and Con
stitutional procedure. Thank you
for your kind attention.
L. C. Powell
316 SE Eighth St.,
Grants Pass, Ore.
Starlight
To the Editor:
The nights are no longer
dismal,
For as wc gaze up high,
The frantic shadows are
dispelled,
By a new star in the sky.
George Distcll,
33 N. Fir St.,
Medford
Can Curse Neither
To the Editor: The assassina
tion of Kennedy, the murder of
his killer, the cheers (on the
part ot some) which followed,
all testify In the forces of hate
and revenge. We have not yet
learned in our nation the mean
ing of freedom, and that it is
based on law and order. We find
it difficult to disagree politically
without hatefully calling some
one a "commie" or "pinko" on
the one hand, and a "nazl" or
"reactionary bigot" on the oth
er. How is it we do not recognize
our kinship with one another:
that each is a citizen: that each
may profess his viewpoint, but
I
statements and speeches of the
past week.
British Prime Minister Sir
Alec Douglas Home stated his
own opinion of the suddenly
burdened Texan immediately
on his return fom Washington.
The new President "greatly
impressed all the visitors and
observers in Washington,"
Douglas -Home said. He ex
pressed confidence the "finely
held" checks and balances of
international relations would
riot be distubed by the change
in American leadership.
West German Chancellor Lud
wig Erhard, another visitor to
Washington, was reported by
his closest aides to have been
greatly encouraged by his in
itial reactions to Johnson whom
he found looking to the future
and acutely aware of the prob
lems of Germany and West
Berlin.
In Communist surrounded
West Berlin itself, which John
son visited on a morale-boosting
mission shortly after erec
tion of the Communist wall in
1961, Mayor Willy Brandt said
hs knows the new President is
as determined as his predeces
sor to stand by all commit
ments to the city. "Berliners
can have the same confidence in
Johnson they had in Ken
nedy," Brandt said.
Proved To Be Thorn
French President Charles de
Gaulle, whose go-it-alone tac
tics in East-West relations and
nuclear policies were a thorn
in the side of the Kennedy ad
ministration, is not likely to be
less a thorn for Johnson's ad
ministration. But persons close
to the French leader report
that in his first contact with
the new President in Washing
ton De Gaulle liked the measure
of the man.
Austria's Chancellor Alfons
Strictly
Personal
8y Sidney J. Harris
(c) Field Enterprises. Inc.
CHILDREN
"If we survive this crisis of
war," said the man across the
dinner table, "if we do not anni
hilate ourselves, and the world
becomes more or less stable
then what do you think is the
primary, and most important,
problem the human race should
concern itself with?"
I assumed he expected me to
answer in some grand socio-politico-cconomico
- philosophi
cal fashion, but I did not. "Chil
dren," I said. "The problem of
children."
He seemed astonished. "How
can children constitute the pri
mary problem? Are you sug
gesting we must start with their
education in order to make the
world a better place to live
in?"
"Nothing so banal as that,"
I replied. "I am suggesting that
we devote more of our efforts
to study babies from the mo
ment they are born, to learn
exactly the nature of the pro
ces of maturation, to know
which stimuli and which in
fluences are beneficial and
which are harmful."
"Don't we know enough of
that yet?" he asked.
'Union Shop' May
Be Campaign Issue
WASHINGTON (UPI) The
long-fought battle over "right-to-work"
laws may erupt again
in the 1964 election campaign If
Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz.,
becomes the Republican chal
lenger. Based on support of the 1960
party platform, President John
son or any other possible Demo
cratic nominee in 1964 may be
expected to clash sharply on
the issue of whether unions and
employers should be allowed to
negotiate contracts providing
that a worker must join a union
to keep his job.
Goldwater has been one of the
major opponents of such con
tract provisions known as the
"union shop" to its friends and
"compulsory unionism" to its
enemies.
Johnson's record does not in
dicate whether he will support
President Kennedy's desire to
pass a federal law H at would
have the effect of repealing
"right-to-work" laws in 20
states, however.
not force it; that each may
criticize a person's stand, but
need not smear the person stat
ing it. Let us recognize that
rightists and leftists are com
plementary opposites, and both
belong to the body-general.
I can curse neither hand,
hence, without cursing myself;
I can curse neither group with
out cursing my country.
D. G. Alexander
1190 Prospect
Ashland, Ore.
First Stock-Taking
I - i U nti Tnltncnn tnr enn nn a W a chin (ft in uleit
Gorbach who saw Johnson for
15 minutes alter the Kennedy
funeral said "peace and f r e e
dom" wcro in good hands.
Switzerland's Foreign Minister
F. T. Wahlen saw U.S. Secre
tary of Slate Dean Rusk, not
the President. But his impres
sion was said to be that contin
ued strong leadership could be
expected.
Another who returned encour
aged from Washington was Nor
way's Prime Minister Einar
Gerhardsen who said he found
more insecurity in Europe over
the change in American leader
ship than he did in the United
States. Denmark's Prime Min
ister Jens Otto Krag spent a half
hour with Johnson at the White
House Wednesday. He had
voiced his confidence in John
son within hours of Kennedy's
murder.
Rates Johnson Highly
Finland's President Urho Kek
konen saw a good deal of John
Callousness
In Washington
By Arthur Hoppe
Washington is quick to turn
from those who leave its scene.
How brutally fast it sweeps
away its traces. How callously
it swivels to focus on the next.
Not 24 hours after the asssas
sination of John F. Kennedy,
workmen were in his office,
crating up his treasures. And
who will forget the sight of his
ricking chair, lashed upside
down to a dolly like some
broken toy, being trundled off
"Hardly anything. We have
barely scatched the surface.
We are spending billions to in
vestigate outer space, and pen
nies to look into the essential
structure of the human being
from birth to maturity."
He thought I was being
captious or perverse, hut I
was not. To me, there is abso
lutely no hope for future de
velopment of the human spe
cies unless wc unwrap the
mysteries of infancy and
childhood. For it is in the
earliest years that we go
wrong, through ignorance,
through wilfulness, through
impatience and arrogance
and love that Is not only blind
but deaf, dumb and lame as
well.
Which forces, which treat
ment, which emotional and so
cial climate would best pro
duce the kind of human beings
we would like to sec human
beings generous and flexible,
responsive and alert, poised
easily and delicately between
strength and tenderness?
As yet, we can only make
some shrewd guesses. Our
samples are too small, our ex
periments too brief, our expen
ditures too scanty. The amount
of superstition is enormous com
pared with the amount of fact.
Our children are still riddles to
us; as infants, they are even
more enigmatic. We do the most
damage without knowing we are
doing any at all.
Yet, since man is a creature
continually making himself (and
sometimes unmaking himself),
it sems evident to me that the
conscious "making process"
must begin much earlier than it
does if we are to turn out peo
ple in the future who are
capable of sustaining and
ennobling human life. Perhaps
we cannot; but, it so, then
the s o c i o-politico-economico-philosophical
problems will re
main where they have always
been.
"Great Irlra. We lt past
Jse-ae.Tl
Jy iff
government officials' briefcases'."
son on a Washington visit In Of.
tober, 1961, and again when tha
then vice president visited Fin
land less than three months
ago. He gives Johnson a high
rating in statesmanship.
Belgium's Foreign Minister
Paul Henri-Spaak is another
who is sure Johnson will meas
ure up to the job. "I had tha
chance of talking with the new
President barely two weeks'
ago," Spaak noted. "Thesa
talks gave me confidence in
him. He appeared to share
Kennedy's political ideas entire
ly. One must therefore work to
gether with him in the same de
sire to cooperate as we showed
toward President Kennedy."
Holland's Foreign Minister
J. M. H. Luns, saw Johnson
early this month and found him
well informed on "the broad
outlines" of foreign affairs.
Luns is confident Johnson will
continue Kennedy's program in
the western alliance.
into the past? While his body
still lay in state in the East
Room a hundred yards away.
An hour earlier, in an offica
on Capitol Hill, a Congressman
was saying privately: "It's no
time to talk about it, of course,
but this is bound to hurt Gold
water's chances. I'd say it was
a boost for Nixon, if anyone.
He's got the experience. Ha
came close last time. He . . ."
At noon, over lunch, a young
staff aide was saying: "I don't
suppose we should be talking
about it right now, but I don't
see Johnson making any radical
staff changes. At the White
House, sure, but not in the
agencies. Not right away, any
way. George Ball's probably
safe and Yarmolinsky and , . ."
e 4
No one felt he should talk
about it. It was too brutal, too
callous a subject at such a time.
Yet all over Washington they
talked about it. That day and
the next, while the body lay in
state. They talked about it in
offices and corridors and res
turants and bars. At first hesi
tantly, tentatively, guiltily and
then, once their listener had sig
nified acceptance of the sub
ject, with a rush of excitement.
"Bobby Kennedy's in trouble.
The Johnson people hate his
guts. They think he's behind the
Bobby Baker investigation. But
he and Johnson wil probably
hang together in public be
cause ..."
"A Stevenson boom? You're
out of your mind. Johnson's got
the nomination sewed up next
year and Adlai's getting too
old . . ."
"No, I think Johnson will
make a better President than
Kennedy did. He's not as bril
liant or as subtle, but he under
stands power better. And
he . . ."
It was not that Washington
did not feel grief. It felt it, I
think, more deeply and more
personally than the rest of the
country. For the President is
not only President. He is also,
in effect, the mayor of Washing
ton, more close to those who
live here. But in addition, ha
is the source of power in a city
of people driven by the search
for power. And now there is a
new source.
Nor, I suppose, is the seeming
callousness of the political talk
any different than a widow
wondering if she was left in
surance. Or a newspaperman
struggling to write about a
disaster.
And as I listened to them talk
and as I watched the rocking
chair move off down the walk
way, I was oddly reassured by
the brutal quicknes of it all.
How easily we make the transi
tion from one leader to the)
next. How transitory each is.
And yet how our system en
dures. a bill
requiring it on all