The Presidency: To the Cape

The President of the U.S. felt good. Buoyed by his overwhelming reception in Mexico, pleased that things had really gone right with his Trade bill—as indeed they should have—he planned for himself a purposely low-keyed, easy-paced week. Grinning broadly, he set the week's quiet tone by receiving a distinguished visitor, Mrs. Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, who came to the White House to witness the unveiling of a new white marble mantel for its State Dining Room, to take the place of the mantel installed by Teddy Roosevelt in 1902 and removed when the White House was restored in 1952.

Later the President climbed into his jet helicopter and flew off to Philadelphia to become the first President since Wilson to make a Fourth of July speech at Independence Hall. As he looked from his aircraft over the farmlands of Pennsylvania, bright and beautiful in the sunshine, Kennedy mused aloud that he did not expect many people to come to hear him speak on such a fine day. "They'd rather be at the beach," he said. But when his helicopter settled down, there were 100,000 waiting to listen and cheer. Kennedy, obviously pleased, responded with fervor. As he promised a partnership between the U.S. and a new Europe (see THE WORLD), he spoke in a loud and firm voice, thumped the rostrum with his fist to drive home his points.

No Fuss. After a holiday rest at Camp David in Maryland, Kennedy came back to Washington to face his weekly press conference. He clearly felt like having one (he has been skipping them from time to time lately), but he just as clearly wanted to raise no fuss that would open him to further charges of aggressiveness. He could not resist sticking an elbow into the American Medical Association for its opposition to medicare, but he ducked a question about Teddy in Massachusetts, shucked off an invitation to become involved in a public dispute with Dwight Eisenhower. Asked what he thought of Ike's remark that the Republicans were a businessman's party, he replied: "Well, I don't like disagreeing with President Eisenhower, so I won't in this case."

He didn't want to seem to be disagreeing with any businessmen, either. And he thought he saw signs that the tension between him and the business community was beginning to ease. Serious letters from responsible executives were beginning to trickle into the White House in response to his call for a "dialogue" between business and the Administration. The tone and context of the businessmen's letters were not made public, but the White House said that Kennedy was taking pains to answer each letter personally.

Family News. The successful week left the President in an eager mood to get up to Cape Cod, which he had not visited since Thanksgiving. He packed up Jackie, Caroline and John Jr. and flew off for Squaw Island off Hyannisport, where the summer White House will be set up in a seven-bedroom house owned by Tenor Morton Downey.

At week's end, to top it all off, the President got some welcome family news.