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University Daily Kansan Monday. October 23, 1961
JFK's Weekends Cause Comment
By Merriman Smith
WASHINGTON — (UPI) — Backstairs at the White House;
Any weekend now, perhaps next,
President Kennedy and his wife will shift recreational headquarters from Cape Cod to Middleburg, Va., and their rented country place, Glen Ora.
Preparations for the return of the first family have been underway in the Virginia hunt country for some time, at least, since early September.
With riding to hounds resuming in the autumn, the First Lady will put aside her water skis and return to the sport she likes best—taking her big hunter over the jumps of a brush course.
Kennedy's recurrent or at least, chronic back trouble manifests itself less in warmth than in cold conditions. Swimming in naturally warm or artificially heated water is ideal for the President's back, strengthening muscles and making them less susceptible to strain.
THE PRESIDENT, for a few weekends, will be a helicopter commuter between the White House and Middleburg, but there may be a change in his weekend pattern when cold weather comes to the hunt country.
Consequently, he may shift his weekend base to the Palm Beach, Fla., home of his father, former Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy. After a few weekends in Middleburg and/or spent in filling speaking dates in the West and Southwest, the Chief Executive is expected to start flying down to Palm Beach for Saturdays and Sundays.
THE PRESIDENT and his family are currently expected to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's at Palm Beach.
In writing about future Kennedy family plans, however, one must keep in mind the fact that they're exceedingly flexible in their planning, probably more like non-Presi-
dental families in this respect than any relatively recent occupants of the White House.
Kennedy, himself, will follow a pre-fixed schedule to the letter when it involves official business. But when it comes to family life, he feels completely within his prerogatives to change his mind, to alter plans at the last minute as best fits the wishes of his wife and their children, to say nothing of himself.
This still shocks some of the veteran White House retainers after their eight years of rather precisionary movement and planning of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie.
THEER IS, however, an area of distinct similarity between Eisenhower and Kennedy—their rebellion against spending weekends in the White House, or for that matter, Washington. Kennedy is so opposed to being tied to Washington on weekends that he is seriously considering not attending several important functions next year, functions normally held on Saturday nights.
Sometimes to the mild consternation of more ardent, but less understanding fellow Democrats, Kennedy determinedly gets away from his desk on an average of about two days a week—much the same thing for which some Democrats belabored Eisenhower when he was in office.
KENNEDY THINKS, and his staff joins him in this, that a President's time is more valuable than helicopter fuel, and that he's actually less subject to danger in a whirly-bird than in auto traffic between short points of his itinerary.
All of which must frustrate the Republicans like the devil. How can they attack Kennedy for using helicopters when D.D.E. wrote the book? Is Palm Beach worse than Palm Springs, Middleburg worse than Gettysburg?
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We as students and citizens are aware of and concerned with the future of America. Since the end of World War II the rise of Russian military, economic, and political power has come to pose a major and dangerous threat to the future peaceful development of the United States and the institution of western culture. We feel that we must overcome the complacency and apathy of Americans so that we can become concerned with the present chaotic world conditions and be committed to building a strong and vital society to meet the threat of Soviet imperialism.
with ultimate disaster before we rise from the depths of lethargy? The potential for the active participation that is needed so desperately in this country is here, but it lies stagnant, covered by the fungus of excessive personal interest and the pursuit of personal pleasure. Why are the American people unable to see past the television set and recognize the threats facing this country and the entire world? The responsibility for the future of America lies not entirely in the hands of the elected government officials, but also in the hands of each and every citizen in the nation.
One of our basic rights is freedom of speech. Let's use it. Let's stand up and be counted!!
DINGWALL C. FLEARY - St. Louis - Senior
PATSY COUTTS - El Dorado - Junior
BUDDY ADEL - Kansas City, Mo. - Senior
TONYA KURT - Pratt - Senior
TIM WOODBURY - Kirkwood, Mo. - Senior
KATHY CLINTON - Dodge City - Junior
JIM ARMENTROUT - Mission - Senior
GUINN ANSPAUGH – Wichita – Junior
JOHN E. ARNOLD – Atchison – Senior
BEVERLY BENNETT – Lawrence – Senior
MARILYN BURDORFF – Augusta – Senior
TERRY LEE BLOSKEY—Kansas City—Sophomore
DONALD BUTTRON — Nortonville — Junior
KARL W. BEUSCHEL — New York City — Senior
BARRY WILSON — Larchmont, N. Y. — Senior
MIKE DEBUSK — Mackville — Senior
JAMES R. DECKERT — Larned — Senior
JOYCE HEDRICK — Lawrence — Junior
JOANN McALPIN — Lawrence — Freshman
BOB WILLIAMS — Wichita — Senior