'WE SHOULD ERR ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY' COLLEGE NEWS CONFERENCE AT 1:00 P.M. OVER WMAL-TV (WASHINGTON)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000300370009-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 21, 1998
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: February 21, 1960
• Content Type: TRANS

FOIAb3b
Approved For Release 2000/08/27 : CIA-RDP75-00149R
.,(Washington) 21 February 1960
NS SHOULD ERR ON THE SIZE OF'SAPETZ"
College News Conference at 1100 P.M. ow W 41L-TV (Washington)
and ABC Television Networks
CPYRGHT
M03MATORs Ruth Hagy.
GUEST, Senator John Kennedy.
Panels Student editors.
SENATOR KENNEDY WAS. MN ON THE TELEVISION SCREEN
AS HE WA.5 Ihh'PERVIEfiED BT THE PANEL OF STWsITS.
QUESTION, "Senator Symington has led something of a frontal attack on
the administration concerning the so-called' misleading of the public concerning
the American defense posture. In the first place, do you feel that the President
is xis-leading the public in terms of this issue, and secondly do you thtink
there might be an over-awph asJA by the Democrats on war, rather than on peace,
in-this particular issue?"
KENNEDY, Nell I would say that I thdslk the administration and the
President reached his judgement in good faith-.quite obvibuslyhe's not going
to play with.the security of the United States, bet I. do think it's extremely
difficult to make a correct assessment with the precision as to what a'
dictatorship is doing. Th1s.British and French couldn't do it in'the 30's
we min-calculated.thhs speed with which they would develop the. Russians, the
atomic weapon, the hydrogen weapon, and missiles themselves. -Therefore, I
don't think that you can ay that regardless of howbroad and, --the information
is that the CENTRAL INTS.h.Ith$NCB AM)ICr. he4, it is `'still (limited in a
dictatorship. I therefore think that you should err on the side of safety.
"When men who have the. same information which the President has, such
as .Powers--0eneral Powers-.Ridgew.y, Gavin and Taylor, come to exact
opposite conclusions,,. vp are moving into & .position of?peril, I would
m in the side of caution. I therefore would make a greater effort than this
~dministration has indicated it's willing to aake.M
Approved For Release 000/0&/27 -CIA-RDP75-00149R000300370009-3