TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESIDENT'S FIRST TV PRESS CONFERENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP67B00446R000500090030-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 7, 2004
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: March 1, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 4/02/ CIA-RDP67B00446R000500090030-5
WASHINGTON STAR
r
? -- - -r- -+ "U CCU iJL'drLeu in ":1'J f management of the supersonic
Pros dent t Johnson's n ne ews coil- craft, the A-11, which has beeni
Terence yesterday:
The President: I take pleas-
ure this morning in announcing
my intention of nominating Mr.
William P. Bundy as Assistant
Secretary of State for Far
Eastern Affairs. Mr. Bundy,
currently the Assistant Secre-
tary of State for International
Security Affairs, will bring to
his new post great background
and experience in the Far
Eastern field.
Mr. Bundy will be replaced in
the Defense Department post by
Mr. John McNaughton, the
current general counsel at the
Department of Defense.
I also wish to announce the
appointment of Mr. Daniel M.
Luevano, of California, as As-
sistant Secretary of the Army.
ty Director of the State Depart- and long-range performance at
ment of Finance in California, thousands of miles, constitutes
under Gov. Brown, and has the technological accomplish-
consistently demonstrated his ment that will facilitate the
ability on a number of gov-. achievement of a number of
ermnentul posts in his native important military and com-
State, having formerly been mercial requirements. The A-11
assistant to Dr. Clark Kerr, the aircraft now at ' Edwards Air
president of the University of Force Base are undergoing
California.' I extensive tests to determine
1 would also like to announce their capabilities as long-range
the appointment of Mrs. Fran- interceptors. The development
kie Muse Freeman, Associate j of s u p e r s o n i c commercial
General Counsel of the St. Louis transport aircraft also will be
Housing and Land Clearance greatly assisted by the lessons.
Authority, as a new member of learned from this A-11 program.
Assistant Attorney General of
the State of Missouri, and a
distinguished Missouri laywer.
New Jet Fighter
Tops World's Best
The United States ~ has suc-
cessfully developed. an ad-
tested in sustained flight at, Arrangement are being made,
transport program. It has been
more than 2,000 miles an hour, to make this and other impor-' referred to those Government
and at altitudes in excess of 70,- t a It t technical developments officials concerned for review
000 feet. available u n d e r appropriate and comment. On the basis of
The performance of the 'A-11 safeguards to those directly j their analysis, a decision will be
far exceeds that of any other e n g a g e d in the supersonic made on how the Government
aircraft in the world today. The transport program. Will proceed.
development of this aircraft hasl This project was first started
been made possible by major: in 1.959. Appropriate members
questions.
advances in aircraft, technology of the Senate and the House
of great significance to both have been kept fully informed
military and commercial appli- on the program since the day of
cation. Several A-11 aircraft are its inception. The Lockheed
now being flight-tested at Ed-` Aircraft Corporation at Bur-
wards Air Force Base, in Cali- bank, California, is the manu-
fnrni~ facturer of the aircraft. The
air
r
ft
i
th
Special Steps
On Security
Q. Mr. President, could you
confirm or deny the published!
c
a
eng
ne,
e J-58, was {reports that security measures
designed and built by the Pratt l taken in Florida were prompted'
-U VAA0LUL1kU V1 (,"Ib V1 VF,1 W11
is being disclosed today to
permit the orde-'iy exploitation
of this advanced technology in
our military and commercial
programs. This advanced ex-
perimental aircraft, capable of
important technical achieve-
ments in this project has been
the mastery of ' the metallurgy
and fabrication' of titanium
metal which is.required .for the.
high temperatures experienced
by aircraft traveling at more
than three times the speed of
sound.
& Whitney Aircraft- Division,
United Aircraft Corporation.
The experimental faro control
and air-to-air missile system for
the A-11 was developed by the
Hughes Aircraft Company.
In view of the continuing
Importance of these develop-
ments to our national security,
the detailed performance of the
A-11 will remain strictly classi-
fied and all individuals as-
sociatedwi th the program have
been directed to refrain from
making any further disclosures
concerningt his program.
I do not expect to discuss this
important matter further with
`you today but certain additional
inform a t! o n-will be made
available to all of you after this
meeting. If you care, Mr. Sal-
inger will make the appropriate
arrangements.
On Monday I will release a
report by Mr. Eugene Black,
by a tip that some suicide pilot
.might try to ram your plane?
A. I don't handle my own
security. I was informed that
.there had been reasons for
taking additional precautions,
,and I asked that the matter be
carefully, examined and handled
entirely by Mr. J. Edgar Hoo-
ver and the Secret Service, both
of whom worked closely to-
gether in conection with the
President's security, and we fol-
'lowed the suggestions outlined,
none of which I am familiar
with in detail.
Q. Mr. President, how do you
appraise the possible political
'impact of the Bobby Baker
case?
A. I think that is a matter
that the Senate is considering.
,They have witnesses to be,
sonic transport program. This! heard. The Senate will make its>
report and take such action as1
report was It makes a number they feel justified, and I am
f recommendations' dealinsure they will take proper ac-I
o g: lion. We will have to sec what1
Con.t :nuod
Approved For Relgase 2004/02/04: CIA-RDP67B00446R000500090030-5
 ,the consequences are, following
their recommend Lions after aoll
of the evidence is proved ?
Q. Mr. President, sir, could
you bring us up to date on the
conflict in Viet Nam and North
Viet Nam, and whether or not
you think, that this conflict
will be expended? And, sir, are
we losing there?
A. We have asked Secretary
McNamara, who has made
.periodic visits to Saigon, to go
to Viet Nam in the next few
days. He will go there and have
his conferences, and he will
!bring back very valuable in-
Iformation. We have a very
difficult situation in Viet Nam.
We are furnishing advice and
counsel and training to the
South Viet Nam army. We must
rely on them for such action asl
is taken to defend themselves.
' Speculation Seen
As a Disservice
We think that Mr. McNamara
will correctly appraise the
situation on this trip,and make
such recommendations as he
deems appropriate. I do not
think that the speculation that
has been made that we should
enter, into a neutralization of
that area, or that we are losing
the fight in that area, or that
y
ave. I
things have gone to pot there;1have seen nothing that he has
are at all justified. I think that ! done that has in any way inter-
they do our cause a great dis-`fered with his workout there. I
service, but we are keeping ifi ,think that he has properly as-
close touch with it daily. sessed the situation himself by
We have A
b
d
i
m
assa
or Lddge, say
ng, since he is our Ambas-
-who heads our forces in that?sador there, that he cannot
n, a w ot, f{vontler, sir, it curing
a u firs''tt contacts to dat
e
team in the air within 30 min- ! the White House, you have
; .:,
utes? any encouraging ~ signs
I designated Assistant Secre- this riad, and. sl;ecificaily, do
nary Maur to immec iately I you think a trend of the _no )ern
leave. We have been pursuing; world is towards co-escietcnce'
One day you see speculation
than agreement is imminent.
Thr next day you see specula-
tion that we are very pessimis-
tic. I think both reports have
been wrong,
There has been no meeting of
strife.
A. We must be coinceriica, not
just with our foreign policy jr,
the 20th century, but with the'
foreign policy of 120 other na-
tions. We are today dealing with
s e r i o u s problems in many
places in the world that serious-'
the minds. We realize that the ly affect the peace. When we
treaties were written in 1903 solve these problem ms, I have no,
and modified from time to time doubt but wha' there will he
-that problems are involved others that arise that, hpve'
that need to be dealt with and been in existence for centuries.
perhaps would require adjust- It is going to-be the course o
meat in the treaty in 1963 or this Government to do every-
1964. i thing that we can to resolve'
So we are not 'refusing to I. these differences peacefully,
discuss and evolve a program. even though they are not of ov
that will be fair and just to all own making. There are very I
concerned. But we are not going few of these situations which;
to make any pre-commitments have been brought about by!
before we sit down on what we anything that we have done, but l
are going to do in the way of they are age-old differences
rewriting new treaties with a that have existed for centu
nation that we do not have ries. I am an optimist. i spent
diplomatic relations with. Once; 35 days in meetings with the ~
those relations are restored, we!missile ty Council in the Cuban
will be glad, as I said the first crisis. I saw the alter-
day, presented there. I real-
every y, and day as we since, have to -re discuss scusslized that we can, with the'great
anything, any time, anywhere, power we have, perhaps destroy
and do what is just and what is] 100 million people in a matter
fair and what is right. Just) o# minutes and our adversaries
because Panama happens to be; can do likewise.
a small nation, no larger than I I don't think that the people
I of the world want that to han-
the City of St. T.nnic there is n
o
l
-
-
i
shouldn t
-
-
---- '.--/ ??"
cry
ved in the, -.
"cam o-- -???
n do everything--that Ywe'can
tion withus. He makes lcam paign plans that some of every way to be equitable and
recommendations to
from time to his friends may have for him. (fair and just. We are oin to areid its happening. Now, there
time.
time. We act promptly on thosek g g going to be some very
Wenatir. We feel tole Q. Mr. President, do you see )insist on that. But we are going) serious problems ? that we have recom we are following the properany hope of reaching an agree- to be equally insistent on no, to resolve before we achieve,
course and that our national. meet in Panama. before that preconditions. peace in the world, if we
interests are being fully country's presidential elections i achieve it completely, but we
g y protect- m May? Q- Mr President, returning to
ed. Southeast Asia, the Pathet Lits ao are going to continue to try to?
A. I: would hope that we could ~in Laos has been steppin u resolve them.
Q. Mr. President, ,do you see reach-an agreement as early as military activities in violation of and I am
any reason to fear that an I am encouraged ntension of the ghti in possible. As soon as I learned the '62 Geneva Agreement. Is not pessimistic about the future,
e
S
xteh Viet Nam might bring that the Panamanians had 'the United States willing to I believe that we have adequate
Communit China m evening marched on our zone and welconcede that neutralization is machinery to 'deal with these
Comet Union into he righ? had a disturbance there, and 'not the answer to Laos today? problems and I sincerely and
A. I know of no good purpose ,k
some of our soldrs had bee A. The il ed some of the students' had n made the roped prStates
otest has genuinely world believe that the people;
that would be served by specu-! raised the flag and this disturb- and P P Potestation of f the want peace more!
want anything ele,?
luting on the military strategy ance had resulted, I immedi- is doing everything e we can can han they rld want
. have and that, in time, through their
of the forces of the South Vietately called the President of reached ishcarr carried out gr
Namese. I think that too mucll,Panama on the telephone and expressed our deep regret that leaders, some way, somehow,
speculation has already taken said to him in that first ex it has not been. We are very we will find the answer.
place. I think that a good deal change, "I.. want to do every- hopeful that the interested gov- Spirit of Unity
of it is without justification. 1 thing I can to work this prob- ernments will take the appro-
.sometimes wonder if Gen.ilem out peacefully and quick) Deeply Impressive
Eisenhower, before the .battle of '; Therefore, our people will meet priate is carried out.
that the ident, some Normandy, had been confronted; with e e was made rest,
your people any time, , i ensues was made to your 'first;
with all the-if the world had-anywhere, to discuss anything Not Pessimistic Ilhundred days. How do you size
all the information concerning that will result in bringing up your first hundred days
his .plans that they seem to peace and stopping violence." About Future generally?
have concerning ours in Viet
Nam, what would have hap-, U. S. to Be Fair ? Q. Mr. President, you have
pened on that fday. f said repeatedly that peace Is-
I would that fateful !n Canal Talks the paramount issue e on_ your
nt
merely by aying that 1 do not, The President asked me how care to speculate on what mighti lo~g 'it would b_ fl f
my attention, or that r hay i
apRefese 2004/02/04 : n P
Lodge Career,
Actions -Lauded
Q. Mr. President, Henry
Cabot Lodge, your Ambassador
to South Viet Nam, was your
opponent for the vice presi-
dency in 1960, and is a very
strong potential Republican
nominee this time. Doesn't that
make conduct of your policy in
South Viet Nam awkward, if not
difficult?
A. No. I don't think so. Mr.
Lodge had a brilliant career in
the Senate. He served in the
United States Army after re-
signing from the Senate. He had
considerable military experi-
ence there. He served his coun-l
try well at the United Nations
under the administration of
President Eisenhower. He was
selected by President Kennedy l
upon the recommendation of
Secretary Rusk. He has been
given full authority to act as
our top adviser in that area. He
had a long conference with mei
before he returned to Viet Nam;
in November.
I am unaware of any political
inclinations he ma
h
happen. The plans ,~lh,V e those.
been discussed in tip For Release 2004/02/04: CIA-RDP67B00446R000500090030-5
are not plans that have come to
 a
Approved For Release 2004/02/04: CIA-RDP67B00446R000500090030-5
A. Well, I have been reasona- l A. Well, I haven't been nom-
bly close to the presidency inated yet. I think we will.have
during the 30 years that I have plenty of time to decide that
been in Washington, particular- one after the convention. I will
ly the last three years. But ?I cross that bridge when I come
. h a v e hid many different to it. I to talc to the people in Cyprus, people to know the problems
impressions in the last hundred' and the people in Turkey and the that confront him. Man's judo
days than I had before I came Essential to End people in Greece, and the peo-} merit on any given question is
to this awesome responsibility
.
Trade Barriers pie in Great Britain, and thel no better than the facts he has
I am deeply impressed by the guarantor powers. on that question. So I go along
spirit of unity in this country; Q. Mr. President, next month
by the many people of all faiths in Geneva a' world trade con-
and all sections who closed l ference will be started
organ-
,
c
ranks and were anxious to unite ized by the United Nations, and 1 more serious consequences. The ffo be preferred to the selective
quite pleased with the manner
in which the executive person-
nel have carried on following
the, death of their great leader.; trade. Would you tell us what is
hqw the cabinet has functionedlYour attitude toward the devel-
A. We are deeply concerned A. I -think the President h