to have his own conception of what ought to be done and when it ought to be done, and to impose that conception on the government." 1 Jerome Wiesner -- "The speech at American University made a profound impression on the Soviet Union. Intelligence reports indicated that Chairman Khrushchev had said it was the best speech ever made by an American President. We were hopeful that this would finally mean real progress on a nuclear test ban treaty . Ever since the development of nuclear bombs, we had been attempting to bring them under control." 1 Dean Rusk -- "It was a remarkable speech, and it had a remarkable effect on world opinion. The President wanted to indicate that we looked toward the future with hope. He wanted us to believe in the possibility of peace. The speech was remarkable, I feel, because it had so much of President Kennedy personally in it. Because it reflected his magnanimity, his urbanity and the sense of the civilized man that marked so much of his mood and his action, and his style. And because it reflected his total commitment to peace." 1