Evening star., 1960-12-18

rleS, Ambassadors ana neaoS
Of agencies is already well-ad-
vanced. His staff conducted
such an exhaustive talent hunt
for the top-level jobs that they
have turned up all sorts of
prospects. who while rejected
for cabinet posts. seem well
qualified for the next echelon.
Insisted ON Alternates
Their diligence was sparked
by their leaders Unsuitable ap-
petite for alternatives. Except
for Interior, Commerce and
Health Education and Welfare.
where the choices were more
or less a foregone conclusion.
he insisted on lists Of other
prospects.
The President-elect made all
the final decisions. But he had
help and counsel, both solicited
and unsolicited, all the way.
The work, said one aide, was
creative chaos" Another said
it was like that of a College
Admissions Board. The amount
of research was enormous: the
correspondence Of huge volume.
Thousands Of letters from
all over the country attempted
to assist Senator Kennedy in
making up his mind. The mail
was heaviest on the secretary
ships Of State and Agriculture.
The person whose name re-
CURED the most was that of
Adlai Stevenson, whose parti-
sans felt he should be made
Secretary Of State.
Harvard Is Vocal
One Of the l8 persons who
spends full time screening mail
at the Democratic National
Committee said wearily he
thought they needed q new
faculty at Harvard. THE one
they have now spends all its
time writing advisory letters to
u.s."
Personally the PreSident-elect
wanted top men who speak his
language. He also wanted men
who shared his views Of gov
eminent and his view "of our
times and the needs Of the
country"
His indefatigable researchers,
inquiring around always asked
the friends and associates Of
prospective appointees some
thing along the lines of. rs he
the new-frontier type?"
The President elect also had
assistance, both on the philo-
Sophical and practical level.
Practically. his chief aides
were his brother-in-law, r.
Sargent Shriver, the chief tai
ent scout, who has a wide ac-
quaintance in business and aca-
demic circles, and his chief
campaign advisor, his brother
Robert. who also ended up with
Q cabinet post.
His philosophers were Robert
A. Lovett. a veteran Of the
Treasury, Defense and State
Departments, and Richard Neu-
stadt, professor Of government
at Columbia University, and
author of Presidential Lead
ership."
The President-elect stated
after his first extended in
terview with MFR. Lovett that
he had finally met a disin-
terested man. He concurrec
heartily with the Lovett view
Of the need for a strong execu-
tive.
Professor Neustadt. q one
time Truman speechwriter, was
taken to visit Senator Kennedy
last September by Senator
Jackson, Democrat Of Wash
ington. During the last week
end Of the campaign, Mr.. Neu-
stadt submitted to the candi-
date a series Of six memoes on
the nature Of cabinet posts ard
the strategy Of transition.
Mr.. Neustadt'S detailing oi
the type Of man needed i'm
pressed Senator and resulted
in curiously impersonal choices
Three Of his top appointments
Dean Rusk for Secretary oi
State, Robert Mcnamara fol
Secretary Of Defense ano
Budget Director David Bell
were men he had never met
Mr.. Lovett. who declined tc
serve himself. spoke highly oi
both Mr.. Rusk and Mr.. Mc.
Namara. Mr.. Shriver's initia
interviews bore out the gooc
opinion.
Timetable Changed
Mr.. Neustadt also counsellet
the immediate naming of thl
chiefs Of the Federal Bureau
Of Investigation and the Cen
tral Intelligence Agency, twt
agencies urgently requiring
continuity. This was done.
The original timetable callet
for the naming Of the bi
three - State, Defense an,
Treasury = at the beginning
This was thrown of TO
personal and internationa
reasons. The premature arriva
Of Senator Kennedy's son an
namesake slowed down tn
work.
Then the dispatch Of Under
secretary Of State Dougla
Dillon. the ,likeliest candidat
for Secretary of the Treasury
on a gold-hunting mission wit
the present Secretary RobeI
T. Anderson, made the an
nouncement Of his new Job un
timely. When low interest rat
Democrats protested MIR. Dillol
Senator Kennedy's counter
contention was the importanC
Of his foreign policy training
Committed to at least or
Republican, the Senator cor
sidered retaining one othe
Secretary Of Defense Thoms