Evening star., 1961-01-20

family Bible, repeated the his
toric words:
.sI do sOlemnly swear that !
will faithfully execute the office
Df President of the United
States and will to the best of
my ability preserve, protect and
defend the Constitution of the
United States, SO help me God"
Then the new President
turned to the great crowd
ti1assed in the shadow of the
Capitol and began his inaugural
Sddress.
His words. spoken in the
familiar Boston accent. rolled
out over the loudspeakers,
beyond the solemn throngs in
the Capitol Plaza, down Penn
ssylyania avenue, into homes
throughout the country and into
the far corners of the world.
For John F. Kennedy, the
poised and confident politician.
this was the moment toward
which he had worked so tire
lessly..
Behind him we're the long
days and nights of campaign
Ing, the surging crowds, the
frenzied admirers, the confetti
and blaring bands, the speeches
and handshaking.
Ahead were problems of a
magnitude unimagined, which
he alone. must face.
Now, as he spoke from the
white platform beneath the
great dome. two men stood
nearby watching quietly. They
also had experienced this ter
rible assumption of response
bility.
Harry S. Truman, 76. dap
per as ever, still the jaunty
warrior Of the people. and
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 10, the
soldier who fought for peace,
solemnly listened to the young
man from Massachusetts,. Her.
bert Clark Hoover, 86, was
absent because of the weather.
Forgotten for the moment
were political differences. They
had been President of the
United States, and this was
a bond which transcribed quar-
rels over theories and actions.
A fourth man on the plat
form was younger. His career
still held brilliant promise.
Richard MilhouS Nixon had
come closer than any man in
this century to winning the
highest office. If he felt any
bitterness at his defeat. he did
not show it.
Behind all Of the pageantry
of the hour lay one central
fact: The ceremony marked
more than a change in admin
istrations; it meant that an
era in American history was
ending-an era beginning be-
fore World War II, during
which Franklin Delano Roose-
welt, Harry Truman and Dwight
Eisenhower governed Americs
from depression to war ant
peace and a new form of con.
flict, the cold war.
1t was to this theme that Mr.
Kennedy addressed himself ir
the campaign.
IT want America to move
again." he said throughout ths
country. He spoke Of q new
frontier for America in thu
1960s, Of the need for vigorou!
action to restore the Nations
place Of leadership in the world
1t is a time for greatness. hi
said, not an age for com
placency. At home and abroad
the Nation must move again
This was his message, ami
by his own actions he persona
fled the type Of Leadership
which he brought to the Whit
House today.
Millions of Americans hav
their own image Of the ney
President. In their homes, be
fore their television sets, and il
the streets and auditoriums o
their towns, they watched an
listened as Mr.. Kennedy spelle,
out the need for an attack o.
slums and unemployment, 70
increased economic growth an
for executive leadership whicl
seeks to solve the issues divid
ing East and West.
The boyish good looks, tn
rapid gestures with chin thrus
upward. the quick delivery 9
phrases-these were his trade
marks.
Time and again during tn
campaign this descendant {
Irish immigrants and hero Q
World War II invoked tn
memory of Franklin Roosevelt
He recalled the fulfillment {
the New Deal, and held fort
the promise of his own ne
frontier. He stressed the nee
for young men of talent an
imagination in the Govern
ment, for tapping the resource
of the Nations colleges an
universities and cultural inst
tutions.
If the victory he fashione
failed to match the sweepir
proportions Of Roosevelt's, h
inte ntion nevertheless WI
clear-bold action from IL
White House.
This was his promise, ar
now the time had come whit
his leadership would be teste
Before his speech the spo
light fell for a moment on
white-haired man Of SO who
demeanor was thoughtful al
whose manner was gentle.
Robert Frost rose from h
seat on the platform. walk
slowly to where the micr
phones were massed betwe,
the eight small Corinthian CT
unins supporting the roof, al
began to read what he h
described as his most nation
poem"
The great New England mr.