Evening star., 1961-04-30
Executive

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He has surrounded himself at
the White House with a fairly
evenly divided group of bright and
brisk 'idea-a-minute" men and
old. trusted. politically sagacious
associates from congressional days
and earlier.
He has appointed more than 800
second and third-tier officials.
many of whom needed Senate
confirmation, and only one was
seriously challenged. He was
Charles M. Meriwether of Ala
bama, Mr.. Kennedy'S choice for
Director of the Export Import
Bank.
Neither the appointment Of his
brother Bobby, as Attorney Gen.
eral, the first time President has
named a close relative to the cab
met, or Of his brother n-law, r.
Sargent Shriver, as head of the
Peace Corps, drew more than
token opposition.
He has taken advantage Of the
electronic age in communications
like no previous occupant of the
White House, having held 10 ma
tionally televised news conferences
in the handsome new State De-
partment auditorium.
At his first, he got things off
winging with the dramatic an
nouncement that the Soviet Union
had released two American RB-47
flyers who had been shot down and
imprisoned by the Russians for
more than seven months.
AS he took office, the President
faced the problem of a worsening
economic slump and rising un-
employment. Some congressional
action would, of course, be needed.
But there were things he felt could
be done by executive action and
he did them.
Less than "a hours after he was
sworn in, and following a long
night Of Inaugural parties, he
ordered doubling Of the amount
of surplus foods distributed free
to needy persons in areas of
chronic unemployment.
His First Actions
Then, within the next six weeks,
ne took these actions:
Announced the start of a pilot
program of food stamp distribu-
ton, reduced interest rates on
FHA-insured mortgages and COM
munity facility loans, speeded
payment of S258 million in vet
eranS' life insurance dividends
payable in 1861.
Also, ordered the immediate
release of S724 million in fiscal
1861 highway funds, ordered faster
payment Of $25 million to farmers
for crop storage, urged State Gov
ernors, in personal kilograms, to
accelerate the spending of public
works funds, including $3.50 mil
lion for schools, Sewage-disposal
plants and hospitals and an
nounced an increase Of $500 mil
lion in Federal procurement, most
Of it military, by June 80.
The pragmatic President has
chosen the avenue Of executive
action for meeting another prob
lem-civil rights.
Not wishing to jeopardize ele-
ments of his legislative program
through deepened Southern hos
tility and possible filibustering, he
has apparently abandoned for this
year the idea Of new laws. pledged
by the Democratic platform, in
favor of an assault on racial dis
elimination by moral suasion and
presidential leadership.
Appointment Of Negroes
He appointed Negroes to high
posts in Government-two to the
White House staff. They are An
drew Hatcher, assistant press sec
retary, and Frank Reeves, special
assistant. He named Robert c.
Weaver as administrator of the
Housing and Home Finance
Agency.
If Congress approves the Presi-
dents recommendation that a new
department of housing and urban
affairs be created, Mr.. Weaver
may become the first Negro cabi-
net member.1
Mr.. Kennedy reconstructed the
Presidents Committee on Equal
Employment Opportunity, giving
it greatly increased authority to
battle racial discrimination in Fed
eral hiring and bias on the part
of those firms holding Government
contracts.
His strong statement accom-
panying the announcement of the
above action left little doubt that
he means business. He has spoken
out, too, against school desegre-
cation and the denial of voting
rights.
On Voting Rights
In addition, the President has
approved a Justice Department
legal campaign to insure voting
rights and prevent the circumven-
tion of court orders and decisions
on school desegregation.
Attorney General Kennedy has
brought suit against the State of
Alabama in voting case and last
week asked a Federal Court in
Richmond to order the reopening
of Prince Edward County public
schools on an integrated basis
and to bar State support from all
public schools in Virginia until
the order is carried out.
Mr.. Kennedy has SO imbued his
top New Frontier aides with the
idea Of fighting bias that one of
IL.