Evening star., 1961-04-16
REPORT ON A WASHINGTON PHENOMENON

Charles Cooke, former staff
writer for the New Yorker and
now a Washington resident, re-
Gently attended a press confer
ence of President Kennedy for
the GeOrgetOwner. His findings,
as reported in a recent issue of
that weekly newspaper, appear
here substantially in full.
By CHARLES COOKE
Please be seated. 1 have only
one announcement to make this
morning. The Editor OF the
Georgetowner asked me recently
if would supply a description of
one of President Kennedy's new
style, istory-making press con-
ferences. as seen from inside the
television tube. Nothing pleaSes a
journalist more than to be pres
ent when history is being made, so
7 attended last weeks conference
with guSto. I am ready now to be
grilled by you good Georgetowners.
@. Mr.. Cooke, what was the out
standing impression you brought
away from 'the press conference?
A. That this country's press
corps consists of extraordinarily
sharp cookies, but that our PreSi-
dent is sharper.
@. Will you describe, sir, the
general scene?
A. Well, when my taxi rolled
up to the spanking new State De-
partment building at 9:l5 last
Wednesday morning, I gave the
driver hell. II didn't say the Shore
ham," 1 said. This is not the
Shoreham," he said: but the
marquee sure makes it look like
hotel"
Ipeered into the big auditorium,
and. seeing the red-and-black
seats and modernistic walls and
wide stage, I looked around invol-
unfairly for a movie ticket win
dow. There being none, presented
my credentials. which were care
fully examined before was waved
inside.
@. And there you found -?
A. The hall half-full of CORE
spondents-say 200 of them-and
the TV and newsreel parapher-
MALTA was all in place.
@. The time being?
A. About 9:45-15 minutes to
zero hour.
The Rising Tension
@. The sense of rising tension
was, of course. intolerable?
A. 1t was not. A few of the boys
were chatting in low tones which
the soundproofing further muted.
The rest of the boys were deep in
newspapers.
Q. You have mentioned "the
boys" twice There were no girls?
A. According to my advisers.
and I will have the full report for
you in a couple of weeks, the pro-
portion of news hens to news
hawks at these conferences is l
to 20.
@. You spoke about the para
phernalia. Would you describe 1t,
sir?
A. 1t was a Saturnalia Of para
phernalia. I countedo 18-or was
it l9-TV and newsreel cameras,
most Of them lined up against the
rear wall Of the auditorium. Two
OF the biggest were on the stage,
flanking he handsome walnut
lectern.
Also flanking the lectern were
two of the new-fangled machine
gun" microphoneS. Behind each
stood technician in man-from-
Mars headphones, who. in dry-run
target practice, pointed his fear
some instrument "a slender.
deadly looking gun-barrel feet
long-at various people. including
me. Nervous I understand
these super sensitive mikes picked
up quarterback's signals from 90
yards away at this years Orange
Bowl game. I didn't dare clear my
throat.
High up on each side of the
auditorium, in booths behind plate
glass. sat the radio crews, pa
tiently waiting. They looked. in
their wall aquariumS, like very
queer fish indeed.
The floor Of the handsome hail
was wall-to-walled with buff car
peting, and the whole pre-confer-
ence atmosphere was as hushed
as a cathedral.
BY 5 of 10, however, the 200