Evening star., 1961-02-18
President Sees
Thompson for
TaIkson Soviet
Hurrimon, Bundy
Join Conference on
Russian Problems
BY CECIL HOLLAND
Star Staff Writer

BY CECIL HOLLAND
Star staff Writer
President Kennedy held q
two-hour conference today with
Llewellyn Thompson, the United
States Ambassador to Moscow,
and other administration policy
makers on Soviet relations.
At the last minute the Presi-
dent Cancelled plans for a week
end stay at Glen Ora, the estate
he has leased in the Virginia
hunt country near Middleburg.
because Of the bad weather.
The meeting on American
Soviet relations was one of 6
series called by the President
since Mr.. Thompson came
home Tor consultation.
Participating in the meeting
were Averell Hartman. the
Presidents rowing Ambassador
McGeorge Bundy, his specia
assistant for National Security
Affairs; Assistant Secretary Of
State Foy Kohler. and Charles
E. Bohlen, one of the State
Departments top experts or
Russian affairs.
Exploration Of Views
At the conclusion Of the meet
ing, q White House spokesman
said:
This is a continuation of q
series Of meetings which wa!
started last week by the Presi-
dent and those participating ir
them. The real purpose Of these
discussions is to give the Presi-
dent a fuller understanding Of
the situations involved in oul
relations with Soviet Russia
and to better acquaint Mr.
Thompson with the views OF
the news administration.
"They are not trying to reach
decisions or chart policies. This
is more or less an exploration
Of views-an exploration Of re-
lations between the two coun.
tries"
Mr.. Thompson is scheduled
to return to Moscow next week
Meets Mexican
Before the top level meeting
the President received Mario
Moreno Cantinflas, the Mexi-
can comedian, who was &C.
companied to the White House
by Mexican Ambassador An.
tonic Carrillo Flores.
The President told them, the
Ambassador reported. that he
wished for even better ties be-
tween the United States and
Mexico. He told Mr.. Cantin-
flas that he knew how vel
the Mexican people loved him
and wished him the best OF
success.
Earlier the President an.
nounced two additional ap.
pointments in his administra.
ton.
He said he intends to ap-
point William ]. Driver. 43, oi
215 West Columbia street. Falls
Church, Va, as deputy admin
iStrator of the Veterans Admin.
iStration.
Mr.. Driver, native Of Roch-
ester. N. Y, has been with the
Veterans Administration since
1916. He is director of chief
benefits and in his new posi-
ton will receive $20,500 a year
Picks Envoy to Wet Nam
The President also an
nounced his intention of ap-
pointing Frederick E. Noting
jr., 40, as Ambassador to Wet
Nam. Mr.. Noting. a native
of Richmond, Va, is now Dep
uty United States Represen-
tative to the North Atlantic
Council. He entered the State
Department in 1916 after war
time service in the Navy.
Yesterday the President met
with DR.. Shane MacCarthy, ex-
ecutive director of the Presi-
dents Youth Fitness Council.
DR.. MacCarthy is leaving
this post to return to private
life but agreed to remain until
his successor is named. The
White House said the Presi-
dent thanked DR.. MacCarthy
for his exceptional contribu-
tions to the highly important
task of alerting the Nation to
the youth fitness problem"
Asked whether he had taken
the initiative in resigning, DR.,
MacCarthy said:
People hardly take the ini-
tiative in things like that. A
new man is going to be ap-
pointed to my position"
Another caller was Senator
Hayden, Democrat of Arizona,
and the call marked the Ari-
zona Senator's 49th year in
Congress. He was elected to
the House eight times and has
been elected Senator six times.