Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-03-12
Indians Cheer First LADY,;
Sees Holy Father in Rome

To take off her shoes, Mrs.
Kennedy first sat down at
a chair with a shoe shop foot
rest. She looked up at pho
tographers and then decided
to stand. Holding Ambas-
sador Galbraith's arm, she
kicked off her shoes and slid
into the slippers.
Then she walked to the
concrete slab where Gandhi
was cremated and placed a
wreath of white roses. The
slab had been decorated in
advance with pink and red
rose petals, spelling out "Oh
God" in Hindi. These were
the last words uttered by
Gandhi when he was shot
down by an assassin in New
Delhi.
Before leaving the memo
rial, the wife Of the United
States President was shown
a marigold tree planted by
Eisenhower on his visit to
New Delhi in December, 1859.
Mrs. Kennedy did not plant
a tree.
Keepers Of the memorial
gave her a collection of books
by Gandhi and about him,
including his autobiography.
Another gift was a small
indian spinning wheel.
Gandhi made. the spinning
wheel a symbol Of midas re-
sistance to British rule and
modern industrialization.
The crowd outside the
shrine broke into a big cheer
as Mrs. Kennedy drove off to
the United States Embassy
chancery.
Mr.. g Galbraith invited
American families to a lawn
party to see the First Lady.
Lawn Fete
She got out Of her car at
the entrance to the Embassy
grounds and walked down a
line Of Embassy staff mem
bers and families assembled
on the lawn.
Many Indian members Of
the staff were in bright ma
tional dress, including red,
blue and green saris.
On the marble steps lead
ing into the 3-year-old $2.4
million building she was
greeted by senior staff off,
cials.
Ambassador Galbraith es-
corted her part way around
a big fountain in the interior.
But instead Of making the
full circuit as scheduled, she
and Galbraith turned aside
near the midpoint and
walked over the concrete STEP
ping stones across the pool
and back to the entrance.
Altogether the First Lady
spent about Is minutes at
the chancery. cutting short
her tour Of the pool, disap-
pointing staff members who
had taken positions there an
hour earlier to greet her.
This was her first visit to
Asia and the first time an
American First Lady had
come to India while still in
the White House. She will
tour North India for nine
days and then fly to Pakistan
for a six-day visit. In Rome
yesterday Pope John XIII,
warmly received Americas
First Lady granting her one
Of the longest private audi
ences he has ever held.
With paternal affection,
the beaming 80-year-old
pontiff greeted Mrs. Kennedy
and spent 80 minutes talking
to her in French in his pri-
vate library.
Such audiences usually run
Is to 20 minutes and it was
considered unusual when the
Pope spent rs minutes with
Britain'S Queen Elizabeth II
last May. |
A crowd Of $4,000, standing
IN the rain. cheered and ap-
plauded Mrs. Kennedy as her
car left slowly through st.
Peters square while the his
toric Vatican bells rang out
the noon hour.
Hundreds surged in for a
close look as the car almost
came to a stop so Mrs. Ken
nedy could get a glimpse of
the study window from which
the Pope additionally gives
a Sunday noontime blessing
to the crowd below.
Gowned in a white brocade
coat over a black and white
Oleg Cassini dress, Mrs. Ken
nedy had stayed until l am.
at a Saturday night dinner |
party at the palace home of |
a family friend, Count Dino |
Pecci Blunt.
In Black