Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08


people and with the politics
and I think that 1t is reflected
in our speech to the Congress
in our Thanksgiving speech, in
our speech 10 the business
advisory group. in our speech
to the labor group and in our
speech to the independent
agency.
1 I have talked to the Cabinet
and to abe National Security
Council, and had talks with the
Negro leaders.
| We think that all Americans
regardless Of their party, their
race. or their region, or their
religion. have been very helpful
in helping us establish that
sense of continuity.
Finally, I think we have
made it clear that we have
embraced the programs that
we helped to fashion which are
now pending before the Con-
gress. what they are, and we
have inaugurated some new
ones.
At this time of the year, in
connection with the formation
OF our budget. to try to get a
dollars value for a dollar spent
and be sure that we spend all
that we need to, but not that
we spend any Of it waStefully.
We are Just engaging in a good
deal of introspection In that
deal, and the Secretary will
have some detailed remarks to
you, but he is going to spend
several hundred million dollars
less this year in his department
than he did last year, and he
has been reviewing this In the
last few days.
He brought us q program Of
this this morning to cut back
$4,000 Of the $4,000 civilian
employees wo are now employed
by the department.
@. He took off 29,OO03
A. $4,000.
q. Mr.. President, you failed
to mention President de Gaulle.
There have been reports from
Paris that this trip now Is in
allegiance In contrast to, say,
two weeks ago when de Gaulle
indicated that he would come
to the United States.
A. We have no definite plans
yet. and when we do, I will
make them available to you.
@. Sir, have you made up
your mind about the formal
and nature Of the press confer
ence you will hold over the
long haul?
A. No. / want to communi-
cate with the American people,
and I want to MAINTAIN accessi-
bility, and I want there to be a
free flow Of information to the
extent possible, and limited
only by security, and I should
like, Of course, after the period
Of mourning, to try to deter
mine just what would be the
most effective way, with your
counsel and cooperation.
@. Mr.. President, as you take
hold Of foreign affairs, have
you received many invitations
yet to make visits overseas to
Britain, Japan, the PHILIPPINES
and any other countries which
Mr.. Kennedy was thinking OF
visiting2
A. I would say in our discus
sions with the leaders that
most Of them expressed an
Interest in a possible visit at
sometime or other. Some were
more definite. but I would say
a goodly number. 1t is my own
feeling at the moment that
there could be a change OF
course but my own feeling is
that I will be pretty much tied
down here and will not be
leaving the country.
@. Some Of the leaders that
you have spoken with in the
past week said that you dealt
with the unemployment prob
lem. Can you tell up anything
about the expansion of the
retraining program?
A. Yes. we are very con-
cerned with the unemployment
1t is much too high. We are
going to make extensive drives
to reduce it, reduce unemploy-
ment. We are considering the
extent Of those in our new
budget that is now being for
mulated. President Kennedy
, had some plans for them ir
} reviewing those plans, we hops
to have early passage of the
tax bill. We think that it will
courage investment anC
create more jobs and reduce
unemployment. We think thai
, it is very, very important thai
, we get that bill passed as early
, as we can. We think it very
important, when the bill i.
/ passed, that 1t be retroactive tt
January /.
i. I have met with Senator
Dirksen, Senator Mansfield
! and all Of the Democratic
leaders on three or four occa.
; sions' two or three here at the
office. They had dinner with
me the other night, too, W.
have reviewed our plans, tht
necessity for making that bill
: effective January /.
= I have also talked with