Newspaper Page Text
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OCT. 81, 1968 MERCER CLUSTER
. F. K. Assassination Made U. S. Naked To Attack
NEW YORK, For more than 80
touts* on the day President Kan
dy waa assassinated the U S. was
iwerieaa to retaliate instantane-
sly to a nuclear attack.
Jim Bishop, author ot the forth-
ruing book, “The Day Kennedy
*' Shot,” condensed in the cur-
nt (November) issue of LADIES'
DME JOURNAL, also revealed:
Members of the Kennedy group
card Air Force One conspired,
■inst Preaident Johnson’s sped-
i order, to keep the new President
I of the casket photoa when the
me landed in Washington.
Tlie time of President Kennedy’s
ath waa dalibarately changed to
least 14 minutes later, “probab-
’ to respect a religious conviction
Mrs Kennedy.
President Johnson refused to
aid Air Force One in Dellas
thout twice obtaining the specific
rmission of JFK staff member,
m.ieth O’Donnell.
These revelations by Jim Bishop
r based, in part, on the only pri
te interview President Johnson
inted on the assassination of
SKident Kennedy. “It was the
it time w had discussed it and,
im the manner in which it af-
ded him, it may be the last,’’
d Bishop in the JOURNAL
S Naked To
uclear Attack
lishop revealed that the so-
led “Bag Man,” the Army War-
it Officer who carried a locked
ache case containing electronic
raratua with which the President
il<! call for a nuclear attack, was
t for eight minutes at one point,
1 thirty at another. He is never
iposed to bo more than a few
onds from the aide of the Prasi-
it Said Bishop: ‘The Bag Man
1 come to Parkland Hospital)
h the rest of the tragic Kennedy
to reads. When Secret Service
n Lem Johns reached the hoe-
si he kept asking people, ‘Are
i the Bag Man?’ Finally, Johns
located Gearhart (the Bag Man)
and ordered him to hurry to the
side of the Vice President. But dur.
ing the eight minutes that elapsed
between the time the cars arrived
at Parkland and the moment Johns
found Gearhart, no one knew where
the Bag Man was — or who he was.
And the Bag Man didn’t know
where the President was — or who
he waa. If there was ever a time
when the United States could not
retaliate instantaneously to a no-
clear attack, these were the min
utes," stated the. magazine conden
sation.
“Had anyone told Johnson that
the frightful dedaon to launch a
nuclear counter-attack was now
hit? Had Major General Cheater V.
Clifton, Kennedy’s Military e.c.
aid, told the Vice President that it
was now within his power — with
that bag — to dial any one of sev
eral types of attack? Did Johnson
know? Had anyone ever briefed
him on these awesome and irre
vocable decisions?
“No. The United States of Amer
ica stood, for a time, naked. The
men around Kennedy had kept the
secrets of power from Lyndon John
son. Ke knew there was a man sev
eral booths away, with a Beg. But,
if the assassination was part of a
larger threat to the security of the
United States, Johnson had neither
the combination to the Bag nor the
exact knowledge of what to do with
it. And all day long on November
22, 1963, the Bag Man would be
lost and found and lost sgain," re
vested Bishop.
The condensation stated that
somehow in the flight from the hos
pital to the airport “the new Presi
dent had overlooked the Bag Man
and Major General Clifton, the
Kennedy military ade who under
stood the coded types of retaliation.
Both were left behind at Parkland.
When Gearhart and Clifton learned
that Kennedy waa dead, they hast
ened to Johnson's side aboard Air
Force One. But it took a half hour
for them to get there. If, at this
tme, the Soviet Union bad launched
a missile attack — referred to in
the Department of Defense as a
Thirty-Minute War’ — that half-’
hour lapae could have been diaas
trous," Bishop said.
Conspiracy Kept LBJ
Out of Caskot Photos
Bishop charged that the Kenne
dy group aboard Air Force One
conspired to keep LBJ out of the
casket photos. “As Air Force One
began to descend, the small group
in the back of the plane began to
plot ways and means of keeping the
President of the United States out
of the casket photoa. The world
would be watching .and the Ken
nedy! did not want the Johnsons
in their mourning pictures ... He
(President Johnson) had issued an
order for a ramp to be brought to
the plane'. The order stated that
the Secret Service men aboard
would carry the body of President
Kennedy down the ramp. The cas
ket would be followled by Mrs.
Kennedy on the arm of President
Johnson ... In the back of the
plane, Kenneth O'Donnell issued
his orders. They ,too, were explicit.
As soon as the aircraft stopped, he
wanted the Kennedy group to
crowd the rear doorway. They and
the Secret Service men would take
the coffin out of this exit and down
a fork lift. President Johnson was
not a party to this plan.
"Johnson felt that, as the new
President, he should stand behind
his fallen chieftain, and he should
offer his widow the protection of
his person. The Kennedy people
felt that this was boorish and over
bearing. The plane was still in mo
tion when they formed an unbreak
able dot at the rear exit. They
knew what was expected of them.
In the group were Powers, O’Brien,
O’Donnell, McHugh, Mrs. Lincoln,
Mrs. Kennedy and her secretary,
Pamela Hurnure, flanked by Secret
Service men.
“An engine waa still idling, when
the President came down the aisle.
He found his progress blocked. A
’male voice from somewhere said:
'It’s all right. We’ll take care of this
end.” He recognized the humilia
tion," charged Biship in the JOUR
NAL condensation.
Tim* of JFK’s
Death Changed
The official announced time of
President Kennedy’s death was 1
P.M. “Actually, Kennedy died at
least 14 minutes earlier,” stated
Bishop. “When Roy Kellerman of
the Secret Service entered the room
at 12:46, Kennedy was already
dead. This is corroborated by Fath
er Huber, the Roman Catholic
priest who administered the last
rites. When Father Huber reached
Kennedy's side, it was 12:49 —
and the President’s face was cov
ered by a sheet. The priest saw
Mrs Kennedy and said, ‘Mrs. Ken
nedy. my sincerest sympathy goes
to you.' Then he peeled the sheet
back from Kennedy’s head. The
President's eyes were closed.
’The Catholic Church maintains
that the sacrament of Extreme
Unction is not valid if the soul has
departed, but Father Huber gave
the last rites anyway. As he left,
Mrs. Kennedy took his arm.
“ ’Father,' she said, obviously
frightened, ‘do you think the sacra
ments had effect?’
“ ‘Oh, yes,’ the priest said reas
suringly. ‘Yes, indeed.’
“Outside the room, two Secret
Service men took Father Huber by
the arm. 'Father.' one said, ‘you
don’t know anything.' Huber un
derstood. Kennedy was dead, but
nobody was to know. The priest
promised not to tell. As he emerged,
reporters engulfed him with ques
tions about the President’s condi
tion. Begging God’s forgiveness for
what he was about to say, the priest
replied ‘He was unconscious.'
“Why, then, did the official an
nouncement say Kennedy died at
1 P.M.? The inaccuracy can prob
ably be attributed to Mrs. Kenne
dy’s desire to make it clear that the
President had received the last rites
of his church before he died,’’ spec
ulated Biahop.
LBJ Asked Permission
To Board AF-1
The JOURNAL condensation re
vealed that President Johnson spe
cifically asked permission of JFK
Staff member Kenneth O’Donnell
to board Air Force One. The Secret
Service suggested that President
Johnson leave the hospital at once
for AF-1, stated Bishop. “Johnson
said he would not leave, he would
not board AF-1 ‘without a sugges
tion or permission of the Kennedy
staff.’ (Secret Service agent) Rob
erts asken Kenneth O'Donnell and
O’Donnell said: 'Yea.' But Johnson
refused to move.
"Roberts returned to O'Donnell
and asked again: ’Is it all right for
Mr. Johnson to board Air Force
One now?’
“ ‘Yes,’ O'Donnell said, ‘yes’,”
Bishop revealed.
Rose Kennedy and Jac
queline Weren’t Talking
President and Mrs. Johnson
made a condolence call to Rose
Kennedy from AF-1, stated Bishop
in the condensation. During the call
"Rose Kennedy did not ask Mrs.
Johnson to switch her to Jacqueline
Kennedy, who was sitting SO feet
behind the Johnson. Nor did Mrs.
John F. Kennedy phone her moth
er-in-law. (Four months after the
assassination I sat with Roses and
Joe Kennedy at their home in Palm
Springs. Mrs. Rose Kennedy said:
‘I have not heard from ‘Mrs. Ken
edy’ since the funeral’)” Bishop re
vealed in the JOURNAL condensa
tion of his forthcoming book, “The
Day Kennedy Was Shot.” The
book will be published by Funk A
Wagnalls. November 22.
■HHHHHSS
Notes From Other Campuses
‘itisburgh. Pa (I.P.) — Car-
lie Mellon University recently
lounced a three-year $65,000,000
lital funds programs, which in
dex the creation of a Graduate
tool of Urban and Public Affairs,
i objectives of the School will he
conduct research and to edu-
i a new kind of urban expert
able at nding and deal-
wit H the w—pl« problems! of
ritiea
rdfoad. Maas. — <LP.) —
to University students have
rtumed the “publish or perish”
Dry by picking aa the beat teach
those faculty msmheas who lead
ir colleagues in publishing and
■arch. At the same tins, the
riy 1600 students who were
*1 to swains!
=her* rated lowest in
■city those faculty
> neither pnhihhed nor held te-
i«h grants. , . .
W 'tudanta war* not aware of
publishing or raoaanch activities
hit iintinutuf whan they rated
n They war* concerned merely
« the quality of their teaching
reflected hi the individual
■*• the stndUnto evaluated.
The faculty aanuhar It net bn-
to hear the neeeatity of —Hn
hsnring," comments Dr. Jack
Broader. eehSHt provost at
BRKKLKY. Calif. (CPS)—
•t 700 Drill niKj of OriMoada
Bat* held a taBy Friday to
Port •( Meierii
■iyris ISBk, the
taught by Black Panther leader
Eldridge Cleaver and other guest
lecturers.
After the rally they marched into
Sproul Hall as the 100 students
who are taking the Cleaver course
attempted to file their course lists.
Registrar Clinton C. Gilliam re
fused to accept the course lists un
less 139x bad been crossed out by
the student The students objected
because their lists had been proper
ly signed by their advisors and a
university dean. They mid they
would not cross the course off their
liats and would try to get the Reg
istrar’s decision changed.
The tally on the Sproul steps,
which had a disappointingly small
turnout brought out again the di
vision among students over how to
view the Cleaver issue.
Art Goldberg, a leader of the
ISM Pie# Speech Movement hero,
told the rally, “The Cleaver issue
to a raciaro issue. The Regents
dent want a black man to say any
thins on the eempua, except for
house niggers. I thought people
ham would realise this, but every
one keeps talking about acadatnic
credit for the course.”
Mark Rudd, chairman of Stu
dents for a Democratic Society at
rvh-M., who to in Berkeley to
tabs money for Columbia rebels
(■ring court charges, agreed with
Goldberg. He told the students that
such tomes as the Momtngride
Heights Gymn and Oohnahia’s per-
toririB to the Institute for De
base fleet jus warn “symbols” to
Negro Baptists Go Republican
National Baptist Convention
Endorses Nixon-Agnew Ticket
NEW YORK — The National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.’s
Political Action Committee, and Dr. J. H. Jackson, president of the
six-million member Negro organization, endorsed Richard M. Nixon
for Preaident o fthe United States.
Members of the Baptist Conven
tion were urged to vite for Nixon
and the National Republican Party
in an endorsing statement read by
Dr. Jackson at the Sheraton Chi
cago Hotel, Wednesday, Oct. 23.
“We believe that Mr. Richard M.
Nixon by experience and dedica
tion not only will lead his party to
higher and constructive achieve
ments but will also serve the nation
and the cause of peace as well.
“We believe this orderly change
is best at this time for the nation
as s whole.
‘There is no third or fourth party
movement among the Republicans'',
Dr. Jackson said. Therefore, they
are in positions to unit the nation
and to build on hto constructive
things achieved by the past and the
present.
“We take hsue with the treat
ment accorded to Preaident John
son by tozns members of the na
tional Democratic Party and re
commend that we protest this ac
tion at the palls by nlmtog to mp-<
port that party.” Dr. Jackson
stated.
“We believe that the nutlmal
Democratic Party to now too di
vided to be entrusted with the seri
ous lawimiaihiTtty of uniting a di
vided niton.” Dr. Jackmn con
tinued .This nation mast be united
to withstand the threats and as
saults of enemies both foreign and
domestic."
"The Republican Party has
through the primaries, its national
convention in Miami Beach, and its
campaign to the present time re
flected and demonstrated a type of
party unity on a national scale that
is most encouraging to those Amer
icans who still believe in the Amer
icon way of life."
Nixon's stand on law and order
was singled out in the 10-point
statement as being a key issue
strongly supported by the group
The Republican nominee’s position
on law, order and justice are simi
lar to the Baptist organisation's
pronouncements for fourteen years,
according to the statement.
“Without law and order there
can he no democratic society, no
United States of America, and no
means of executing justice and se
curing freedom for all,” Dr. Jack
son said.
The endorsement by Dr. Jackson
and tha Convention was the end
result of a carefully planned study
which began in early September.
During its convention, the Bap
tist organisation selected a politi
cal action committee which exam-
fated the issues, zmd listened to the
candidates
Surtax...
(Continued from Page 2)
in $5 billion deficits.
However valid this may be in
principle, the question remains as
to whether in practice a sufficient
ly low level of government spend
ing will be achieved in fiscal 1970
to permit doing without the sur
charge.
Not knowing, at this writing, who
will occupy the seats of power next
year, we hesitate to make a pre
diction on that point. But holding
spending down to a level that
makes it possible to end the surtax
should be a desirable objective
from anybody’s point of view.
We hope that the new Presi
dent, whoever he may be, is al
ready thinking and planning along
these lines. We hope that the re
tiring President is doing the same
since he will submit the first ver
sion of the budget for fiscal 1970.
Since Congress four months ago
provided for termination of the tax
increase after one year, the law
makers must have thought that
this was within the bounds of fiscal
responsibility. We don’t know of
anything that has happened since
that would compel a change in that
judgement. Making it come true
will require a lot of effort to con
trol the spending side, but it is still
worth an awfully good try.
Enactment of the surtax last
spring meant winning one battle
in the cause of fiscal responsibility.
If tee succeed in controlling spend
ing so as to permit its termination
on schedule, we will have won a
whole campaign.