THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1961.
PROFILE OF THE MAN WHO GAVE BALL-POINT PENS TO WEST BERLINERS......
By Simon Kavanaugh And a book to the
LYNDON BAINS JOHNSON will go down in
history as the Vice-President who gave beads
to the natives.
His meteoric, brilliant rise to fame as America's Senate leader will be lost in an inglor ious postmortem of the day in 1961 when he bolstered the morale of West Berliners with ball- point pens.
Like his silk shirts and
cuff-linke they
gold
the monogram LBJ.
bare behind you" enimpaign in thues
Eand.
cam-
Aut far as Johnson is cerned this sperinlity selling of his image is quite OK. Every- Ching about the big-hearted 15 It 3 Texan is tatper than life. His whole family LB-hi wife is caffer Lady Bird, his ten daughters have bk initials, hid answers Krapte Julian."
"Sit
'All the way
His luxurious Texas home-it Jas telephone in a hollow tree hear the swimming pool-is the LJ ranch.
From its natherut, bojow the Stars and Stripes aml the Texas day, he thes the LB3 pennant.
And hi lagun for successful attempt to run for President was: "Co all the way with LBJ."
au un-
Unti Jack Kennedy came to power in 1060 the 52-year-old ex-secretary to compressa?
was almost unknown outside the US. Then, as Kennedy's mouth- partes, he icenly hit the fagad- lines in a gigantic "America is
le campalited in typleat Johnson Južn
In Pakkatin
* * Jis hows no anstous time when he leapt from his car to greet a "You come nun ramel driver.
see me in Amerlea," he satcl.
He meant it and when screamed hendinen "Humble comel driver will Hy by jet to America" he promised the astonished Pakistani A Wirin Texas welcome.
Hongkong
The Times of Indin was not f sympathy with his benevo- tence. It rainured that Asian would be swayed by opinion what occurred in Geneva and Lans and by speciile pulicy commitinents of the US, father than by unfair atinospture and the strenuous leamanship of well-meaning US visitors."
By the time he was back in Washington, after
mother on a
percentage
Nancy
by
Banks-Smith
AVERY top-pop moppet in the spotlight has a
EVERY
Jane waiting in the wings. Pulling
the
Governor of Hongkong
handing the Governor of Hongkong 1 copy
of "Profile of Courage”—and taking time off to buy 82 Hongkong-made shirts for
personal staff-the New York Times was anying: "We seriously doubt if Mr Johnson has helped the Chuse of the ts. very much hy behaviour which ni imes seemed more re miniscent of election cam- paigns in Texas............
But whatever feelings John- you back-sluppo toor may have rolled in Western bassies and In the Krendin, he emuinely does feel for people Happed in misery und squalor
Television
Texas, as far as Lyndon John- con is concerned, is Gue's uwi country. He was burn 1 4 armhouse at Stonewall In 1908. His father and grandfather were backwours radicals in a state of 267.339 square miles of forests, deserts, offlelds, hills, plains, a
elties and ranches.
Lyndon Johnson has the shurp eyes of a Texan cattleman. A Texan hat sits naturally on his head. He talks Texan and he married a wealthy Enst Texas kirt who now OWNS Television station in the TexaN state espits-Austin.
He has built voles and repu- Istion lenking after Texas. But althungh he carries the bulld and the ability of Texans think big, Texas has been his political undoing.
Me is a vietim
geography.
He remains of
Capitol Hi
of politicul
Washington's
when, but for
Texas, he might have led the
nation from the White House,
The right
side
LYNDON JOHNSON
fortified
BERLIN CRISIS
"When we take over that side we will protect the people from these disgusting Free Elections"
LOW
Wartal Klaperight by arrangement with the Manchester Guardian
Mr Biddle keeps
an eye on
La La
Tra
the
case
JEAN CAMPBELL'S NEW YORK NEWSLETTER
It was the home of playwright
Whon Kunitz finished the plea Eugene O'Neill and today it is the court thundered applause as of the United it the first set of a great play
had just finished.
New York. RANCIS BIDDLE, the St Tropez F
now 75, has pub. States. lished his autobiography
'The Bitle courtroom WDB -A Casual Past and packed with people, and
The
very fascinating it is to trial was the editor of the
Iterary magazine called students of the New Provincetown Review. Deal. For Francis Bid-
He had published a short story
a
Judge Welsh flushed a healthy hot. pink and asked everybody wha
had clapped to leave the court.
Half the court rose and among the buarded artists, the beatniks, and the girls with their Brigitte Bardot hairstyles Lnoliced dle, like Franklin D. with the haunting name of Tra solitary figure with bushy eye- And a small clipped La. The Provincetown police browa with their royal blue uniforms moustache who looked as if he pro- and handsome black leather had just come off his own York- boots decided that Tra La La ghjë grouse moor. He strode was obscene.
to the front of the court and
"Are
Roosevelt, was a rabid Democrat with labour convictions.
Both men were aris- They had arrested the editor said to the Judge: tocrats. Both went to the and he was being tried before telling me to leave the ecurt
Judge Richard Welsh a burly same schouls-Groton and Boston Irishman with black eyes
Harvard. Both were accused their of being traitors to own patrician class-u class which was expected to vote Republican and steer fairly clear of political office.
In 1941 President chose Francis
that roller as he spoke.
'No'
you
The judge asked him if he had elapped. The man said no, he had not clapped.
Sitting on the defence banches were five of America's leading literary pundits and publishers in solemn dark clothes.
They had flown to Province- town_to_defend the honour of
Tra La La
I was Francis Biddle, ex- Roosevelt On the prosecution side sat Aftorney-General of the Ứnited
Roman Biddle as his the
Catholic priest, States. At the age of 76. he and he ze silent, but watching the judge had come to the little court-
Raze. with a stendy
Stanley roum by the sea to hear of the the Pulitzer Prize fate of the short story Tra La Kunitz,
La. winemg puet and prufessor came to the witness box.
He described the story of Tra La La, saying that it was about a girl from Drooklyn who was a fleshy embodiment of the war psychosis itself.
He enlisted-the Orst Con ranch that is still gressman to do so-three days against the Indians. after Pearl Harbour (December His political enemies, only 10, 1941),
to the rank of Loo aware of his gule, rail: Lleutenant-Commander la the him "Lyin' down Johnson." Presidential Navy In the
ant bowed out of the But in spite of their jibes be Attorney-General nomination within the De- Pacle with a Silver Star for has much to show for nine mained in this post until 1946. mocrat party he had 18 gallantry.
hectic years as "Mr Democrat." I met Francis Biddle a few AN chairman of the Senate days ago In the strangest and Vole light for Texan
By 1951 he
unexpected Democrat Preparedness Sub-Committee he most especially natung the oil
whip in the Senate. A year was involved in the defence cumstances. men of Dallas and Houston Inter he headed the first effec
issue when the Soviet launched who were not happy with tive Senate minority ngain!
its first Spinlic. The commli- his liberal approach to the Elsenhower. Three years Inter
tee's report was so broad Negro question.
he was struck down by a heart non-partisan that Republicans attack,
signed it as well as Democrata
Northern Democrats might have run him for President had
of the diplomatie tracks the up-to-Mason-Dixon line.
was
strings. Answering the phone and saying the been born on the right side power that he wields Johnson right things. A chaperon.
an
it's an out-of-date job that has become the-minute necessity as singers aro hatched younger and youngor, bursting from their schoolgirl shell into big-money show business.
Just such a golden gosling and
her Mother Goose Blew In to
"I answer her fan mail. She
London last week. Linda Scolt just hasn't time for everything.
The North went only part of the way with LBJ. Tainted with the place of his birth he com promised within the party and ended by serving Jack Kennedy, almost ten years his junior, Boston-accented Catholic mil-
roiitical experience.
is just 15, has been one year on remind her to write home lunaire with Infinitely the stage and twice in the and sometimes I have to do American top 10,
With her came June Jane that for her too."
White, who In
..."jate her thirties" is the woman who sent
She
3
says
Linda's rose-tinted mirror.
"When I'm kinda low," this schoolgirl heading for Linda, "Jane наук You loul the golden disc that pop alers great Just Kreat. Everybody get when they have sold 1,000,- Reeds somebody to say they look
00 records.
grunt when they ain't." She is also the buster
that
prufects Linda from the conse- quences of fame.
They looked like
an
She Is Linda's punch bag. "When I get real crabby and blow nff steam, I blow it off at I yell at her and feel
oll- Jane. Linda in a beatnik sheath "That way she keeps her best bought in Greenwich Village, face for her fans,"
American mother and daughter. better."
her wide, surprised even enlarg shrewdly.
ed with pencil, Jane, dark hair
trimly curled, wearing a tensible
blue suit
arti
sensible shoes,
spectacled, smiling, ever-present They
and on her guard,
says Jane
A CAR
а
less
It should have been
a bitter rangy, disappointment. But the Namboyant leader of the American Senate shrugged it off don't think anyone with: "I
the South
be from
will nominated during my lifetime." And he graciously admitted that he land nelther the
training nor the temperament for the executive end of things.
Commonsense
He is in fact a legislator. He has created a powerful political go shopping together.m.achine worked by a staff with "I'm not extravagant," auida
payroll ut almost half a But Jane is neither a momma Linda. I only buy things million dollars, nor a manager. She's a 1901- really like. This dress, for style chaperon, n kanny tu a instance, and that crazy sports babe on the stage.
car I'm gonna got when I'm old enough for a lleence."
Jane sald prosaically: "You haven't eaten since we landed. Let me get you a tunn Ash andwich. She just loves tuna fish sandwich."
A LETTER
Jane arrived in Linda's life when she was 13. Linda ex- plained: "My mother wanted me to get into professional sing ing, so she made me write a lets fer to Janc because she'd read About her producing TV qulz shown,"
Linda admitted her addiction for tuna fish, but insisted the didn't eat on tour.
He has his Anger on the pulse of the Senate and has an un- canny knock of forecasting the way it will vote. Itis reputation for winning over senatora in legendary. He gives them the full Johnson treatment
Wayward
-flattery, a trace of menace, asi appeal for loyalty and just plain commonsense advice.
And he fallows it up with the They_argued about II, but it laying on of hands"-back- was Jane who gave way. stepping, hearty handshaken, the "Linda's * real Independent regular guy iquch, It In the
"It was really junt a dorling girl," she said, with practised most effective political weapon letter" nak! Jnne, who took the calm. "You golla koop this In Washington. gawky, golden goaling under her kind of retailonskip on 4 wing and, with A mixture of friendly basis."
kindness and cuteness, groomed, "Jane tolla me what The bollyhosed, promoted, and sold thinks — then I make up, my Jer.
own mind," salā Linda, suddenly Linda hit the top. Her Arst recognisable as the employer. record sold more than a mullen. "But I'm real attached to her. Jann hit bottom. Her
qula "gho remembers the tooth- shows closed,
poole. An Artist has gotta Be pho joined Linda's payrolt have someone wia remembere
(London Express Service),
a moltur-un-a-percentage. the toothpaste,"
She in Inlaide's "ghost,”
He arrived there in 1991 from after graduating teachors" training college nas). (enching "public spaak- ing at Houston "high school Four years later he became a Roosevelt protege and in 1937 ran for Con grow as a New Dealer.
For all the damboyance and
has a reputation for compro- mire. "I would rather win convert than an argument" is part of the philosophy of man who spends lavishly, col-
suits for lects expensive hobby and lives
建
A
an
2
dude
Ap
of
clr
Hell town
Massachusetts.
Moral
After the case was over Biddle invited the defence attorney, the defence witnesses, their wives and me to a lunchopa-In
seafood restaurant.
He discussed the Appeal plans. For the editor had been found guilty and fined £960. Tra la la, like Joyce's Ulysses and Lawrence's Lady Chatferley
He believes firmly in The setting was a small court- Nato and his attacks on room la the seaside resort of Communism roused Krys Provincetown on the tip end of
Cod In
He said it was profoundly was jostling with United States chey to greet him in New Cape
Provincetown WAS the Arat moral tale written in the Zola Justice and he, tho York with: "I have never landing place
gentle. of those Pilgrim tradition. Seldom, he said, had voleed, aristocratic lawyer from met you. But I have read Fathers, but since that Novem- he seen vice been made to seem Philadelphia intended to watch nil your speeches and I de ber day 11 has been called many so distasteful. It was a tale of every move of the joust.
sin and retribution. not like any of them." things Including "hell town."
~~(London Expreza Bervice).
"Why I'm so pleased with you, Gagarin and Titov, is that
you actually wanted
Cummingia
to come back to us!"
THE COMMUNIST PARADISE
EXIT
Lyndon Mejrass Berylon