EISENHOWER - CONFERENCE t_ [ ... That news conf erence at the White H o use was a study in - sus pense . A quality beloved by nove l ists an d playwrights_ how to keep yo u breathless and wa1t1n, minute after minute. V irtu ally - in a state of suspended animation. They should take some lessons - from President Eisenhower. The suspense - of course, had been building up for long weeks. Then - case of waiting, day after day. Finally, this mornin g , it was - minute by minute. When the President faced - a record breaking news conference. Three hundred and eleven reporters and photographers jammed in the room. All - it could hold. Forty newsmen - turned away because of lack of space. No one would suspect 6ur soldier President of a genius for the dramatic - who merely wanted to keep the news reporters on tenterhooks; If d t:::taad"'=heer-r=llJ.ft, - wolR President Eisenhower knew what they had come for. The whole world apprised_ that the big announcement would be made toda~ EISENHOWER-CO FERENCE - 2 to run - or not to run . Th e reporters - eager to et the hea line 11 Yes 11 or 11 o . " o wh y keep them waiting, whil e talking a bout oth er thin s - minute after minute ? ~.Jhy the suspen se? Well, the simple fact is ' - the President had a few statements he wanted to make about other matters. Feeling - that these should be communicated. But who would have au paid much attention - after the big news was out? He began by telling the newsmen - that public support ~~ vitally necessary for the new Red Cross campaign. Then he f< spoke of Italian President Gronchi 1 who 1s on a fonnal visit ~ T u #~tl·. . . ' o i ~ ' to this coun e had . nice wor s about the President of Italy - international courtesy. By now reporters m were fidgeting like the proverbial cat on the hot g riddle. But the President went on to speak about the administration farm bill - urging speedy action in Con g ress. What did the newsmen care about the farm bill? Or - EISENHOW - CONFERENC E - 3 b out t h e upper Colorado b asin dev elopment ? That came next . ever has a irl been more anxious - while waiting for a suitor to pop the question. There were seven minutes of Presidential statements L (, on other subject s, bef ore Mr. Eisenhower said- - he had something else to discuss. Which he put in these modest words: "Now , my next announcement involves somethin g more personal. But I think it will be of interest to you - because you have asked me so many questions about it." What he thereupon said - began a new suspense. Which will continue - until the President goes on television and radio toni gh t. Ten to ten thirty - and you can get it on CBS television and radio. It ' will be on - this station. th rd "My answer will This morning, he used ese wo s: be positive. ffi mative II But he added - !Ria That is -- a r • 1 'yes" or "no" answer. There that he could not give a simP e were too many factors involved, and a fuller explanation to the American people - was necesaary. l EISENHOWER-CONFERENCE - 4 He said he would not allow his name to be put before the GOP Na ional Convention, until everybody knew and understood - those factors. Which are, ' .- the current state of his health. And - the type of election campaign he would be willing to undertake. The President added that, after he has explained these factors to the public tonight, the Republican Convention - I • might not want to nominate him. M'ost unlikely•- but here's {' / I the way the President expressed it~: - " I don I t know ,=;;e erta:bJ;y for certain - that the Republican Convention, after hearing the entire story, will want me. t " I don't know whether the people will wan me. Which certainly does keep up - the suspense. President Eisenhower declared that he hadn't made up his mind_ until yesterday. Still arguing with himself - yesterday morning. Last night, he confided his answer - to half a 1 His decision at the last minute - a dozen peop e. , EISENHOWER-CONFERENCE - 5 qu alifi e a cc eptance . A ll of which, of course, contradicts those insistent rumors - that President Ei senhower, days a g o, told Republican le a ers. That - he'd run. T oday, he said - nobody could have known his decisi on at the time. Because he didn't know it, himself. The question of the Vice President - came up. Would it be Nixon? The President would not commit himself on that ' point. He wouldn't say that he had any choice - for second place on the ticket. But he spoke in high praise of Vice President Nixon - as he has been doing all along. So that's the story at this hour - on this leap year day of Februar y Twenty -Ninth. Which had been indicated - as the da y of decision. In the morning - an acceptance. But - with qualifications to be given tonight. The long awaited answer - in two installments. EISENHOWER-CONFERENCE - 6 D ecision a y - a sort of politi 1 D-Da. Reminiscent of that famous military D-Day - in the Second World War. The Normand y invasion - when General Ike launched the f ~ces of the est against the Nazi power on the continent. Dwight David Eisenhower - having two D - Days . The react i ons are q ui c k - e l ect r i c al , i n fact . R epu bl ican l e ad e r s - n o t wai t ng for the Pre s ide n t 's qu alif y in g addr es s t o n i gh t. A l l f o r I ke - in a d v an c e o f any t h ing he mi ht ea y . On t he D emocrat i c s ide, there's immediate indication that the q u e stion of the President's health will figure promi n en t l y in the campai g n. This was indicated emphatically, today, by Democratic Chairman Butler. On the other hand, there are Democratic leaders 1111 who express their gratification - that Presi d ent Eisenhower fe~ls in g ood enough health to run for the White House again. The re a ction · ~ of the New York stock market was - as ' e x pecte d . Sc enes of jubilation, when the flash came - Ike will run. Stock brokers cheering - even dancing. Prices went soarin g to new high levels - in the heaviest ta t1 · adin g in months. Later, there was a d rop in the market, when it was EISENHOWER R EACTIO S - 2 r e lize - that the resi ent 's offer to seek re-election, depe nde on cond iti ons to be laid befo re the voters tonight. A s fo~ the interest abroad, here's a dispatch from London . Where the Bri tish Broadcasting Corporation has a poli c y of rarely, if ever, breaking into programs, To give / news bulletins. And, today, a popular favorite was being broadcast. Br itain's most popular soap opera - called "Mrs. Dale's D1ary ." Well, ''Mrs. Dale I s Diary" was on the air - when, suddenly, it was interrupted. A news announcer cutting in with the headline. " i willing. 11 Saying - Ike s After which they went on with "Mrs. Dale's Diary" Britain's favorite soap opera. DULLES cret r y o f State John Foster Dulles te tified before a S e nat e s b - c ommittee to ay d id , , an sa - it would be 'reckless" to r u le out the possibility of World War Three. Merely because the United States and Soviet Russia have reached an atomic stalemate. "Events • could happen, 11 he said, · · whi c h would lead, perhaps by successive stages, to the use of these awesome mus. weapons." Which, he added, would "inevitably destroy a g reat part of the human race." The Secretary, however, saw hopeful signs - declaring, "There is some reason to believe that the Soviet Union, itself, TI would greatly welcome relief from the present burden of armament." Explaining - that the Russian people are dissat1sf1e< with conditions. And some degree of disarmament - would enable Moscow to improve the standard of ix living. All of which was accompanied by new Democratic charges - that Secretary Dulles had been painting too optimistic a picture of the world crisis. SUB ALABAMA Monday morning, March Fifth, nine a.m. will be zero hour at the University of Alabama A f d 1 . e era judge, tonight - ordering the negro coed, Auther1ne Lucy, be admited into class at that time. On hearing the verdict, the young woman said - in a tone of triumph: I will be back 1n school Monday morning." The negro coed also demands - full privileges Dot the campus. The Judge said - he'd g1ve a ruling on that, Friday. At the same time, Judge Hobart Grooms exonerated the University officials of contempt of court. Finding - that they had not incited disorder. And were Justified in cancelling the admission of Autherine Lucy. In the race of menacing violence. Today's verdict was based on the Supreme Court decision - outlawing racial segregation in schools. The Judge saying - the Constitution must be upheld. SUB ALABAMA - 2 Testimony in court pictured~ increasing tenseness at the University City of Tuscaloosa. Opinions given that Autherine Lucy would be subject to further violence, when she attends class again. Apparently, strong protection measures will have to be taken by the State - if more trouble is to be averted. ITALY !n Italy, today, hnndreds of thousands of people prayed for the success of two operations. Performed at a hospital in Milan. Both operations - illegal. But the law is not interfering. According to the statutes in Italy, it is forbidden - for anyone to bequeath any part of his body to another. Yet a dying priest in Milan - donated . his eyes. Don Carlo Ghocchi (nyo-kee) had, for many years, dedicated his life to afflicted children. Especially those a.. who were blind. So his donation was accepted b y • hospital ~ - although it was against the law. The chief surgeon selected two children, a twelve year old boy and an eight year old girl. Each - to be rescued from blindness. Each - to have one eye. Today, the two p operations were performed - a cornea transplanted, in each case. Surgery, say the \ doctors, was a success, technically. But they'll have to eight days _ to see how it works. wait from five to 'fh8. ord spread throughout Ital y , and people went flockin to churches and shrines, praying - for the success of the ille g a l operations. ETNA ---- We've been having cold weather news from Europe. Now - fiery. About a mountain - snow capped. With extr a heavy masses of ice and snow on its lofty summit - this frosty winter. Mt. Etna, that eleven thousand foot volcano - in Sicily. Bursting - into eruption with a series of explosions - at the rate of one every two or three seconds. Each eruption hurling red hot lava ligh in the sky. Together with a burst of saoke - shaped lite an atomic mushroom. Huge puffs - one after another. As for the deep snow that had been up there covering the crater? It went up in steaa with the• first of this new series of Ut. Etna eruptions. 1/ BALLOON The Navy says good-bye - to m:mber twenty. The latest balloon - launched hitherto- drifted across the Pacific to the United States. Each one - a complete aucceaa data. in gathering sc1ent1f1c.A"'u•x Six others were loat - at sea, presumably. While two came down - 1n Soviet Siberia. ~ Those weather balloons - going the wrong way. As for Number Twenty, it was last reported seven hundred and eighty miles south of Midway Island. That wu at six P.M., yesterday - when the final signal was received • . -- - . ..{~ The balloon - 1ef!n5rtt utomatic radio aignala every two hours. No further word has been received trom Imber Twenty - which, presumably, came to grief 1 bll aomeho~. out there 1n the Pacific - South or Midway. I don't feel at all confident, reciting the ne ws , toni gh t - too much com p etition froa the ladies. Sweet feminine voices - in North Dakota. Preceding and following - this p rogram. John Boler, P resident of the Borth Dakota Bro dcasting Com p any tells ae that our CBS affiliates, in that rugged northern state, have been taken over by the women folk. The ladies - in charge of botb television and radio. This being - the leap year 4a7. North Dakota, in fact, has a woaan Governor at the moment. Janette Davis, singing star of the Arthur Godfrey show. Appointed by Governor loraan Brunsdale - as his own substitute, for February Twenty Ninth. So here's to the lady governor of lorth Dakota - in fact to all the ladies in Borth Dakota. An4, Henry, let•s not sto p there - here's to the ladi•• ev er ywhere!