-Caveat Lector-
Fascinating articles in this website about JFK's Texas trip.
http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/special/jfk/index.html
Houston Chronicle coverage:
Published Nov. 22, 1963
Edition: EXTRA
Note: This EXTRA was the first of four that the Chronicle printed that told
of the assassination of President Kennedy. The following story was printed
beneath a breaking UPI story with the headline: "Assassin's Bullets Cut Down
Kennedy, Connally in Dallas. Secret Service Man Reports JFK Dead."
This Chronicle story focused on the speech that the president was to have
given at the Dallas Trade Mart. His motorcade was heading toward the Trade
Mart when he was assassinated.
Secret Service Man Reports JFK Dead
BY WILLIAM R. MacKAYE
Chronicle Washington Bureau
Dallas -- President Kennedy had prepared in a speech for Dallasites a stern
warning against the perils of dosing the nation with a political medicine
prescribed by the far right.
In a frontal attack on the elixirs associated with Sen. Barry Goldwater (R.,
Ariz.), and the political right, the President asserted the foreign and
defense policies of his administration represent the only course of
reasonable men.
Kennedy skirted direct identification of his adversaries, as he spoke to
civic leaders in this stronghold of militant conservatism and Goldwater
enthusiasm.
But, in remarks prepared for delivery at a lunch sponsored by three leading
civic groups, he observed sharply:
"Today other voices are heard in the land -- voices preaching doctrines
wholly unrelated to reality, wholly unsuited to the 1960s -- doctrines which
apparently assume that words will suffice without weapons, that vituperation
is as good as victory and that peace is a sign of weakness."
Said the President:
"At a time when the national debt is steadily being reduced in terms of its
burden on our economy, they (these voices) see that as the greatest single
threat to our security."
"At a time when we are steadily reducing the number of federal employes
serving every thousand citizens, they fear those supposed hordes of civil
servants far more than the actual hordes of opposing armies."
"And the notion that this nation is headed for defeat through deficit, or
that strength is only a matter of slogans, is nothing but just plain
nonsense."
Gray skies glowered as the President and Mrs. Kennedy swung into the second
day of their whirlwind tour of Texas. But the forbidding weather failed to
dampen the enthusiasm of ordinary Fort Worth citizens as 3000 of them jammed
the parking lot across from the President's hotel to hear him speak briefly.
The President then hurried across the street to the hotel where another
3000, largely business and professional leaders this time, awaited to
breakfast with him at an affair sponsored by the Fort Worth Chamber of
Commerce. Mrs. Kennedy, who did not appear with him at the parking lot,
joined him at the breakfast.
Mrs. Kennedy arrived at the breakfast late, but in time to hear her husband
speak. Guests, who had expressed disappointment at first when she didn't
enter with the President, cheered when Jackie came in.
The President talked about matters directly affecting Fort Worth's economy
and linked that city with defense spending.
The Kennedys and their entourage flew into this city of aircraft industry an
cattle at 11 p.m. but even at that late hour a surprising turnout greeted
them.
The Kennedys alighted from the silvery presidential plane and, after shaking
hands with dignitaries, went to the crowd of 3000 straining against a
cordon.
On Rival's Ground
They shook hands for about 15 minutes. One enthusiastic citizen who weighed
about 250 pounds pumped Mrs. Kennedy's hand, then slapped her heartily on
the back. Mrs. Kennedy smiled gamely and went on.
At the breakfast the President served up a dish of plain talk about the
value to Fort Worth of federal expenditures in that area.
He ticked off the aircraft that have been produced in Fort Worth plants for
the national defense effort. And he told his listeners that Texas receives
about one of every 20 dollars spent on prime military contracts--a total of
nearly $1.25 billion.
Tries to Mend Fences
As he has swept through Texas to mend poitical fences, he has also made
efforts to patch up rifts in the Democratic Party which have put Vice
President Lyndon Johnson, Gov. John Connally, Sen. Ralph Yarborough and the
supporters of each at odds.
Aboard the presidential plane attempts were made to bring Connally and
Yarborough together in a heart-to-heart session in the lounge of the big Air
Force jet.
But the President's efforts seemed less than successful: Yarborough,
obviously miffed because he has not been invited to a reception for the
President at Connally's mansion tonight, said the governor was "terribly
uneducated--governmentally."
Picks Own Company
And at the San Antonio and Houston airports Thursday Yarborough declined to
ride with Johnson and rode instead with local Congressmen
