 The remarks of the president in a live television press conference the East Room of the White House the 4th of November 1966 Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I'll be glad to take any questions No, they never at any time considered doing it I think the best indication of My general physical condition is that notwithstanding the minor problems I have with my throat and With the little stitching they need to do the repair work is that even though I had both of those problems I Did make the Asian trip. I didn't get weary. I didn't stay tired and I got plenty of rest throughout I had the advantage that some of those that accompanied me did not have for instance from Korea to Alaska I could sleep six hours in bed that was as comfortable as a hotel room From Alaska to Washington. I could rest five or six hours and you had to sit up in a chair and Most of this awareness. I think was some of you engaging in Infrospection after you got home Estimation will the outcome of the election have any influence on the communist Willingness or attitude toward contending the war of Vietnam. I am Not a good judge of just what the communist reaction will be I Think in the past that Some foreign nations have misunderstood the American system. I Hope they will be very careful not to make any mistakes of judgment about this election. I see no reason Why? the election should greatly affect any decision they might make The president is not a candidate in this election. I cannot conceive if the people go out and vote that The decision the election could in any way change the government's policies There's no one that I know of that. Thanks. There's going to be any great change in the Senate and although my delightful friend senator Dirks Dirksen Optimistic as he is a field that there may be at least a gain of 75. I notice the chronic campaigners like Vice president Nixon have began to hedge and pull in their horns and I would doubt that there's going to be any substantial change But I could point out that there With a house of representatives. It's now 295 to 140. There could be a change of 40 or 50 as there has been on an average since 1890 and not to adversely affect the government program And I don't think it's going to affect the Vietnam situation in any event they may talk and argue and fight and criticize and play politics From time to time but when they call the vote on supporting the man the defense bill in the Senate It'll be 83 to 2 and in the house. It'll be 410 to 5 and Everybody can understand that Mr. Nixon Significant outcome of your Far East trip Think it serves several good purposes first. I think it was highly successful. I think it demonstrated to all the world That the seven participating nations were united United in their determination to support the man at the fighting front United in their determination to preserve the integrity of territorial boundaries United in their determination to develop a new Asia with prosperity and plenty United in their determination to Walk the last mile to go to any corner any time meet with any government to try to further the search for peace Several nations on their own have already communicated the Communique and the results of that conference to other Non-aligned neutral nations. Mr. Harriman on as my representative has visited several important capitals. Mr. Bundy is Presently visiting important capitals. Mr. Eugene Black is following our tracks through Asia and following up on some of the economic program I think that it put the spotlight of the world on a very neglected part of the world. I think that we Realize it two out of every three people living today live in that area and the problems are there and We faced up to those problems and presented some solutions and I think in you time you will see That they will be effective Mr. President How do you feel personally as you approach these two operations both physically and mentally for instance does your Throat hurt you when you talk. Do you have any feeling of dread about going under surgery again? no, I Don't recommend them. I don't favor them. I Don't think it ought to be a part of your vacation But those things come to you and you have to face up to them and I think that I'm very fortunate that I have a job that I can Kind of regulate myself That I have a lot of good help that I have the finest doctors in the best hospital facilities in the country and Actually after all it's not anything to make a great show over They're relatively minor Most of the people in this room have suffered to considerably more serious problems and I'll face with getting a little polyp out of my throat and I don't think it's going to be necessary that I use my throat much anyway in the next few days Mr. Bailey sir as a result of your Talks with the leaders of our allies in Vietnam. Would you anticipate that more? Manpower would be forthcoming from them in the near future for that war General S. Moreland made it clear That we would need additional manpower all the participants in the conference Heard his presentation When and as and if he asked for additional manpower We will supply it and I think that every nation involved would do what they thought was desirable and necessary to support the men that they have Protecting the territorial integrity of that area. I think it's bad for you to speculate And Andrew H. Brown figures about how many hundreds of thousands are going to be needed when General Westmoreland himself doesn't know But I think suffice to say Without involving any credibility That whatever is needed is going to be done. We're not going to leave those men there Asking for support not give it to them. I think that we Have a reasonable strength there now I think we will add to it from time to time I would hope of course that The adversary would see the utter futility Of continuing This confrontation and would agree to go from the battlefield of the conference room But until he does the men there are going to give a good account of themselves General Westmoreland said no commander-in-chief ever commanded a more proficient or competent group of men And if they need some more to help them, they'll be sent Mr. Sheriff on that point you said recently that only two nations want the fighting Continued does this mean the united states has had some positive indication from the soviet union that it would like to see the fighting stop Yes, I believe most of the nations of the world would like to see the fighting stop. I just can't conceive of Any nation enjoying what's going on and I think most of them can realize the danger of continuing this unpleasantness I don't know that Many nations have much power to do anything about it I know we want it stopped. We'd like to stop it tomorrow. We'd like to stop it today We'd like to stop it this minute We'll do anything we can with honor to stop it We seek peace we search for peace We will and do anything we can to get peace except surrender We're not asking Any unconditional surrender on the part of the adversary. We're just saying to them come in the room and let's reason together Let's talk out our difficulties And they refuse to do that Now I don't know why they refuse to do it I think that as time goes on and they see that That is the better course. I hope they will do it and when they do They will find us a willing participant in any meeting that Can be agreed upon Could you be more could you be more specific sir about the soviet position? I said that I thought every nation except to our adversaries Would like to see the fighting stopped I'm not a spokesman for the soviet union I cannot Speak for mr. Bresnick or mr. Kosigan or mr. Kramiko But I have every reason to believe That they would like to see the fighting stopped as much as we would like to see it stop And I think everybody else in the world would like to see it stopped Perhaps the north vietnamese would like to see it stopped, but our communication is bad and at least up to this time We have been unable to convince them that the way to stop it's to come to the conference room Now we don't know why we wish we did know why We'd go more than halfway if we just knew which way to go Mr. Harrowman's going one way now and mr. Bundy's going another way now and mr. Black's going another way And mr. Rusk will be going to NATO meeting and I asked him to go back through asia on his way there the other way around but Until we can Reason this thing out. We must maintain the strength to defend our men and to defend territorial integrity of the Boundaries of our allies We intend to do that Mr. President Mr. President the pope is reported to be mounting a drive for another christmas truce Accompanied by another pause in the bombing would our government be receptive to that? I would not want to speculate. I don't know what proposals His holiness might make Whatever proposals he made would be very seriously considered evaluated I can't conceive of Anyone feeling that one side ought to stop bombing and the other side ought to continue it I Would hope that to all these Talk about stopping the bombing would have some reference to the bombing that they did on independence day When general westmoreland them a day before yesterday and tended to go out to a ceremony they were having and They tried to bomb the place where he was supposed to sit I would hope that some of this stopping the bombing Agitation would be directed to the folks that throw the bombs at our embassies In Saigon we've never bombed the north vietnamese embassy We have never bombed their population sure we try to hit a military target a petroleum target Our electric plant But here they come in and try to bomb the Seats where our ambassador Where the head of state? Where our general commanding forces and if they want us to stop bombing We thought to see what they're willing to stop and we'll be glad to Carefully consider anyone's proposals that represent two-way streets. We don't want to talk about just half of it though Mr. President In view of the north korean attack on an american patrol In korea could you assess for us the situation at the 38th parallel today? We have had some increased incidents there of late Uh, we Are filing a very strong protest for this totally unjustified murder of six of our men We Make the strongest representations We would hope that it is not indicative of any continued desire on the part of the north koreans to violate the terms of the armistice and certainly the United States of america does not prepare Plan to violate the terms of that armistice and we hope they won't either Miss means Just the cancellation of your big campaign trip mean that you do not intend to do anything to help democratic candidates before elections such as one little speech in texas or maybe a campaign tv pep talk before election First, uh, we don't have any plans So when you don't have plans, you don't cancel plans Uh, we get invited to come to most of the states In the last six weeks, we've been been invited to 47 of the states by the candidates for governor of the senate of the congress We've been invited on nonpolitical Invitations to the other three states, I might say but We have not accepted those invitations We do contact the local people who extend them. We do Investigate in some instances going there and we do express the hope that we can go But until it's firm until we know we can we do not say we accept and schedule And the people of this country ought to know that all these council plans Primarily involve the imagination of people who phrase sentences and write columns and Have to report to what they hope or what they imagine we We have no plans for any political speeches between now and the election we know No requirement that we forego them. I just don't think they're necessary and I have had Very active year and I would hope I could spend a relatively quiet weekend And go vote on Tuesday morning I hope every American will go vote on Tuesday morning and if they do I have not the slightest doubt But what their good judgment will prevail and the best interests of our country will be served But I have no plans to make any speeches I have Not canceled any plans that I had agreed to Although I did express the hope early in the year That I could visit as many states as possible And I visited approximately 30 this year which sets some kind of a record itself If I do Schedule anything between now and next Tuesday I would feel that I had perfectly liberty to do so and if I did I'd give you due an adequate notice Mr. Rather Did you to give us your estimate of whether the inflationary pressures on the economy are easing up or increasing at the present time? Well, there's been a very healthy movement toward price stability in recent weeks On the economic front, I wouldn't say in the newspapers or the radio television, but the the statistics Would indicate that The Department of Labor This morning released the wholesale price index In october from february through october that's roughly 10 months We've had only a gain of eight tenths of one percent and the index released Shows that we had a decline of six tenths Of a percent from september and it brought the average level of prices back below any month since june So I think that that's a Very healthy movement I want to reiterate that while we have had some gains some increases in prices That that's been brought about by increases in wages that we thought were very desirable in the low Earnings group The lowest paid people in this country got some increases the hospital workers the bus drivers The the lower paid group and that did bring up prices some you can't do it without it But prices have increased less In the six years of the kennedy johnson administration With vietnam on and all the pressures that it brings They've increased less than it did the previous six years In the isnow administration But the wages have increased much more And you have more money To pay the increased prices with and you did in the previous six years Six years So I don't think anybody can make much out of that all you got to do is say well now if you're worried about inflation You an expert on it because you had a much better record in that field than we had Mr. Spivak Mr president, uh, as you know an aura of mystery has developed around the assassin Around the assassination of president kennedy and I'm thinking of two or three books That were written and some lawyers and others casting doubts on the works of the war and commission now, uh The case as I understand was based on the alleged mysterious disappearance of photos x-rays and so forth Now the justice department discloses that the kennedy family had these documents They've now been turned over to the national archives I wonder why that was not disclosed before and also why this material is still not available to competent Non-government investigation. First, I think it's been available to warn commission any time it won't see it Second, I think it's available to any official body now third, I think that every American can understand the reasons why we wouldn't want to have the the garments and the records and everything paraded out in every sewing circle in the country to Be exploited and used Without serving any good or official purpose and As my understanding all this took place While I was away, but it's my understanding that there's never that most of this been over in the archives stored all of All the time that's always been available to warn commission and the government to justice department fbi to The late beloved president's brother was attorney general During the period to warn commission Was studying this thing and I certainly would think he'd have a very thorough interest in seeing that Truth was made evident and I believe he did have and I think that he and the fbi and The entire government made available everything at the commission wanted. I think they made a very Thorough study. I know of no evidence that would in any way cause Any reasonable person to have a doubt about the warn commission But if there is any evidence and it's brought forth, I'm sure that the commission and the appropriate authorities will Take action that may be justified miss miss mclendon Sir, I know that you've been interested in doing something for the spanish speaking people of the country But would you fill us in on your plan somewhat? well, I've been interested in Seeing that the spanish speaking people of the country were treated equally ever since I've been in public life I have Had very excellent cooperation from them. I've appointed good many of them to very high places and The government I have done what I could to improve their economic conditions by passage of legislation I think would be helpful I've tried to do what I could to provide equality of opportunity and employment in education In health and in other government programs and as long as I am in this office I will try to see that all americans are treated equally and I have a very special fondness for the spanish americans because I grew up with them I learned to speak their language as a child I went to school with them. I taught them and I've been getting them to vote for me for 30 years Miss bell last week senator barry goldwater predicted that ronald reagan would win the governor's seat in california by either a minor or a major landslide Would you care to give us your assessment of the governor's race in that state? I would just express the hope That there's been no improvement in mr. Sundergo water judgment since his predictions are 64 And when I see these predictions about elections, I would commend to all of your attention before you use your the people's airwaves and The advertisers columns that you review their predictions two years ago And four years ago and see just how accurate they were. I did that the other day I went back to the predictions of how many seats they were going to gain 64 instead of gaining they lost How many seats they're going to gain 62 and what was going to happen in 60? and I just hope that the predictions of senator goldwater and senator dirksen And the ex-vice president nixon are as accurate this year as they were then I found them Very undependable as profits, although they're fine individuals Mr. Eaton Sir, uh, do you can you evaluate the prospects for a tax increase in view of the price developments that you announced earlier? We have the appropriation bills being evaluated the moment They are 1250 separate appropriations They will cover 2,500 various items fields We're going to withhold as many of those appropriations as We feel that we can in the national interest we hope to Announce those or sometime between now and the end of the month or the early part of next month During that same time, mr. McNamara has got his fine tooth comb and reviewing every request of the military to see How much we can forego of the requests they've made When we get that request as we hope to uh before the congress gets back here We'll then look at the revenue figure And their indications now that we've had a great increase in revenue And if we did not have to have a Substantial supplement, I think we will have to have a substantial supplement I don't think we need any tax increase at all But our tax increase will be determined largely by how much I can cut out of the appropriations the congress made And how much our Men the fighting front will require in the way of equipment and support For the rest of this year. I will know that Sometime the early part of next month and as soon as I know it I will make appropriate studies and recommendations That will be available for the congress When they come back Mr president Since the manila meeting there's been some Uncertainty as to how to interpret the withdrawal terms that were included in the communique yesterday, for example, mr. Nixon said that It appeared that you had proposed Seven parts that proposed getting out in a way that would leave south vietnam the mercy of the vietnam Could you comment on that? I would be glad to comment on the communique. I do not want to get in a debate on foreign policy meeting manila with a chronic campaigner like mr. Nixon he He it's his problem to find fault with his country and with his government during a period of october every two years And if you look back over his record, you'll find that true He never did really recognize and realize that what was going on when he had an official position in the government You remember what president eisenhower said that he'd take if you'd ask to give him a week or so He'd figure out what he was doing now since then He has made a temporary stand in california and you saw what the people What action they took out there? Then he crossed the country to new york Then he went back to san francisco Hoping that he'd be in the wings available if go water stumbled but go water didn't stumble and now he's out talking about a conference that obviously He is not well prepared on or informed about You can read the communique and I think it's very clear that the seven participants in that congress conference felt that they wanted the entire world to know that if infiltration would cease If the aggression would cease If the violence would cease on from the standpoint of our adversary That the allies would gladly reciprocate by withdrawing their troops And that they would withdraw them in the period of not to exceed six months now Most of the nations if not some of our own citizens most of the countries know That we do not plan to occupy vietnam or dominated or try to determine its official life once the aggression and the infiltration and the violence there ceases But some of them can't understand because I guess they wouldn't make huge investments and walk off and leave them how we could do that Well, we have explained that we'll pull out just as soon as the infiltration the aggression and the violence ceases And we made that statement and we set a time limit on it Why would we want to stay there if there was no aggression if there's no infiltration and the violence ceased We wouldn't want to stay there as tourists. We wouldn't want to keep four hundred thousand men there just to March up and down the runways at cameron bay but We felt that if we stated to glan and each of us subscribed to it including the government of south vietnam that they would Ask us and ask all the other allies to withdraw their forces if the other side withdrew them And if the infiltration ceased and if the violence ceased that it would Probably clarify Our position now We think we did that until some of the politicians got mixed up in it and started not trying to clarify it but confuse it and it shouldn't be confused every Participant in that conference Acting on good faith were the best of motives wanted to say to north vietnam and every other nation in the world That we intend to stay there only so long as our presence is necessary to protect the territorial integrity Of south vietnam and to see that the violence there ceases And the infiltration and the aggression ceases Now they know that and we ought to try to confuse it here And we ought to try to get mixed up in the political campaign here Because attempts to do that was going to cause people to lose votes instead of gain them And we ought to have men killed because we try to fuzz up something Our position is clear. We don't want to occupy that country We didn't want to occupy the dominican republic We went in there Because our people were being shot at Because aggressive forces wanted to establish a form of government That was not in keeping with the will of the majority of the people of that country And once we were able to let the people have a free election Supervised election let the majority speak its will we pulled our troops out and came home That's what we will do in south vietnam The aggression and filtration the violence ceases Not a nation there wants to keep occupying troops in south vietnam and mr. Nixon Doesn't serve his country well by trying to leave that kind of impression and hope that He can pick up a precinct or two or awarded to mr. davis In that connection, uh president marcus of the philippines has called for an all asian conference Do you see that this might carry on the work that began at manila? Well, I think that asians Who have these same entries same problems Not only have the right but the duty To take such initiatives as they may think is desirable That's a matter for Them to decide now if you were talking about I think it's one thing to decide Which asians are going to participate in that conference where it's going to be what kind of a conference What governments are going to be invited? We have encouraged regional meetings That's not a matter for us to decide it's a matter for asia what the policy of the united states government is to Encourage the people who believe in freedom in asia to get together And to talk out to their problems and to try to find solutions for them