From Washington Straight

When President Kennedy cut short his campaign swing on Saturday, October 20, it was the consensus in Washington that he had taken a good look at the half-hearted crowds and decided that he should have stood in bed. The comings and goings at the White House on Sunday failed to convince the press that Mr. Kennedy was up to anything more important than covering his retreat. On Monday morning, despite loud rumors that the President was making a speech that night of “urgent importance,” the skeptics still held sway.

But as the day advanced, the White House press secretaries and spokesmen for the State and Defense Departments began deliberately to build up tension. Everything from talk of a general mobilization to even more wildly speculative talk about a “new” Berlin crisis “leaked” out of government offices. The vast Administration press apparatus moved into action until even the most dubious began to suspect that Mr. Kennedy was really planning to get off the dime.

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When President Kennedy cut short his campaign swing on Saturday, October 20, it was the consensus in Washington that he had taken a good look at the half-hearted crowds and decided that he should have stood in bed. The comings and goings at the White House on Sunday failed to convince the press that Mr. Kennedy was up to anything more important than covering his retreat. On Monday morning, despite loud rumors that the President was making a speech that night of “urgent importance,” the skeptics still held sway.

But as the day advanced, the White House press secretaries and spokesmen for the State and Defense Departments began deliberately to build up tension. Everything from talk of a general mobilization to even more wildly speculative talk about a “new” Berlin crisis “leaked” out of government offices. The vast Administration press apparatus moved into action until even the most dubious began to suspect that Mr. Kennedy was really planning to get off the dime.