het pF ed
Notes on Pre-Press Conference Briefing
November 5, 1958
Note: This press conference was held the morning after the
election which produced a "sweep" of devastating proporations
for the Democratic Party. The only single bright spot in the
picture ia that Nelson Rockefeller won his campaign for
Governor of New York State by over 550, 000.
The President had previously discussed with General Persons
and Jim Hagerty what he would say about election returns. There
was a little discussion in the larger group that assembled for the
pre-press briefing.
Bright spots are: election of a Republican governor in Oregon;
election of six out of seven in the Congressional race in Washington; Goldwater winning so handily; Mechem winning in New Mexico.
But the over-all figures are so bad as to cause the President to'
say that there are scarcely enough Republican votes to sustain a
veto,
The President said "it lookea as though what the United States
wants is to go directly to the left" and throw all responsibility into
the Federal government. He said also that maybe the size of the
defeat would bring the Republicans into one camp -- that maybe
they can now forget some of the differences they have, at least
not publicize them.
International. State has issued a flat denial to the charge by Red
China that Nationalist Chinese were using bombs with poison gas.
If the President gets a chance, he will say that Chiang is looking
for political means to win the mainiand of China, to win the hearts
and minds of men rather than to win them by force.
REPRODUCED AT THE DWIGHT D.
EISENHOWER LIBRARY
Test Suspension.
We do not have any conclusive evidence that
since October 3iet the Russians have fired at least two shots, that
ia the public line, although in fact the evidence does seem conclusive.
Conference on Surprise Attack starts on the tenth.
This is really
the Soviet acceptance of the President's open skies proposal of
Geneva, plus the Arctic proposal, This is a conference of technicians
rather than a political conference,
wennFendi
couection Confirteres
BOX No.
%
FOLDER Pree, Conferences. HLSF159