News Source

At his sixth press conference, the President again made a lot of news--enough to give the New York Times nine major stories from the conference. Samples:

P: A reporter's request for an analysis of the Communist peace offensive got a reply that disclosed the Administration's attitude toward the new Communist peace offensive. Without forgetting past history, the President said, the U.S. Government should take at face value every offer, until it is proved unworthy (see above).

P: The President answered mildly and clearly a storm of provocative questions about the McCarthy affair (see below).

P: Ike quickly scotched a report that he would leave the cutting of U.S. combat strength to Secretary Wilson. The size of our armed forces, he said, would conform with what he always goes back to--George Washington's old precept of a reasonable posture of military defense. The responsibility for cutting would not be one that he would delegate.

P: Reciprocal trade agreements are being re-examined carefully, the President said, and it is still too early for comment. Meanwhile, he favored extension of the agreements for one year.

P: Newshen May Craig was worried about the Government's huge surplus butter stores (TIME, April 6), and Ike indicated that he was worried too. He hoped that Congress would give him the responsibility for finding outlets for the butter before it spoils. It would be a crime to civilization and to ourselves, he added, to allow it to spoil. He couldn't imagine anything worse when people are hungry.

P: A query about Republican prospects in 1954 drew a smile and a quick reply from the President. It is just as simple as looking at the palm of your hand, he said. If the Republican Party can show as its record over the next two years a progressive, sane program of accomplishment, which takes care of the welfare and interest of all our people and doesn't give itself away to any group or class, and if that program is properly advertised, the G.O.P. will be back with a very greatly enhanced majority.

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