Host Eisenhower Glum, But Guest K Is Buoyant
By ARTHUR EDSON
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (AP) ─ Dwight D. Eisenhower was glum, somber. He even looked a little peeved, as if he were faced with a visit from unwelcome in-laws.
Nikita S. Khrushchev was cheerful, bouncy and impish.
Any unbiased observer of Tuesday's first meeting between the leaders of the two mightiest nations on earth would have to concede that Mr. K. stole the show. And he would also have to say that it looked as if Khrushchev had deliberately planned it that way.
Once during the exchange of pleasantries, which went on so long it seemed more like a Senate filibuster, Mr. K. appeared to wink jovially at reporters.
And while Eisenhower was reading his welcome, Khrushchev held his black hat up to shade his eyes, thereby attracting attention away from the President.
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When it came time for Mr. K. to read his speech, he casually tossed his hat on one of the brass posts that held up the colored rope around the reviewing stand.
Through it all, his eyes darted around, like the eyes of an old ham actor who can't resist counting and sizing up the house.
No one knows why Eisenhower appeared so glum. As an old military man, he has always seemed willing to make the best of these formal occasions.
Possibly a foulup at the start put him in a bad mood.
As you may have guessed, the extent of preparations for these affairs is fantastic.
Everything is accounted for. Hundreds of hours go into planning.
Reporters were handed a detailed map of the area in which each object and each dignitary was plainly marked. For example, one spot on the map was marked "grass," which investigation showed was exactly right.
And what happened after all that scheming?
The Russian plane, which was shown heading south on the map, pulled up and stopped heading north. It had been planned the other way.
The big moment when Mr. K. met Mr. E. was on the far side of the plane and out of sight to almost everyone.
One curious note: When the party finally came walking along the 400 feet from the big, turbo-prop plane to the reviewing stand, it looked like any other group of Washington tourists ─ neat, clean, curious, but dowdy by Madison Ave. standards.
It's unfortunate the plane headed the wrong way; military officials had worked so hard, maybe too hard, at trying to get everything to run right.
The ceremonial detachment from Ft. Myer, for example, had been routed out of bed at 3 a.m. and by 5 a.m. they were at Andrews Air Base. By 5:15 a.m. they had rolled out the famous red carpet, a full seven hours before anyone needed it.
As a result of being so early, the soldiers had to work much harder.
Giant vacuum sweepers were going over the runways, sucking up trash that might foul the plane's engines. But they also stirred up dust, small bits of paper and a weed seed that looks like dandelion.
No sooner was the carpet swept than it was dirty again. Someone would take an old fashioned broom and start sweeping.
A soldier's work is never done.
Security preparations are always on the grand scale, but rarely do they reach the heights they reached Tuesday. Newsmen and photographers were put in bleacher seats directly in front of the reviewing stand and handy to the cafeteria.
But at 8:34 a.m. armed soldiers marched up, carefully guarded the gate to the cafeteria. Anyone who wished to refresh himself had to take a long detour, more than two clocks.
Still it's nice to know that even so early in the morning our doughnuts and coffee are safe.
Uncle Sam Foots Bill For Red Bear
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (AP) ─ Soviet Prime Minister Nikita S. Khrushchev and his official party ─ 63 persons altogether ─ are guests of the U.S. government during their visit in this country.
The rest, mostly newsmen covering the Khrushchev trip, pay their own expenses.
No estimate is available what the costs are, officials said. Congress allocates a certain amount every years for such purposes as state visits but the figures are not made public.
"You don't invite someone and then let him know directly or indirectly, what you spend on the dinner," a department official remarked.
