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John B. OakesJohn B. Oakes
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people at the Times and I believe also at Time and Newsweek. I think he told me he had been to both those places. Whether any other newspaper, I don't know, in one day. Really he was just doing spade work, preparing the editorial background on the budget, which I had never heard of any director of the budget doing before. And obviously he did this at the White House's direction.

I had an hour or so with the president about two weeks after the assassination when I was in Washington and watched him operating then as he really operated when he was majority leader of the Senate-talking, telephone calls, long telephone calls, people rushing in and out with papers, signing, his continuing a constant monologue during the whole time. I must have been there a good hour. A little man taking pictures during a great deal of this period, just snapping pictures by the dozen, the little Japanese who has been subsequently dismissed, I think; Johnson maintaining a constant monologue.

I told him I thought the one most important thing he had to do was to preserve his health, and I don't think he appreciated that little bit of advice. But that was in early December, and that was the only time I have seen him alone, I think, since he has been president. I haven't tried to see him, as a matter of fact, although I hope to in another few weeks. I, of course, saw him when the whole group of editors, the American Society of Newspaper Editors, went to the White House a couple of weeks ago and he delivered a little speech to us all, and then naturally saw him in the White House, but just to say hello to, not to have any real conversation with. That was at a reception there.





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