Kennedy’s Conduct Criticised

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32053, 30 July 1969, Page 17

Kennedy’s Conduct Criticised

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, July 29. Senator Edward Kennedy, deeply depressed by his involvement in a fatal accident, bos virtually ruled out any thought of seeking the United States Presidency in 1972, Congressional sources said yesterday. Although his Massachusetts

constitutents have given him rousing support with a continuing outpouring of proKennedy telegrams and letters, the Senator has not formally announced his decision to remain in political life. While few observers doubt that his answer will be “yes,” sources said that the 37-year-

old last surviving son of the Kennedy family felt strongly inclined to limit himself to the Senate.

Senator Kennedy remained in seclusion at his Hyannis Port home of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with no date set for his return to Washington

and the rough and tumble of day-to-day politics. But it was expected that he would be back before the August 13 Congressional recess.

| More Questions The circumstances of the fatal accident on Chappaquiddick Island, in which the ’ Washington secretary, Miss . Mary Jo Kopechne, drowned, . when the Senator’s car ran . off a bridge into a tidal pond 1 11 days ago, continued to raise questions. From the point of view of ■ United States national poli- > tics, it appeared that the most important were being ' raised about the manner in which Senator Kennedy hand- : led himself during the 10- ■ hour period in which he failed to report the accident to the police. “Kennedy met a crisis and equid not cope with it,” wrote ' the Washington columnist of the “Baltimore Sun,” Ernest ’ Furgurson. 1 An analyst in the “Washington Post” put it even I more bluntly, casting grave ■ doubts on the senator’s abil- ■ ity to deal with an internat- : tonal emergency if he ever gained the White House.

Nicholas Von Hoffman quoted the Kennedy words from a nationally-televised explanation of the accident last Friday,, that he was overcome by grief, fear, doubt, exhaustion, panic, confusion and shock. “Bad Judgment” “He did not say he suffered from bad judgment, so bad you might wonder what symptoms he’d display'if he got into the White House and there was a serious international crunch,” Von Hoffman observed.

‘Tear, panic and confusion aren’t the best personality traits when you have a finger on the oblivion button.

“That’s really the only part of this sad business that ought to concern us, a rare opportunity to judge a public man’s reaction to stress before we’re called upon to vote for him. Assuming Teddy’s account is factually accurate, he’s told us he’s a guy who may blow his cool." The Associated Press reported that a cover story in “Time” magazine said Senator Kennedy’s television account was a “slick” carefully-

written statement that was well delivered, with uncanny echoes of the haunting John Kennedy voice.

“Apart from its failure to answer key questions, it was disturbing in other respects. It played somewhat cheaply on the Kennedy curse and brought in more than necessary the shades of the slain brothers. Above all, Kennedy seemed to want it but at the same time he was obviously also begging to be excused.” “Often Flirted” “Time" also said that Senator Kennedy often flirted with pretty girls, was a daredevil driver, and a heavier drinker since his brother Robert, was assassinated last year.

The magazine said: “Some who have long watched the Kennedys can say with certainty that he often flirts with pretty girls in situations indiscreet for someone named Ted Kennedy. “At the same time, he and his wife, Joan, are rumoured to have had their troubles. There is no question that they are frequently separated. On one journey alone last summer, he was seen in the com-

pany of another lovely blonde on Aristotle Onassis’s yacht.”

On his drinking habits, the magazine said: “Kennedy has been drinking more heavily since his brother was murdered last year, but he is far from being a drunkard. He has been quite sober at several parties where liquor flowed freely, and a “Time” correspondent who has watched him for months has seen him drunk only once.” The report also said it was known that “some members of the Kennedy entourage refuse to ride with him because he is such a daredevil driver, and Kennedy incurred four traffic convictions in the 50s, two for speeding and two for reckless driving.”

Senator Kennedy’s driver’s licence was revoked for one year as a result of his guilt plea on Friday to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident His licence had been temporarily suspended pending disposition of the case. The Registrar of Motor Vehicles (Mr Richard McLaughlin) said that the oneyear revocation was mandatory under law.