Skip to main content
The largest online newspaper archive
A Publisher Extra® Newspaper

Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 52

Publication:
Arizona Republici
Location:
Phoenix, Arizona
Issue Date:
Page:
52
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

ALL EDITIONS 1 34 The Arizona Republic Phoenix, Dec. 9, 1972 Earl Warren LBJ's fear of nuclear war related By FRED BARNES Washington Star-News Service WASHINGTON Former Chief Justice Earl Warren says that President Johnson expressed to him the fear that the assassination of John F. Kennedy might lead to a nuclear war. It was Johnson's expressed apprehensions about a possible international conspiracy and a nuclear war, Warren said, that persuaded him to accede to the president's request to head the commission investigating Nov. 23, 1963, killing of Kennedy.

In the days following Kennedy's death, Johnson indicated he was so concerned about the possible outbreak of war that he asked Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara for an estimate of how many Americans would die if the Soviet Union launched a nuclear attack, according to Warren. McNainara responded with an estimate that 60 million Americans would be killed, Warren said Johnson told him. The former chief justice gave an account of his White House meeting with Johnson in an interview for the Public Broadcasting Service. The interview, taped in May, will be shown in Washington on Monday.

Warren, who was chief ius- tice from 1953 to 1P69, said Attorney General Robert Kennedy and Solicitor General Archibald Cox 1 came to the court shortly after the assassination to ask him to head the commission. But Warren said he refused, citing his belief that it would be "a departure from the judicial process" for him to take the post. He told Kennedy and Cox of other justices who had taken nonjudicial posts while sitting on the court, Warren said, adding that he "thought justices should never do anything of that kind again." Two hours after Kennedy and Fox departed, Warren said he received a telephone call from Johnson asking him to come to the White House. When they met, Johnson "told me he felt conditions in world were so bad at the moment that he thought it might even get into a war even a nuclear war." President mentioned rumors that were circulating to the effect that Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev of the Soviet Union and Premier Fidel Castro of Cuba had been responsible for the assassination of Kennedy.

Then Johnson repeated his request that Warren take over the investigation of the assassination, said Warren. "Well, Mr. President, if in your opinion it is that bad, surely my personal views don't' count," Warren said he responded. Did Johnson overstate the danger that was facing the country? "I have no way to substantiate his statement in that regard," said Warren in the interview. "I never saw any indication we were near a war of that kind." Warren also said he had neither seen nor heard of any evidence that contradicted the finding of the investigative commission, which became known as the Warren Commission, that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in shooting Kennedy.

He said Ihoommg that some sort of conspiracy was involved was just "coniet 1 ture," If Oswald had been prosecuted for murder. Warren said, "it was really a simple case I hat would have taken only two or three clays to try in court." THE STORE SANTA SHOPS AND SAVES! SIWtllATin.TVntCEPriON CART INCLUDED Model WP580 25" Diagonal MOTOROLA 19" DIAGONAL Quasar Portable Color TV Instamatic color fun- ing Replaceable mini-circuits Motorola bright picture tube RCA ACCU-COLOR 25" DIAGONAL Pre-Christmas Clearance! ZENITH COLOR TV 249 Personal stie 14" diagonal picture 'High Performanca chassis Zenith quality. SONY TRINITRON PORTABLE COLOR 95 399 KV5IO 449 Color TV ModelGR-612 -1L nrtnnimiinri TDX122EM The big 25" diagonal Automatic fine tuning ton automatic for natural color MOTOROLA QUASAR PORTABLE 319 Instamatic color tuning Quick picture and sound Plug in solid state modules Replace all but 5 PACKARD BELL 4-CHANNEL SYSTEM FM Stereo Automatic deluxe cord turntable Smoked plastic dust cover Includes stereo head shones. CO2204 KELYINATOR AUTOMATIC DEFROSTING Automatic defrosting Dual Temperature right or left doors. EQ403E RCA 18" Diagonal COLOR TV Has built-in antenna and deluxa carrying handle Clean sharp picture.

KELYINATOR 19.3Cu.Ft. Portable 15" diagonal picture Bright, colorful, sharp picture Solid state dependability. KELYINATOR 18 cu.ff? NO DEFROST 258 Never defrost freezer or refrigerator Deluxe double door Coppertone color. 368 NO DEFROSTING Big capacity convenience and terrific value! FCK193EN SONY COMPACT STEREO OUTFIT 95 PACKARD BELL console stereo COMPLETE WITH 8 TRACK Espana Granada Oak with Garrard turnable Solid stats 100 tuner amplifier. 159 HP140A FCD173TS Packs Wallop of more expensiva units Ultra compact with matching 2-way speakers.

FRIGIDAIRE REFRIGERATOR $209 Automatic defrosting in refrigerator section Zero zone freezer Storage in doors. MOTOROLA 25" Diagonal Quasar Color TV WU904JW Solid State Chassis Iii.vf ruiifific Color Tuiu'iiff Giant screen Quasar Color TV in an elegant contemporary style walnut grain finish cabinet. Color TV Model AQ181 J.FKM247Z FAMOUS WOOLCO 8 POINT POLICY H.xr Kutwlnflr QvVonUot 90 TATIttlOl Btllvtry Mill TV 4. Cr.dll, 1. fret en t.

Wl Atctplid it Mojer Appllmuei Minor tp VI I1NTEMPE SHOP DAILY 7.30IO 9:30 IN PHOENIX SHOP DART to 9.30 SHOP 10 TO 6 JUYMIPLAM EAST Cm I HA'M PLAZA MUffiflWS I HAYDEX PLAZA WEST.

Get access to Newspapers.com

  • The largest online newspaper archive
  • 300+ newspapers from the 1700's - 2000's
  • Millions of additional pages added every month

Publisher Extra® Newspapers

  • Exclusive licensed content from premium publishers like the Arizona Republic
  • Archives through last month
  • Continually updated

About Arizona Republic Archive

Pages Available:
5,580,363
Years Available:
1890-2024