Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-054-006
This folder contains material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning the President's News Conference of February 15, 1961 (News Conference 4). President Kennedy began the press conference by reaffirming the United States support of the United Nations presence in the Republic of the Congo. He then announced the formal recognition of the Government of El Salvador by the United States, and briefly discussed his economic program. The announcements were followed by questions from the press on a variety of topics, including United States-Soviet relations, the launch of a Soviet space probe towards Venus, Cuba, and the situation in the Congo. Background material in the folder includes memorandums concerning interest rates. Of note is a transcript of Ambassador to the United Nations Adlai Stevenson's speech to the United Nations Security Council on February 15, 1961 concerning the situation in the Republic of the Congo following the assassination of former Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, and the subsequent actions of the Soviet Union towards Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold of the United Nations. The official White House transcript of the press conference and the stenotype transcript of the press conference are also included.