Interlude

Whatever his other difficulties. Jack Kennedy last week maintained his status as the most fascinating Washington personality in years. Beyond greeting a flock of ceremonial guests, he acted, with Jackie radiant at his side, as a gay and gracious host at the sleekest, best-planned reception within White House memory.

Nearly 450 white-tied VIPs and their wives showed up for the traditional reception at which Congressmen are "introduced" to Cabinet members. Characteristically, the Kennedys brought a new look to an old White House custom. To the surprise and gratification of capital veterans, there was no tortoise-paced reception line; as Jackie, whose idea it was, explained: "If there was a receiving line, it would not be over until 3 in the morning." Instead of roped-off rooms, guests found open doors, were free to inspect Jackie's tasteful changes in decor on the lower floors. Only the Kennedy's private quarters were off limits.

Precisely at 10:15, the President and his lady descended the stairs to the entrance hall. Jackie had on a sleeveless, floor-length sheath of pink and white straw lace, wore just one piece of jewelry: a feather-shaped diamond clip in her bouffant hair. At a signal, the Marine Band's dance orchestra in the East Room struck up Mr. Wonderful; Vice President Lyndon Johnson and his wife Ladybird joined the Kennedys in leading the first dance. Afterward, Jack stood at one end of the ballroom greeting guests while Jackie toured the floor with a battalion of successive partners. The verdict on her footwork, as announced by Florida's Senator George Smathers: "She's divine."

The Kennedys had taken pains to make the occasion a happy one. Although smoking had previously been discouraged at such White House functions, ashtrays were scattered about. Glass bowls contained alcoholic (domestic champagne) and unspiked punches; to guide teetotalers the nonalcoholic drink was garnished with oranges, the darker-hued champagne version with strawberries. In the State Dining Room there was a mammoth buffet of chicken `a la king, roast beef, pheasant, tongue, turkey and ham. Footman John Pye, a White House servant since the days of Woodrow Wilson, declared it the finest spread of his tenure. By 11:45 the presidential host (who learned of the Cuban debacle just before the party began) had taken his leave to spend long night hours consulting with his top advisers.

Last week President Kennedy also:

P: Appointed Law School Deans Erwin N. Griswold of Harvard and Spottswood Robinson III of Washington's Negro Howard University to the Civil Rights Commission.

P: Decided to name liberal Democrat Anthony Akers, 46, a three-time loser of fights for the congressional seat in Manhattan's silk-stocking 17th District (incumbent: Republican John Lindsay), as Ambassador to New Zealand.

P: Asked onetime (1955-59) Army Chief of Staff General Maxwell D. Taylor, 59, to undertake a special study of U.S. ability to carry out "nonconventional" (meaning guerrilla) warfare, thereby stirring up speculation that Taylor was in line either to succeed Allen Dulles as director of the Central Intelligence Agency or to take charge of the U.S. operations aimed at ridding Cuba of Castro.

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