Hanky-Panky

When the President of the U.S. makes a sudden, unexplained move during what is supposed to be a weekend of rest, it sends a ripple of consternation across the land. That is what happened when President Nixon, relaxing at his Camp David, Md., retreat, snatched up his briefcase, dashed to his helicopter and zipped back to the White House. Left behind were reporters, staff aides, his wife and a house guest.

To make matters murkier, White House spokesmen offered the lamest excuses. Speculation mounted. Surely the balloon could not have gone up? No, it had not, but the summer pollen count had. Quite simply, the President was escaping from the pollen hanging heavy over Camp David. Indeed, one wonders at the effort to cover up the President's allergy. Millions of Americans who have itched and sneezed through the ragweed season would understand, sympathize and even take a measure of comfort in knowing that the President, with all the perquisites of office and in-house physicians, suffers just like anyone else at hay-fever time.

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