A Mess, but Wonderful

FOREIGN RELATIONS

During his visit to the U.S. last January, Italy's Premier Amintore Fanfani invited President and Mrs. Kennedy to come to Italy in the spring. The President accepted, added West Germany and West Berlin to the itinerary. Then, for reasons of sentiment (and domestic politics), he decided to go to Ireland too. But no sooner had the White House announced the trip than complications began setting in. Items: > In Washington, Jackie learned she was pregnant and would have to stay home.

> In West Germany, Christian Democratic Union leaders forced gnarled old Konrad Adenauer to agree to step down next fall and let Ludwig Erhard take over as Chancellor. Accordingly, Kennedy's host in West Germany will be a lame duck, and Kennedy will have the sticky problem of treating with Erhard while Adenauer, who openly dislikes Erhard, is still in charge. Adenauer decided to accompany Kennedy to West Berlin, thereby peeving Social Democratic Mayor Willy Brandt. The Russians announced that they will consider an Adenauer visit to Berlin "provocative."

> In all three countries the President plans to visit, more people want to meet him than time or space can accommodate. The problem is especially acute in Ireland: just about every ambulatory person in the country, it seems, wants to shake the hand of the first U.S. President of 100% Irish descent. Inevitably, a lot of toes are going to get tramped on, literally and figuratively. Said a presidential aide who went to Ireland to make preparations for the visit: "The man responsible for deciding who does and who does not get invited to the official reception might as well leave Ireland--he will have no future there." > In France, Charles de Gaulle, at odds with Kennedy on trade and defense policies, presented him with a delicate problem. Feeling that a face-to-face meeting would not resolve any conflicts, Kennedy did not want to visit De Gaulle, but on the other hand, he did not want to appear to be snubbing him. Although by strict protocol it was De Gaulle's turn to visit Kennedy (their last meeting took place in France two years ago), Kennedy let it be known through diplomatic channels that he was willing to go to France if De Gaulle wanted to see him. De Gaulle, however, showed no interest in a meeting. > In Britain, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan gently but persistently hinted that he wanted to meet with Kennedy during his European trip. Macmillan has no urgent business that he needs to discuss (he has a direct telephone line to the White House, talks with Kennedy frequently), but he wants to pick up every particle of prestige he can in preparation for the next British elections. Kennedy felt that a meeting with Macmillan might be interpreted as an effort to influence the elections, and might therefore be resented by Britain's Labor Party. But Macmillan kept pressing, and it is possible that Kennedy will visit London after all.

> In Italy arose the most distressing complications of all. One of the President's reasons for deciding on the trip in the first place was the hope that the announcement of the visit to Italy would help Premier Fanfani and his Christian Democratic Party in the April parliamentary elections. But instead of gaining seats, the Christian Democrats suffered jolting losses. Dismayed party leaders toppled Fanfani, the man who invited Kennedy to Europe, and since then Italy has been without a Premier. Last week, with Italy grieving for Pope John and with Christian Democratic politicians struggling to form a coalition government, it was not entirely certain that Kennedy would visit Italy at all.

The President's travel plans, in short, have in many respects turned sour. Yet White House staffers unanimously predict that the trip is going to be a splendid success. When Kennedy's way with crowds gets working, they argue, the trip will turn into a popular triumph. A staffer's recent comment on the visit to Ireland sums up the White House expectations about the entire trip. "It will be a mess," he said, thinking of the eager, jostling crowds. "You can't even imagine how terrible it will be. But it will be just wonderful."

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