Cuba

He has been the only government official to challenge the prestige of the autocratic FBI Director. J. Edgar Hoover. Finally, his influence in foreign policy has been considerable. Robert Kennedy success fully led the opposition to the plan to bomb the Cuban missile stations during the crisis in 1962.

All this has been achieved by the man who, at 34. was the youngest Attorney-General appointed for 150 years.

As well as this excellent administrative record in the executive sphere of government Senator Kennedy now has an important electoral success to boost his Presidential prospects. With no New York connections at all he defeated that state's Senator Kenneth Keating in the November election, becoming the first Democrat to be elected to a New York Senate seat since 1952.

Senator Keating had been a highly respected Senator. The New York Times, which supported him. described his record as "progressive, constructive and beneficial to his state and nation." This paper opposed Kennedy because of his lack of legislative or electoral experience, because of his ignorance of New York State's problems, and because he was allegedly "trying to use the office of Senator as a means to a higher end."

Kennedy defeated Keating by a large majority and although cynics claimed the victory was entirely due to the electors voting Democrat as a means of showing dissatisfac with Senator Goldwater and his right wing Republican views Kennedy's win had greater significance. He showed that despite his not having any connection with this important State, he could still defeat a Republican leader who was held in high respect and who had been an extremely capable man. This is the sort of victory a President must win. Although he may be a ranch-owner in Texas he must woo the vote of those in New York City. Senator Kennedy's victory is all the more important when viewed in this way because the man he beat had close ties with New York State.

The high stakes involved would have made a loss disastrous. Mr. Kennedy would have found him-self politically a "has-been" and an elder statesman at the ripe old age of 38.

He had, however, successfully followed the example of his brother who as an obscure Congressman defeated Senator Henry Cabot Lodge in 1952. His reasoning: "When you've beaten him you've beaten the best—why try for less."

Robert Kennedy is now well on the way to becoming the Democrat leader of the state that provides 1/6th of the delegates required to nominate a President and 1/6th of the electoral votes required to elect one. His brother. Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachussetts, will undoubtedly use his influence to persuade the local politicians in the New England group of states to support the New York Senator.

A "Kennedy" by marriage. Sargent Shriver may be in a position to help. He is the Director of the Peace Corps, perhaps the most successful of President Kennedy's six New Frontier plans. He is currently running President Johnson's antipoverty campaign and the President has called him "the most capable administrator I know. Schriver is widely expected to stand for the position of Governor of Illinois in 1968. If he were successful as would seem likely his brother-in-law would have the support of the leader of another large state. Illinois has 26 of the 270 electoral votes Mr. Kennedy would require.

The Kennedy legend will give the Senator an advantage over his opposition. The story of the Kennedys is a story of youthful, glamourous and hard-earned success cut short by tragedy, and with the greatest achievements still to come. The emotional appeal of the story is International. The shock and grief which was felt at the President's assassination will probably never be felt on such a large scale again and the appeal of the story is lasting. When the Senator went to Poland in the latter half of 1964. 15,000 people gathered in a Warsaw district one day to cheer him. No information as to his movements had been given to them.

The hard-baked delegates to the Democrat Party convention in New York last year were no exception. As Robert Kennedy was about to introduce a memorial film of his late brother the delegates applauded him continuously for eleven minutes. The New York Times reported that wherever he went he was "cheered, pawed and fussed over by the delegates." The delegates also respect Senator Kennedy for his own achievement in 1960 when he was his brother's campaign manager for the Presidential election. His ability to unite diametrically opposed factions of the Democrat party, his efficient organisation, and his immense capacity for hard work, had been noticed during the election campaign.