March 13, 1961. Something of a calm before the storm.
West Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt, meeting with President Kennedy at The White House, expressed optimism there would be no East-West crisis over Berlin in the near future. The only problem; nobody really defined what "near future" was.
Otherwise, it was reported that the combined U.S. and European Allies had been spending an estimated $7 billion dollars annually for the past four years, aiding under-developed countries, while the Communist Bloc had been spending a scant $3/4 billion.
In other overseas news - the Conference of British Commonwealth Nations met and became involved in controversy regarding racial equality, focusing on the Apartheid government of South Africa. 7 out of 12 Commonwealth Nations voted to have South Africa recant those policies or resign from the Conference.
Back in the U.S. - President Kennedy would be asking Congress to approve funding for a stockpile of Polio vaccine. Congress did approve JFK's 10-point program to improve standards of living in Latin America. Cardinal Spellman opened up a salvo by opposing any Federal Aid to Education if it didn't include Parochial Schools.
And former Republican vice-President and 1960 Presidential hopeful Richard Nixon signed on with an L.A. Law firm. He also put the temporary kabosh on rumors he would be running for Governor of California. The operative word here is "temporary".
And so went that particular March 13 in 1961 as reported by NBC News On The Hour with Martin Agronsky.
