Independents for Kennedy

". . . Ambassador Kennedy, who, by the way, is a very close friend of Senator Taft's has supported the Senator during the Campaign and has spent a large amount of time with the Senator during his Campaign, requested me to open and direct a headquarters for his son whom you know is seeking election to the Senate.

"Our work is to reach the Independents and Taft people in behalf (of Kennedy) so we have opened the Headquarters for Kennedy independents in the Sheraton Plaza Hotel, in Parlor B, and are happy at the privilege of bringing the Kennedy message to the people . . . /s/T. Walter Taylor   Massachusetts Director   Independents for Kennedy"

There were three men talking in Parlor B. The door was open, but I could see none of the posters or stickers usually plastered on the walls of a campaign headquarters. I walked in, "Pardon me, but is this Independents for Kennedy." "No," said one of them. The three eyed me closely. "Well, wasn't it here?" A thick-set man, sitting on a couch answered. "We don't know anything about Independents for Kennedy."

The girl at the Sheraton Plaza desk glanced through a list of rooms. "Yes," she said, "Independents for Kennedy is in Parlor B. That's Mr. Taylor's suite." I went back, and the three were just getting up to leave. "Thank you very much, Mr. Taylor," said one of them to the thick-set man.

"Oh," I said, stepping back into Parlor B. "You, sir, must be T. Walter Taylor." Taylor frowned. "That's right." "Well, sir, aren't you the head of Independents for Kennedy?" "What's that?" said Taylor. "The only Kennedy Headquarters I know about is on 44 Kilby Street." "But," I insisted, "weren't you the head of this Kennedy group. I know you ran an Independents for Taft." Taylor scratched his head. "We've disbanded Independents for Kennedy," he said finally.

"Why?" I asked. "Why do you want to know?" retorted Taylor. "I'm a reporter from the HARVARD CRIMSON," I told him, "and we're interested in getting some information on Congressman Kennedy." Taylor laughed. "Getting into the political game, eh, Well, Kennedy Headquarters is on 44 Kilby Street." "Mr. Taylor," I said, "what happened to Independents for Kennedy?"

Taylor turned his head and began whispering to the other man. "Are you supporting Kennedy?" I asked. Taylor glanced at me--surprised that I was still there. "I'm a good friend of Senator Taft's," he said. "If you asked me who I'm supporting for President or Senator, I couldn't tell you." He led me to the door. "If you want any information, go to 44 Kilby Street."

44 Kilby Street was one of Kennedy's main headquarters. Inside a young main with close-cropped hair got up to greet me. I told him who I was. "Great," he said. "Jack was an old CRIMSON editor, you know." "I'm trying to find some information," I said. He smiled. "Shoot. We've got all the voting records here. We've got Lodge's lousy domestic voting records . . . ." "What I want to know," I said, "is what happened to a certain organization called Independents for Kennedy."

He stared at me. "I don't think I know anything about that. You better talk to Bob about that." "I'm asking about an organization run by Walter Taylor," I continued. "It supported Kennedy. Do you know whether or not it still exists?" "Well," he said, "I think it's become a club down on Cape Cod. Why don't you talk to Bob about it." "Who is Bob?" I asked. He laughed: "Why he's Jack's brother, the campaign manager. He's down the street at 45 Batterymarch."

The Batterymarch office was crowded with young secretaries briskly typing. In the back of the room ward leaders sat at their desks, giving earnest instructions to their lieutenants. Robert Kennedy's ofice was in a far corner, and his secretary told me to wait. After a half an hour, she called my name. "I hope," said Kennedy, after I introduced myself, "that you are going to support my brother." "We may," I lied, "but some Republicans on the paper are worried that he's a little too liberal. I've been trying to find that Independents for Kennedy group, to get some arguments for Republican support of your brother."

"We never had anything to do with that," said Kennedy softly after a long pause. "Oh," I said, "didn't you see that letter Taylor sent out?" "We had nothing to do with that," he answered. "If we had known he was ending it, we would have stopped him." "Is there still an Independents for Kennedy?" I asked him. Kennedy doodled on his blotter. "You better ask Mr. Taylor about that," he said. "His office is over in the Sheraton Plaza. We don't know anything about it."