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Thursday, November 30, 2006

November 30, 1960: Kennedy May not Get Illinois' Electoral Votes, Governor Says

The Illinois state electoral board may not give the state's 27 electoral votes to Sen. Kennedy, Gov. Stratton (R) said today. He criticized "downright fraud and graft in Chicago" during the Nov. 8 balloting. Nixon lost the state by fewer than 9,000 votes out of more than 4,750,000 cast. The state board recessed without setting a date to meet again because it has not gotten voting information from Cook County. The governor said there was an intentional "slowdown" in Democratic-controlled county. "There's no question that they are stalling in Chicago. It's dastardly to steal a man's vote -- and that's what has been happening," the governor said. "It's flagrant." The governor also described "widespread disregard of laws, state and federal," during the voting. The board may keep the state's electoral votes from going to either candidate.

The State's Attorney, Benjamin Adamowski said the Democratic organization in Chicago stole 100,000 or more votes. "Speaking with bitter words at a press conference, Adamowski in effect charged that the Democratic machine headed by Daley as his party's county chairman virtually 'stole' the White House for Sen. John F. Kennedy," according to the Chicago Daily Tribune.

"He insisted that, in one phase f the operation, enough legitimate Republican voters were deprived of their voting right by the mysterious disappearance of their names from precinct polling place binders to shift Illinois from Vice President Nixon to Kennedy. ...

"When the manipulation of a political machine is used as a vehicle to take over the White House it is a sad day in American politics," Adamowski said.

In Cuba, Manuel Fajardo, personal physician to Fidel Castro, was killed in fighting with rebels in the Escambray mountains, it was reported today.

November 29, 1960: Lumumba Missing, Espionage Ring, Integration Battles

In Leopoldville, the Congo, the UN said it did not know the whereabouts of Patrice Lumumba, the deposed premier. The UN command said his escape from a guarded residence was not its fault. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union said the UN had t o withdraw its troops from the Congo.

The government charged a psychiatrist with being tied to an espionage. Robert Soblen, who was charged, is the brother of imprisoned Soviet spy, Jack Soble. The two use different spellings of their name. The government charged Soblen with trying to pass defense secrets to the Soviet Union.

In New Orleans there were scuffles at schools as integrationists fought with anti-integrationists. And in Austin a bomb went off outside a building where the University of Texas Religious Council was discussing the integration of campus restaurants.

November 28, 1960: British - Soviet Confrontation at the UN

At the United Nations, the British Minister of State "denounced Soviet colonialism ... and said that the Russians were 'the greatest oppressors of our day,' according to a story prepared for publication tomorrow in the New York Times. "Replying to a Soviet demand that the General Assembly call for independence 'forthwith' for all colonies and trust territories, Mr. Orsby-Gore contrasted the Soviet Union's record with Britain's granting of independence to 500,000,000 people in former subject territories since 1939. Valerian Z. Zorin, chairman of the Soviet delegation, and other Soviet-bloc delegates shouted and beat on their desks in protest against the British counter-attack."

In Caracas, Venezuela, "President Romulo Betancourt suspended constitutional guarantees throughout Venezuela today and called out the army to maintain order," according to a story prepared for tomorrow's New York Times. "Senor Betancourt said that violence was being instigated by extremist elements that wish to overthrow his government and 'establish a regime here like that of Cuba.'"

In Havana "Premier Fidel Castro expressed the hope ... that President-elect John Kennedy would decide that the Eisenhower policy toward Cuba must be changed. He predicted that if the United States attacked the island it would mean 'suicide for Yankee imperialism,'" according to a story for tomorrow's edition of the New York Times.