Person-to-Person

Vice-President Nixon has always displayed a reverent interest in his own campaigning techniques. To him, clever political gimmicks have always seemed more important than far-reaching or provocative political concepts. Fully one-third of his televised speech last night, for example, was devoted to descriptions of "the magnificent crowds we have been receiving all over the country." His single great accomplishment in this campaign, he seems to feel, is the fact that he has spoken in all 50 of the United States.

Now, for this most peripetitic of all candidates, a new opportunity has arisen. Fate--Mr. Nixon's staunchest ally--has delivered into the hands of the Republican Party four hours of Monday afternoon television time. Instead of their favorite soap operas, American housewives will be confronted with the nation's political Pepper Young, sans family.

For an entire afternoon any American citizen sufficiently concerned with his country's future will be able to phone up the vice-President and swap ideas. For example, at the cost of only a few dollars, Senator Kennedy could put in a person-to-person phone call, thereby arranging an under-the-table fifth television debate. The possibilities, of course, are limitless.