Johnson Issues Reply on Jenkins

President Johnson said yesterday that until late Wednesday, "no information or report of any kind to me had ever raised a question" about the personal conduct of Walter Jenkins.

Jenkins, a close friend and assistant to Johnson for 25 years, resigned as a White House assistant last night after a disclosure that he was arrested on morals charges last week. It was Johnson's first comment on the case.

The President's statement came after Republican National Chairman Dean Burch had charged him with "covering up" Jenkins arrests for five and a half years. Police records disclosed last night that Jenkins was arrested on another morals charge in 1959.

Sen. Barry Goldwater said he would have no comment on the Jenkins case "at any time" unless it became apparent that a breach of security was involved.

Johnson had ordered the FBI to investigate security aspects of the case.