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John F. Kennedy

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:5,000.00 - 6,000.00 USD
John F. Kennedy

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Auction Date:2016 Aug 10 @ 18:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location:236 Commercial St., Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Kennedy’s handwritten notes on a meeting related to the Cold War, six pages, 5 x 8, no date but likely as president circa 1961–1962. Brief notes written by Kennedy on a number of topics, nearly all related to foreign policy, the Soviet Union, and United Nations, with a selection of lines reading: “Center of our foreign policy—USSR trying to emasculate it”; “Some voice in policy making—opportunity to express views—show it the right way”; “Want to express views on making of policy”; “Personal relations between mission chief & secy”; “Veto on main staff”; “USC—matters relating UN”; “Have conference under the auspices of the U. N. For example—Disarmament Committee of 10 with secy. general attending, he turned it down”; “More of our aid through the U. N. & challenge the Soviets to do likewise”; “End Cold War—attack in numbers of our people—but mainly against the Russians“; “Tom Finletter for Disarmament?”; and “Defense Dept. & U. N. want to have some voice in coordination.” In fine condition, with a light coffee cup stain to the first page.

Kennedy had long supported a ban on nuclear weapons testing and reaffirmed his position in the 1960 presidential campaign, vowing to pursue a test ban treaty. The Ten Nation Committee on Disarmament, which he mentions here, had been sponsored by the United Nations and brought the US and Soviet Union to the negotiating table in March 1960. However, talks dissolved shortly thereafter due to the embarrassing U-2 spy plane incident. Once Kennedy took office, the United States was again ‘emasculated’ on the international stage with the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. Failing to reach any agreement, the USSR resumed its testing program and in October 1961 detonated the ‘Tsar Bomba,’ the most powerful weapon ever used. When the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war a year later, Khrushchev and Kennedy mutually recognized the danger of such a destructive arsenal. Negotiations were reopened between Washington and Moscow, and Kennedy achieved a major step toward disarmament in signing the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in October 1963.