John Kennedy's Doctor Found Him Fatalistic on Risks of Office
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Mimes Plisc 21 Nov 68 50 C THE NEW YORK TIMES, John Kennedy's Doctor Found Him Fatalistic on THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1968 John F. Kennedy "accepted ■ •• the personal risks of the Pres- idency knowingly and fatalisti- cally," according to Dr. Janet Risks of Office G. Travell, who was his per- .• -------.....,n-v..?wMKVW-al . sonal physician before and dur- ing his tenure • in the White House. "I will not live in fear," the .President said "shortly before his assassination," according to an article written by Dr. Tra- vell in the December issue of McCall's magazine. "What will be must be." pected it. I did not feel the dren, including David and Dr. Travel!, who began to shock of surprise. John Ken- Michael, who served as aco- nedy had accepted the personal lytes. treat Mr. Kennedy's chronic Earlier, Edward Kennedy back ailment in 1955, also risks of the Presidency know- ingly and fatalistically." and several of Robert Kenne- wrote of other indications that dy's children visited his grave he had thought of the possi- Mass Held For Senator in Arlington Cemetery and bility of his assassination. At St. Luke's Church in Mc- placed flowers on it. In November, 1960, after he Lego, Vt., yesterday, about In New York, Mrs. Aristotle had been elected President, Dr. 200 persons attended an 8:30 S. Onassis, the former Mrs. Travell recalled, the President A.M. mass for Robert F. Ken- John F. Kennedy, went to a said to her, "What do you think nedy on the 43d anniversary regular mass at 7 A.M. at St. of the rule that for the last of the late New York Senator's Thomas More's Church at 65 :hundred years every President birth. East 89th Street. of the United States elected in Among them were Senator Senator Edward Kennedy's a year divisible by 20 died in Edward M. Kennedy and eight wife, Joan and two sisters, Mrs. office?" of Robert Kennedy's 10 chil- Patricia Kennedy Lawford and After the President named A the Presidential deaths covered by the "rule," Dr. Travell said she replied, "You don't really Mrs. Stephen Smith, attended a Kennedy. The Very Rev. Os- believe such a coincidence can morning mass here at. Holy car L Hubert, former priest continue? The odds against it Family Church, 315 East 47th at Holy Trinity, administered are too great, and anyway, you St. the last rites to the President aren't superstitious." A mass will be said tomor- at Parkland Memorial Hospital row at Holy Trinity Church after Mr. Kennedy was shot Kennedy Didn't Reply n Dallas for the late President on Nov. 22 five years ago. "He looked at me silently,." Dr. Travel' said of the Presi- dent's reaction. 17- On another occasion, she wrote, the President said, "as worry about a second term? My wife will have a pension, and my children will be well cared for.'" Dr. Travel!, whose article if to himself, 'Why should II was condensed from her book,1 which is scheduled for pub- lication by the World Publish- ing Company, recounted that the President once told her: "Don't go into my medical ,problems with Jackie. I don't want her to think she married either an old man or a cripple." Dr. Travell described her re- action to the President's death: . I could not grasp the numbing fact of the assassina- tion, but deep in my conscious- ness I realized that I had ex- United Press International AT ROBERT F. KENNEDY'S GRAVE: Senator Edward M. are words, "I dream" and "Ask why not," apparent refer- Kennedy at grave of the Senator in Arlington National ence to a quote from Shaw used by Senator in campaign. Cemetery yesterday, 43d anniversary of his birth. Ken- "Some men see things as they are and say, why?' I nedy children kneel with him. On wreath marked "Bobby," dream things that never were and say, why not?" .