Statement by Senator John F. Kennedy on Telephone Call To Mrs. Martin Luther King, at Impromptu Press Conference, New York, NY

Senator Kennedy said that he had phoned Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Atlanta, Ga.

Senator Kennedy:

She is a friend of mine and I was concerned about the situation.

Mrs. King said in Atlanta that:

Senator Kennedy said that he was very much concerned about both of us. He said this must be hard on me. He wanted me to know he was thinking about us and he would do all he could to help. I told him I appreciated it and hoped he would help.

Asked for his views on King's imprisonment on a technicality for violating parole by his arrest on a traffic charge last week during a sit-in, Kennedy said he might issue a statement on that later.

Senator Kennedy also sent a telegram of "best wishes" to the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee of Atlanta, Ga., on October 26, 1960.