European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 2, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Jokes from the Oval office today s crossword by Mark Knoller associated Pressw hem Ronald Reagan Speaks people laugh. And the president goes Flint Hir Ivay to encourage it in nearly every speech he delivers Reagan offers up a joke or two he s not even above usog tie Hoa Riest of comedian s lines a funny thing happened to me on the Way to Nevada he told an audience in Las vegas in june of course Reagan s not the first president to use humor to his advantage. Lincoln would Tell Backwoods yarns to break the tensions of running a country at War with itself. And Harry Truman loved to Josh for instance about having to make speeches i feel like the fellow who was at the funeral of hrs Wile and the undertaker asked him it he would like o fide to Fie cemetery in the same ear Vilh his Molher a  Truman once told an audience. He said Well. I can do it but it s just going to spoil the whole Day for me " Reagan is inclined to warm up an audience with a laugh whether he s addressing . Marines at Boot Camp or foreign ministers at a conference in Indonesia. His repertoire includes one finers put Downs and feature length jokes with punch lines hat Merit a drummer s rim snot. At a High school commencement in new Jersey there Are advantages to being president. The Day alter i was elected i had my High school grades classified top Secrel " to the association of South East asian nations in Bali Indonesia there is a Story Back in the United Stales about two men Oul in the Woods on a hike. And they saw a Large Bear coming Over the Hill directly toward them. And one of hem Sal Down look Oil his Knapsack reached in got out a pair of Tennis shoes and started to put them on and the other one looked and says you Don t think thai pull