Presidential Papers, Doc#35 Personal and confidential To Harry Cecil Butcher, 17 February 1953. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
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Document #35; February 17, 1953
To Harry Cecil Butcher
Series: EM, AWF, Name Series ; Category: Personal and confidential
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XIV - The Presidency: The Middle Way
Part I: Charting a New Course; January 1953 to April 1953
Chapter 1: Developing a spirit of teamwork

 

Dear Butch:1 I regret that a somewhat hasty expression of a bit of exasperation on my part made you feel that you should write such a long letter of explanation concerning the "trust" story.2 I am well aware of the campaign that you have carried forward to put me into political life--I have never for a moment doubted the complete soundness of your friendship and loyalty. My momentary irritation was brought about merely by the feeling that privacy seemed to be no longer attainable, no matter what the circumstances. I didn't remember telling anyone about the trust arrangement. I obviously considered you so much a member of the family, so to speak, that I completely overlooked the desirability of cautioning you that it was something I would not want to have talked about.

In any event, no harm is done, and I regret putting you to so much trouble. Sincerely

1 Eisenhower's naval aide between 1942 and 1945, Butcher, who had published his memoirs on that experience, now owned a Santa Barbara, California, radio station (see Galambos, NATO and the Campaign of 1952, nos. 171, 515, 745).

2 In a two-page letter of February 9 (AWF/N), Butcher had apologized for a remark he had made about Eisenhower's personal finances while addressing the San Francisco Advertising Club five days earlier. Apparently one of the national wire services had picked up the comment, and Butcher had learned of the President's displeasure via a phone call from Press Secretary Hagerty, who had "inferred rather plainly" that Butcher's reference "had been off base." Butcher explained that he was praising the President for setting a "high standard of morality in government, by creating an irrevocable trust for your personal holdings."

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. Personal and confidential To Harry Cecil Butcher, 17 February 1953. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 35. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/first-term/documents/35.cfm

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