<--PREV Doc #1167  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #1169 Document #1168; November 23, 1954 To Milton Stover Eisenhower Series: EM, AWF, Name Series The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XV - The Presidency: The Middle Way Part VI: Crises Abroad, Party Problems at Home; September 1954 to December 1954 Chapter 13: "A new phase of political experience"   Dear Milton: Don't for a second concern yourself about any "discomfort" caused me by the incident of which I spoke to you.1 Actually my only concern was the possibility that the story I related to you would be repeated at Rio. Such evidence of disunion in our inner councils would, of course, cause some confusion and lead different South American governments to hope that they could play one side against the other.2 I am interested in your impressions as to George Humphrey's attitude. I have not encountered it in the same form as you have. Possibly he has merely been less objective with me.3 In any event, so long as he is the good soldier that I believe him to be, I must say that I don't see that anything is hurt by the presence in the highest councils of different kinds of thinking.4 It is in the combination of these various attitudes that we hammer out acceptable policies; enthusiasts for or against anything usually go too far. I wonder whether you know that I wrote a special message to be delivered by George at the Rio Conference, a message that was as warm in its tone as I could possibly make it.5 Tomorrow afternoon Mamie and I intend to go to Augusta. We expect to return the following Monday. After we return, I expect to be here steadily until Christmas time. I would hope that we could have a talk with Mr. Purdy some time during that period.6 Incidentally, although George--in his usual impulsive way--is gathering up a lot of cattle (most of them very good, I believe) in a big hurry, I shall go slowly in this regard, not only because of limitations imposed by my present job, but because I do not believe you can build up a really fine herd in too much haste.7 With warm regard, As ever 1 Eisenhower was referring to a conflict that had developed between his brother and Treasury Secretary Humphrey in connection with the Conference of the Ministers of Finance and Economy of the American Republics (Rio Conference) to be held in Quitandinha, Brazil, from November 22 to December 2. For background on the conference and the disagreement see no. 1124. On November 18 Secretary Dulles had told Eisenhower that there was "widespread gossip" of a split between the President's brother and the Treasury Secretary; it was rumored that Milton really represented the U.S. position and would "take over with more liberal policies" if the conference failed. "I think it necessary," said Dulles, "to `knock this on the head,' the more so as I believe that George Humphrey will, in fact, espouse your policies however much he may personally dislike some of them" (Dulles to Eisenhower, Nov. 18, 1954, AWF/D-H). 2 On November 20 Eisenhower had told his brother that Humphrey's position--"that aid to Latin American countries simply meant aid to political crooks"--had been disclosed and could be embarrassing to him in Rio (Telephone conversation, Eisenhower and Milton Eisenhower, Nov. 20, 1954, AWF/D). "I'm distressed that I should have said anything about George Humphrey that has caused you uneasiness," Milton had written after this conversation. He reviewed the background of his decision not to attend the conference if Humphrey were to head the U.S. delegation and added: "I thought I had talked about this only with Dulles and [Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Henry] Holland, but evidently I spoke to someone else whom I trusted mistakenly" (Milton Eisenhower to Eisenhower, [Nov. 22, 1954], AWF/N; for background on Milton's decision see no. 1124). U.N. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., had also warned Eisenhower about the dangers of adopting a "big business approach" at the conference (Lodge to Eisenhower, Nov. 22, 1954, and Eisenhower to Lodge, Nov. 24, 1954, both in AWF/A; see also Telephone conversations, Eisenhower and Dulles, Nov. 20, 1954, and Dulles and Hagerty, Nov. 23, 1954, Dulles Papers, Telephone Conversations). 3 Eisenhower had told his brother two weeks earlier that he found Humphrey "instinctively isolationist" and admitted that the Secretary had to "force himself" to endorse the Administration's foreign policy. The President did not, however, "sense the complete hostility" that Milton did (Telephone conversation, Eisenhower and Milton Eisenhower, Nov. 9, 1954, AWF/D; see also Eisenhower, The President Is Calling, pp. 337-38). 4 At a duck hunting expedition earlier in the month (see no. 1124), Humphrey had said, according to Milton, "I don't believe in our program, but I am going to be a good soldier. The President has said I am a general in a cold war. I'll try to be a good general. I'll support the State Department program" (Milton Eisenhower to Eisenhower [Nov. 22, 1954], AWF/N; see also Telephone conversation, Eisenhower and Dulles, Nov. 20, 1954, Dulles Papers, Telephone Conversations). At a subsequent meeting in Washington, however, Humphrey had told Milton that he thought "we were all on the wrong track. He believes that we are supporting corrupt governments, and that the leading commercial people of the several countries are greatly put out with us for doing this." The President's brother praised Humphrey's intelligence and said that although "pretty narrow," the Treasury Secretary was "growing." "If he keeps on growing," Milton added, "he will come out all right. . . . But I still regret deeply that a remark of mine should have caused you any discomfort. Your burdens are too great for me to add to them." For proceedings at the conference see State, Foreign Relations, 1952-1954, vol. IV, The American Republics, pp. 352-64; for Humphrey's report see Cabinet meeting minutes, Dec. 3, 1954, AWF/Cabinet; and for developments see no. 1175. 5 Under Secretary Holland had drafted this message, and Eisenhower had written a conclusion: "To this may I add my best wishes for the success of the Conference and warm personal greetings to each of its members" (Memorandum, Dulles to Eisenhower, Nov. 18, 1954, AWF/D-H; and Telephone conversations, Dulles and Holland, Nov. 18, 1954, and Eisenhower to Dulles, Nov. 20, 1954, Dulles Papers, Telephone Conversations). 6 Milton had described Herman Purdy, a professor at Penn State University, as "our specialist in beef cattle . . . the outstanding man in the country" and had suggested that Eisenhower talk with him (see also Nevins, Gettysburg's Five-Star Farmer, pp. 125-26). 7 For background on the partnership between Eisenhower and George Allen in the operation of their Gettysburg farms see no. 892. Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Milton Stover Eisenhower, 23 November 1954. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 1168. 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/1168.cfm <--PREV Doc #1167  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #1169

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