Presidential Papers, Doc#1389 To Robert Anthony Eden, 8 April 1955. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
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Doc #1390

Document #1389; April 8, 1955
To Robert Anthony Eden
Series: EM, AWF, International Series: Eden
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XVI - The Presidency: The Middle Way
Part VII: "Nothing could be worse than global war"; January 1955 to May 1955
Chapter 15: Searching "for an honorable peace"

 

Dear Anthony: Through this note I send my salute to you as the Prime Minister of Her Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom. It gives me tremendous satisfaction to do so, a fact concerning which I am sure you have not the slightest doubt.1

I most earnestly hope that your Premiership will be notable in the history of your country and of the world by the progress toward world peace that will be achieved. I know there is no one better fitted than you to seize the opportunities inherent in your new office for helping to guide the world toward the goal we all so earnestly seek.

On the more personal side, I cannot tell you how delighted I am that my old friend Winston has been succeeded by an equally valued friend in an office in which friendliness and genuine readiness to cooperate can mean so much to my own country.

With my confident belief in the brillant career ahead of you, and my very best wishes and warm regard.2 As ever

P.S. Won't you please convey my warm greetings to your Lady?3

1 Upon the resignation of Sir Winston Churchill on April 5, Queen Elizabeth II had appointed Eden as Prime Minister (Eden, Full Circle, pp. 293-94; see also Churchill and Gilbert, Churchill, vol. VIII, Never Despair, 1945-1965, pp. 1119-25).

2 This letter had not reached the new prime minister before he had written Eisenhower thanking him for his public statement on the appointment. "I look forward to the closest co-operation with you and your administration at all times," he said. "I will do everything in my power to ensure that the good purposes which our two countries share as friends and members of the Atlantic community are steadfastly pursued" (Eden to Eisenhower, Apr. 7, 1955; see also Eisenhower to Eden, Apr. 9, 1955; Eden to Eisenhower, Apr. 11, 1955; Eisenhower to Macmillan, Apr. 8, 1955; and Macmillan to Eisenhower, Apr. 12, 1955; all documents are in AWF/I: Eden, and AWF/I: Great Britain). Statements by both Eisenhower and Secretary Dulles on Churchill's resignation and Eden's appointment are in U.S. Department of State Bulletin 32, no. 825 (April 18, 1955), 640-41.

3 Eden's wife was the former Clarissa Churchill, Winston Churchill's niece.

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Robert Anthony Eden, 8 April 1955. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 1389. 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/1389.cfm

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