Presidential Papers, Doc#142 To John Foster Dulles, 9 April 1953. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower

Document #142; April 9, 1953
To John Foster Dulles
Series: EM, AWF, Dulles-Herter Series

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 2: "A number of misunderstandings": Party and International Struggles

 

Memorandum for the Secretary of State: Attached hereto is a memorandum consisting of excerpts of a much longer paper, copy of which has been given to the State Department.1

Because this particular document gives in such concise and succinct form the conclusions of the writer concerning our problem in the Mid East, I think it might be a good thing to allow it to be circulated among the Cabinet members and their associates. If you agree, will you merely let it pass on to the next one in line, who, after reading, can check it on to the next and so on, until it finally returns to my office.2

While I realize it is not absolutely essential that every member of the Cabinet study these matters in detail, I think it is well to have a kind of general understanding of the situation in that region.

1 The memorandum, dated March 31 and written by New York lawyer Lowell Curtis Wadmond, is in WHCF/OF 116-R. Wadmond feared that the Arab-Israeli conflict was creating opportunities for the Soviet Union to spread anti-American propaganda and to increase its influence in the area. He advocated vigorous action to reverse the pro-Communist trend and to win the Arab world back to the side of the United States.

2 Wadmond's memo would make the rounds of Cabinet and White House officials and would return to Eisenhower's office in August. Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles would note that the author was a novice in the field. "However," he would add, "sometimes fresh impressions have their use even though as a basis for policy I prefer the somewhat greater maturity of the expert" (Dulles to Cutler, July 31, 1953, ibid.) Eisenhower would soon send another memorandum on this subject (see no. 153).

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. To John Foster Dulles, 9 April 1953. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 142. 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/142.cfm

 


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