(To be seen only by yourself.)
Dear Len: On all sides we see that the political campaign of 1956 is already in full swing. Many public officials closely connected with the Administration will be making speeches, and from now on each of these will be considered by the public as a part of a political campaign.1
For this reason, it is essential that in important matters they reflect the same basic beliefs and convictions. Moreover, speeches must be free of erroneous statements, which later could be used to plague the entire efforts of the Administration.
Would it be practical for your office to volunteer as a clearing house for prepared speeches?2 The service would be for all important members of the Administration and any other prominent Republicans that might choose to take advantage of the opportunity. Some of these others would not want to do so, choosing to follow the lonely road of personal ambition.
If you should undertake anything like this, you would need in the background a skillful, shrewd and thoroughly honest man. Such a person would have to be anonymous and work for you on a secret basis. His function would not be to suggest or to make policy or propose planks for a platform--it would be merely to detect careless errors and so avoid embarrassment.
Cabot Lodge is one man who has ability of this kind. Because of his official position he cannot participate actively in a political campaign; but he is a good Republican and could properly be useful in this confidential manner.3
If you think well of this idea, please drop in soon to talk it over with me. I could then inform the Cabinet of your willingness to act as such a clearing house.4 If there was general agreement to that, then you could take the matter up on a confidential basis with Cabot.
I realize, of course, that this whole thought may be an impracticable one. There may be a definite reluctance on the part of most people to have their speeches "censored."
With warm regard, As ever
