Presidential Papers, Doc#1978 Personal To Marshall F. Norling, 6 September 1956. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
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Doc #1979

Document #1978; September 6, 1956
To Marshall F. Norling
Series: EM, AWF, Gettysburg Series ; Category: Personal
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XVII - The Presidency: The Middle Way
Part X: Cracks in the Alliance; May 1956 to September 1956
Chapter 21: "Grave difficulties in the Suez crisis"

 

Dear Marshall: I have been embarrassed to learn that some of your salesmen have made a sales argument out of the fact that I have in my home Red Comet extinguishers.1 In at least one instance--and I enclose the letter--a prospective purchaser called on me for confirmation or denial of the allegation that the gas used is harmful to humans.2

I am sure you agree that no salesman should be guilty of the kind of thing that this particular one obviously was. I am sure, also, that you will want to write directly to this lady to give her the facts in the matter. I will appreciate your prompt attention so that her apprehensions are resolved.3

With warm regard, Sincerely

1 Norling, of Littleton, Colorado, was president of Red Comet, Incorporated, makers of the fire safety equipment installed in May at the Eisenhowers' Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, home.

2 Mrs. Shirley Norman of Hamilton, Ohio, had written regarding "alarming reports" of deaths caused by fire-system equipment containing toxic gases ([Aug. 29, 1956], AWF/Gettysburg; see also Whitman to Norman, Sept. 7, 1956, ibid.).

In August, at the direction of the chief of the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Chemical Warfare Center, at Edgewood, Maryland, had conducted toxicity tests on the Red Comet extinguishers (see Berkey to Anderson, May 31; Anderson to Baughman, Aug. 3; Whitman to Norling, Aug. 6; Norling to Whitman, Aug. 21; Norling to Baughman, Aug. 21, 31; Eisenhower to Norling, Aug. 29; Norling to Eisenhower, Aug. 31; and Anderson to Baughman, Sept. 6, all in AWF/Gettysburg). Following an extensive investigation, it was recommended that some fifty-three Red Comet fire extinguishers be removed from the Gettysburg home and replaced with automatic fire alarm buttons (see Berkey to Whitman, Sept. 6; and Anderson to Baughman, Sept. 4, 6, 27, 1956, all in AWF/Gettysburg).

3 Norling would enclose with his letter of apology to Eisenhower a copy of his reply to Mrs. Norman (both dated Sept. 10, 1956, AWF/Gettysburg). On September 15 Ann Whitman would write Norling that the President had directed him "`not to worry about the matter'" (ibid.). See also Eisenhower to Norling, September 22, 1956, and other correspondence in WHCF/PPF 1128.

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. Personal To Marshall F. Norling, 6 September 1956. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 1978. 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/1978.cfm

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