Presidential Papers, Doc#2006 Personal To Harry Amos Bullis, 2 October 1956. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower

Document #2006; October 2, 1956
To Harry Amos Bullis
Series: EM, WHCF, Official File 138-C-4 ; Category: Personal

The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XVII - The Presidency: The Middle Way
Part XI: The free world's "sad mess"; October 1956 to January 1957
Chapter 22: On Suez "we do not see eye to eye"

 

Dear Harry: A campaign trip is a far cry from establishing a summer headquarters somewhere away from Washington. On a campaign trip a man literally has almost no chance to conduct government business; because of that it is simply impossible to be away from Washington--or from government contacts and advisers--for longer than two or three days at a time.1

About "tight" money--Of course you realize that the Federal Reserve Board is a fully independent agency and that the Administration can only make its opinions known to the Chairman of the Board. I know that the general public unfortunately makes no differentiation between the Administration and the Board. We are exploring ways of making this fact clear and of securing further provision for the legitimate credit needs of small business and agriculture, and I have some reason for hope that the Board will loosen some of their restrictions within the next few weeks.2

As for your other suggestions, again I say they will be carefully considered by all of us.3

One final word, Mamie is a wonderful campaigner and, I truly believe, the best vote-getter of the family.

With warm regard, As ever

1 General Mills Chairman Harry Bullis had written Eisenhower on September 27 (same file as document) to congratulate the President on his September 25 farm speech, delivered at Peoria, Illinois (see no. 1989; see also Public Papers of the Presidents: Eisenhower, 1956, pp. 796-804). Bullis had said: "It is the consensus of many of your friends in this upper Middle West area that the best single strategy during the remaining weeks of the campaign is for you and your charming First Lady to be seen by as many people as possible in as many locales. The most effective pre-election statement these days is--`I saw Ike and he looks fine!'"

2 Bullis had suggested that Eisenhower "Ease the money situation right away, swing it around a bit before election, and overcome the objections of all of these pressure groups." (See the preceding document.)

3 Bullis's other suggestions had included increasing the criticism of Stevenson, since voters would "like to see you cut him down to size," and forcing "Stevenson to discuss the various Cabinet members that he might appoint. That might prove to be embarrassing to him."

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. Personal To Harry Amos Bullis, 2 October 1956. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 2006. 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/2006.cfm

 


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