<--PREV Doc #2018  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #2020 Document #2019; October 10, 1956 To Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller Series: EM, AWF, Administration Series ; 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 Nelson: Thank you for your report on your impressions during the Inauguration of President de la Guardia of Panama. I regret particularly that the attitude of the Arias Government toward the United States seemed to you to verge on the unfriendly.1 We have certainly tried to be generous and understanding in every way with them--from expediting shipments of Salk vaccine to the ever present and annoying problems of Canal cooperation.2 I personally shall do everything in my power to see that President de la Guardia's intrinsic respect for the "fair play" policies of our country is maintained and strengthened. I hope I shall see you soon. Meantime, my gratitude to you for representing me at the Inauguration, and warm personal regard.3 As ever 1 Rockefeller had represented Eisenhower at de la Guardia's inauguration. He reported that the outgoing President had given a speech attacking the United States for failing to keep its treaty promises and for excluding it from the London Suez Conference (Oct. 5, 1956, AWF/A). Arias's speech prompted the State Department to propose a delay in accepting him as the Panamanian ambassador to the United States "to make plain that his remarks have not gone unnoticed" (Dulles to Eisenhower, Oct. 17, 1956, AWF/I: Panamanian). See also State, Foreign Relations, vol. VII, American Republics: Central and South America, pp. 318-21. De la Guardia, whom Rockefeller described as "an outstanding friend" of the United States, was considerably more conciliatory. For background see no. 2003; for developments see the following document. 2 For background on the expedited shipment of Salk vaccine to Panama see no. 1950. On the Salk vaccine see nos. 1401 and 1414. 3 Rockefeller had also reported that Mrs. Cecilia de Remon, widow of a former president of Panama and minister of labor in the new cabinet, had said "she only wished that she could campaign for [Eisenhower] during this coming month." Rockefeller gave her his Ike button, which she wore throughout the inauguration ceremonies. Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. Personal To Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller, 10 October 1956. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 2019. 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/2019.cfm <--PREV Doc #2018  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #2020

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