Presidential Papers, Doc#214 To Walter Bedell Smith, 27 May 1953. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
<--PREV
Doc #213		  |  Memorial Commission
Home Page		  |  First Term
Table of Contents		  |  Presidential Papers
Home Page 		 | 
Doc#
 |  NEXT-->
Doc #215

Document #214; May 27, 1953
To Walter Bedell Smith
Series: EM, AWF, Dulles-Herter Series
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XIV - The Presidency: The Middle Way
Part II: Settling into "the long pull"; May 1953 to August 1953
Chapter 3: "A time for continued vigilance"

 

Memorandum to the Acting Secretary of State: With respect to the suggestion that I meet President Cortines1 at Falcon Dam sometime next October, I hope that you will see that our Ambassador to Mexico is completely informed of the facts in the case.2 They are somewhat as follows:

At the very beginning of this Administration, we tried to think of some way that would symbolize the special interest this government feels in Mexico. Consequently, it was suggested that sometime during this calendar year the two Presidents might meet along the Rio Grande River. The Falcon Dam dedication seemed a good way to do it since it has international implications.

It should be made clear to the Ambassador that he is not under any circumstance to press for acceptance on the part of the President of Mexico. We have taken the initiative in making the suggestion and I think our attitude should be that it is now up to President Cortines. If we do not hear within a reasonable time, I will drop the whole matter and my schedule will be made up accordingly, but I do think that any attempt to press the matter could be badly misunderstood.

If you agree, do not bother to answer this note; but if you disagree, I should like to talk to you about it.3

1 A. Ruiz Cortines had won election to the Mexican presidency in September 1952, after a campaign marked by considerable violence. As a candidate the former minister of the interior had attacked government corruption and championed women's suffrage.

2 In early April Dulles and Eisenhower had agreed to explore the possibility of the two presidents' meeting to dedicate the dam (Dulles to Eisenhower, Apr. 3, 1953, and Eisenhower to Dulles, Apr. 4, 1953, AWF/D-H). For background on the Falcon project see no. 79. The U.S. ambassador to Mexico was Francis White.

3 On June 2 (AWF/D-H) Dulles would report that the Mexican officials were "heartily looking forward to the meeting"; he expected soon to have settled upon a mutually agreeable date. Eisenhower and Ruiz would christen the Falcon Dam on October 19 (see President's daily appointments, and New York Times, Oct. 20, 1953).

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Walter Bedell Smith, 27 May 1953. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 214. 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/214.cfm

<--PREV
Doc #213		  |  Memorial Commission
Home Page		  |  First Term
Table of Contents		  |  Presidential Papers
Home Page 		 | 
Doc#
 |  NEXT-->
Doc #215
 


Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission
1629 K Street, NW Suite 801
Washington DC 20006
Phone: 202.296.0004    Fax: 202.296.6464