<--PREV Doc #407  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #409 Document #408; September 11, 1953 To Arthur Hays Sulzberger Series: EM, AWF, Name Series ; Category: Personal and confidential The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XIV - The Presidency: The Middle Way Part III: The Space Age Begins; October 1957 to January 1958 Chapter 6: Building strength when there is "no perfect answer"   Dear Arthur: Thank you very much for your note of September eighth and for the generous suggestion you make.1 Long ago I established a habit that I would never read, in advance of publication, any text in which I was mentioned, either favorably or unfavorably. Moreover, I have carried this habit to the point of refusing to express any opinion about such things even after publication. There have been numerous books and articles published in which allegations have been made that can be easily refuted by documentary evidence in the hands of the Army. I have never attempted to make any defense even when such criticisms--as they were in the campaign--are directed more at my alleged personal habits than at my judgment or competence. Knowing Winston Churchill very well, I have no doubt that he is going to try to make a convincing case for his side on some of the arguments that we had during the war.2 However, I doubt that he will challenge my honesty and loyalty, because I am quite certain that his feeling of friendship for me would not allow him to do this. So, regardless of the implications of his criticisms, the only answer I shall probably make was published years ago when I wrote my own book on my personal connection with the war.3 I repeat my appreciation of your kind offer. Not long ago there came up a matter of the possibility of a member of the British Royal Family coming to America. When the State Department brought the matter to my attention, I informed them of Columbia's interest in this possibility in connection with next year's Bicentennial. I assume that Foster or someone else spoke to you about it.4 It was nice to see you in New York.5 With warm personal regard, and please remember me kindly to the lovely Iphigene,6 As ever 1 Sulzberger had said that while reading the galley proofs of the latest Churchill memoirs he "found some material which I am inclined to think you would take issue with were you not in your present post." His purpose in writing was to ask if Eisenhower "would feel at liberty to make any comment" for publication regarding the volume. Sulzberger said, "Personally, I have grave doubts that you should, but that is not the way a newspaper man looking for a story should behave" (AWF/N). Excerpts from Triumph and Tragedy (Boston, 1953), the sixth and last volume of Sir Winston Churchill's history of the Second World War, would appear in Life magazine and in the daily New York Times from October 23 through November 26, 1953. 2 See, for example, Eisenhower, Crusade in Europe, pp. 281-84; for Eisenhower's views on Churchill's previous volumes of memoirs see Galambos, Columbia University, nos. 366 and 1109. 3 Eisenhower's war memoir, Crusade in Europe, had been published in 1948. 4 Sulzberger was chairman of Columbia University's Bicentennial Committee (forbackground see Galambos, NATO and the Campaign of 1952, nos. 168, 282, and 818). Secretary of State John Foster Dulles would inform Sulzberger that Queen Mother Elizabeth had accepted the President's invitation to visit the United States (Sulzberger to Eisenhower, Sept. 15, 1953, AWF/N. See also Eisenhower to the Queen Mother, Feb. 10, 1954, AWF/M: OF; and New York Times, Feb. 18, 1954). In October 1954 the Queen Mother would attend Charter Day ceremonies at Columbia University and would receive an honorary degree at the final Bicentennial Convocation (New York Times, Oct. 17, 31, Nov. 1, 1954). In a handwritten letter of November 10, 1954, Eisenhower would tell the Queen Mother, "You have captivated, anew, the hearts of the American people, a sentiment that is shared to the full by my wife and me" (AWF/M: OF). 5 Eisenhower had lunched with Sulzberger in New York on August 19 during ceremonies honoring Bernard Baruch (see no. 127; and President's daily appointments). 6 Sulzberger's reply would favor Eisenhower's decision to decline comment. He also said that after reading "considerable more of the Memoirs," he found them less critical than he thought they would be (Sept. 15, 1953, AWF/N). Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. Personal and confidential To Arthur Hays Sulzberger, 11 September 1953. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 408. 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/408.cfm <--PREV Doc #407  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #409

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