<--PREV Doc #428  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #430 Document #429; September 24, 1953 To Herbert Brownell, Jr. Series: EM, AWF, Administration Series ; Category: 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 Herb: As you know, Helen Reid of the Herald Tribune is definitely dedicated to the success of the Administration. She is now engaged in the business of making final arrangements for her yearly Forum.1 I consider the Forum to be one of America's finest platforms from which to explain governmental policy; the audience is made up of representatives of every kind of cultural and educational organization, extending over the entire country. All the material delivered at the Forum is used by these people in their own local activities. Helen has just told me that she is hopeful of getting you to give a talk at the Forum on the workings of the latest Immigration Law. She also told me that you were doubtful that you could comply with her request.2 By no means do I want to put additional burdens on your already over-loaded shoulders. I did want, however, to let you know of the value of the Forum as a means for spreading information and understanding throughout the country. In fact, I would like during the period of this Administration to help out in enhancing the already splendid reputation enjoyed by the Forum in order to make it increasingly useful for this kind of purpose.3 As ever 1 For background on Eisenhower's long association with Reid and the New York Herald Tribune Forum see Chandler, War Years, nos. 2036 and 2120; Chandler and Galambos, Occupation, 1945, no. 279; and Galambos, Columbia University, nos. 177 and 555. Reid had visited Eisenhower at his office on this day (September 24) to ask his assistance in finding speakers for the twenty-second annual forum, scheduled for October 18-20 in New York City. 2 On the immigration law see no. 101. Attorney General Brownell would agree to speak at the Forum. His subject, however, would be the proposed federal public-defender system, a program designed to provide counsel for impoverished defendants (New York Times, Oct. 18-21, 1953). 3 On this same day Eisenhower sent a copy of this letter to Douglas MacArthur II in the hope of persuading him to participate in the Forum program. "As you can see," Eisenhower wrote, "I would like to use the Forum to the utmost in order to get the Administration viewpoint before the public" (AWF/A; see also Reid to Eisenhower, Sept. 24, 1953, and Eisenhower to Reid, Sept. 25, 1953, ibid.). MacArthur would decline the invitation. Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Herbert Brownell, Jr., 24 September 1953. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 429. 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/429.cfm <--PREV Doc #428  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #430

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