Presidential Papers, Doc#756 Personal To William Benton, 4 March 1954. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
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Doc #757

Document #756; March 4, 1954
To William Benton
Series: EM, AWF, Name Series ; Category: Personal
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XV - The Presidency: The Middle Way
Part IV: "Pushing ahead along the broad center"; December 1953 to March 1954
Chapter 9: Fending off "the reactionary fringe"

 

Dear Bill: As I read your letters of February ninth, it is your plan to dedicate the second edition of the World Language Dictionary to the Chiefs of State of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Israel--and the United States.

1 My first reaction is that as representative Chief of State for the English language, it seems a bit incongruous to exclude the British. Would I not be appearing presumptuous to agree to your complimentary dedication unless the Queen of Britain should also be included? Could I have your comment?2

With warm regard, Sincerely

P.S. I look forward to seeing the Dictionary--it sounds like a valuable reference volume.3

1 Eisenhower's extensive handwritten emendations appear on a draft of this reply to Benton, publisher and chairman of the Encyclopaedia Britannica (AWF/Drafts). Benton's letters, requesting permission to dedicate the Britannica World Language Dictionary to the President, are both in AWF/N. For background see no. 89.

2 In a reply of March 8 Benton apologized for not having explained that Queen Elizabeth had indeed been invited to "join in accepting the dedication," and that the British consul in New York had "assured us that the permission of the Queen of Britain will be forthcoming." See also Eisenhower's letter to Benton on March 10, 1954, and Benton's letter to Eisenhower, March 12, 1954; also W. K. Scott to L. A. Minnich, Jr., March 1, 1954, and Murray Snyder to Ann Whitman, March 3, 1954, all in AWF/N, Benton Corr.

3 Eisenhower would thank Benton for the two-volume set on March 10 (ibid.).

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. Personal To William Benton, 4 March 1954. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 756. 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/756.cfm

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