<--PREV Doc #895  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #897 Document #896; May 26, 1954 To John Foster Dulles and Herbert Brownell, Jr. Series: EM, AWF, Dulles-Herter Series ; Category: Confidential The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XV - The Presidency: The Middle Way Part V: Maintaining "a united defense"; April 1954 to August 1954 Chapter 10: Losing the war "they could not win"   Memorandum for the Secretary of State [and] the Attorney General: There is a pending motion before the Senate to reconsider the Bricker Amendment.1 Several of the individuals--including Senator Ferguson--who were stalwarts in defending the Administration point of view when this matter was debated in the Senate, have reported themselves to be in some considerable political trouble in their constituencies because of the persistent belief among great portions of the public that our Constitutional system will be destroyed unless something positive is done to protect it.2 To this section of the public, the words "Bricker Amendment" merely epitomize their fear that something is radically wrong and must be corrected. In this situation our friends feel that they would be vastly benefited if we could have an amendment that, while fully protecting the position and rights of the Executive, would reassure the United States as a whole public in this sensitive matter.3 During the past week, Mr. Martin of my staff has kept in more or less close touch with this matter in the Senate.4 He has now submitted to me the attached draft of a suggested amendment which I request that you study to determine whether you believe it is acceptable from the standpoint of the Executive Branch. I should appreciate if each of the addressees named above would give me an answer on this as soon as feasible.5 1 For background on the Bricker amendment see no. 741. The Senate's rejection of the measure in February had been considered a great victory for the Administration, but by March Senator Bricker was speaking again publicly of his determination to continue his fight for limitations on presidential treaty powers (see New York Times, Mar. 3, 5, 1954; Tananbaum, Bricker Amendment Controversy, pp. 192-93). 2 Republican senator from Michigan since 1943, and chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, Homer Ferguson had taken a leading role in the Administration's campaign to defeat the measure--a role that he now felt could cost him votes in the upcoming midterm elections (Tananbaum, Bricker Amendment Controversy, p. 195). 3 Although Eisenhower was by this time weary of the issue (see no. 707), he was nevertheless willing to consider another Administration-sponsored version of the amendment. He did so out of deference to the personal political concerns of those who had remained loyal to him during the debate. Copies of the draft amendment are in AWF/D-H and AWF/D. 4 I. Jack Martin was administrative assistant to the President. 5 "The suggested amendment would not, I fear, be acceptable to the Executive." So wrote Dulles on May 28. He went on to say that he would "doubt the wisdom of the Administration itself initiating a reopening of the question," as it would "greatly embarrass some of our best and most loyal supporters in the Senate. . . ." Dulles added that Vice-President Nixon agreed also that to "inject this very troublesome question" into the Congress in its closing period would be a "great mistake." On the same day (May 28) Attorney General Brownell replied that he, Secretary of State Dulles, and Vice-President Nixon had agreed that "it would be unfortunate to have the Administration appear to re-open the controversy," which may "lead to a long filibuster-type debate in the Senate" and "jeopardize the passage of many important Administration measures" (State, Foreign Relations, 1952-1954, vol. I, General: Economic and Political Matters, pt. 2, pp. 1852-55). For developments see no. 904. Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. Confidential To John Foster Dulles and Herbert Brownell, Jr., 26 May 1954. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 896. 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/896.cfm <--PREV Doc #895  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #897

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