<--PREV Doc #89  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #91 Document #90; March 18, 1953 To Cabinet Members Series: EM, AWF, DDE Diaries Series ; Category: Memorandum. Personal and confidential The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XIV - The Presidency: The Middle Way Part I: Charting a New Course; January 1953 to April 1953 Chapter 2: "A number of misunderstandings": Party and International Struggles   An idea was presented to me this afternoon that I want to pass on for your consideration. In one department a civil service officer states that every administrative position in that department is presently held by an individual who believes in the philosophy of the preceding Administration. This officer says that, almost without exception, these individuals reached these high administrative offices through a process of selection based upon their devotion to the socialistic doctrine and bureaucratic controls practiced over the past two decades. As a consequence of this fact, it was further pointed out that if any sizeable reductions in the civilian force are made before these top individuals are removed and new ones appointed to their places, the result will be that down through the organization there will be a studied effort to hang onto those believing in the New Deal philosophy and to eliminate those who show any respect for ideals of self-dependence and self-reliance. This was presented as a very real possibility and one presently with us. My own opinion is that if we are watchful we can prevent any such unfortunate outcome.1 1 The day before, at a White House meeting with legislative leaders, Arthur Flemming, who had been involved in civil service reform for several months (see no. 52), had reported on the large number of persons in "positions which should be under Schedule A [policy-making posts politically filled] but which have been put under Civil Service protection." At a later meeting with legislative leaders Civil Service Chairman Philip D. Young would comment on draft legislation aimed at reforming the civilian federal work force (AWF/LM, Mar. 17, 30, 1953; see also no. 263). Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. Memorandum. Personal and confidential To Cabinet Members, 18 March 1953. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 90. 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/90.cfm <--PREV Doc #89  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #91

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