Dear George: Although I have known for more than two years that your retirement from government service could not be indefinitely postponed, the actual receipt of your letter of resignation fills me with profound regret. Yet because of your personal situation, which I fully understand, I of course accept your decision.1
It would be idle to attempt expression of my feelings of gratitude for the extraordinary talents that, more than four years ago, you brought to the Treasury Department and for the loyal and tireless way in which you have, ever since, applied them to problems of the greatest import. It has been of real satisfaction to me that in working on these problems we have invariably found our conclusions and convictions to be practically identical.
I thank you further for allowing me to designate the actual date of your separation from the Federal service, with the commitment that such date will be no later than the close of the current Congressional session. There are a number of critical problems to be considered during this session and, until the bulk of these have been satisfactorily solved, I deeply believe that your experience and the confidence that you enjoy everywhere in government will be great assets in reaching the best answers. Consequently, the date you turn over your duties to your successor will, within the limits indicated, be dictated somewhat by circumstances.2
I share your satisfaction that Robert Anderson has been able to accept my nomination as the individual to take over your duties in the Treasury Department. I am sending his name to the Senate today. I agree with you that he will continue to follow the general path that you have so clearly marked out. So long as you must leave the post, I can think of no other to whom I would rather entrust the responsibilities of that office.3
Finally, I am grateful to you for your offer of future assistance to the Administration. From time to time I know we shall want to call upon you for advice and counsel, and have no doubt that such occasions will be of considerable frequency.
On the personal side, I cannot tell you what a sense of loss it is to Mamie and to me to know that you and Pam will shortly leave the intimate Cabinet family. But a friendship of the strength and depth of ours cannot suffer merely because of your departure from Washington.
With affectionate regard to you both, As ever
