<--PREV Doc #312  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  Second Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #314 Document #313; August 31, 1957 To Charles W. Seifert Series: EM, WHCF, Official File 3-A ; Category: Personal The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XVIII - The Presidency: Keeping the Peace Part II: Civil Rights; June 1957 to September 1957 Chapter 4: "Logic and reason must operate gradually"   Dear Captain Seifert: Thank you for your letter of August twenty-sixth. I have asked the Chief of Staff of the Army to send one or two representatives of fairly junior grade down to Fort Polk for a visit and to investigate more precisely the problems you present.1 Of course there are many matters to be considered in viewing our defense establishment as a whole. I might point out, however, that if we succeed in stabilizing our Army at anything like the levels now foreseen, we will have a force very much greater than we have ever before maintained in peacetime. On top of this, we have spent billions of dollars to give the Army the latest type of equipment and firepower, and we constantly strive to maintain and improve its high degree of effectiveness.2 Far from being indifferent to Army requirements and the needs of Army people, during this Administration the Army has benefitted by the passage of the following bills and others as well: a. Substantial raise in pay in 19553 b. Medical care for dependents4 c. Capehart Housing Act5 d. Survivorship benefits6 One thing the Army cannot promise is that every individual who has served for a period as a Reserve Officer can find in the Army a permanent career.7 In any event, I repeat that I shall ask the Chief of Staff to send someone down to your area. These visitors will probably contact you and get full details of your story.8 Sincerely 1 Seifert, a Captain in the United States Army Reserve serving with the 1st Armored Division at Fort Polk, Louisiana, had written to inform the President of the "considerable discontent, harassment, and low morale" that he claimed had resulted from cuts in the army budget (same file as document). "Every day," he said, "we read that Congress is concerned over the large number of resignations of Regular officers. If someone were interested in this problem to the extent of talking with these officers they would be able to learn why. In essence, most of us feel that we are being unduly criticized, that we are given missions to perform while our hands are tied behind our backs, and above all, that we are not receiving the support of our National leaders." On the 1955 Reserve Forces legislation see Galambos and van Ee, The Middle Way, no. 1488. 2 For background see ibid., nos. 471 and 1233. See also State, Foreign Relations, 1955 - 1957, vol. XIX, National Security Policy, pp. 384 - 94, 531 - 32, 542 - 46, and 553 - 65. 3 See Galambos and van Ee, The Middle Way, no. 1275. 4 See ibid., no. 554. 5 See ibid., no. 1775. 6 See ibid., nos. 363, 1156, and 1478. 7 Seifert had written that Army reserve officers no longer had the job security that had previously existed. "I am one of the many," he said, "who has been selected for release in order that our budget might be reduced." On the issue of retention of skilled military personnel see no. 226. 8 We have been unable to locate any further correspondence concerning Seifert's complaints. Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. Personal To Charles W. Seifert, 31 August 1957. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 313. 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/second-term/documents/313.cfm <--PREV Doc #312  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  Second Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #314

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