Presidential Papers, Doc#64 To James Paul Mitchell, 11 March 1957. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
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Doc #65

Document #64; March 11, 1957
To James Paul Mitchell
Series: EM, AWF, Administration Series
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XVIII - The Presidency: Keeping the Peace
Part I: A New Beginning, Old Problems; January 1957 to May 1957
Chapter 1: The Mideast and the Eisenhower Doctrine

 

Dear Jim:1 I was highly interested in reading your presentation concerning the wisdom of developing the high level manpower resources of under-developed nations.2

As I told you the other day, I think that on the whole you have brought up some admirable ideas. Concerning it I have one question.

You rightly point out that if we industrialize countries without developing high level human resources, there could very easily evolve a rapid trend toward totalitarianism in such countries. You make a good case on this point.3

You therefore stress the need for development of human resources. But there is one danger here that I think your paper overlooks. If we develop human resources without providing opportunities for logical employment of educated or trained people, then we can be promoting unrest, frustrated ambitions and resentment.

It would seem to me that we must develop high level manpower resources in some kind of coordination with the development of opportunity in the same country. If we train a machinist, there should be a machine for him to run. If we train a teacher in the Social Sciences, there should be schools where he can teach Social Science. To be lacking in either of these efforts would seem to me running the risk of failure in the whole effort. Is this not correct?4 Sincerely

1 Former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Mitchell had been Secretary of Labor since October 1953.

2 Mitchell had met with the President on March 8, 1957, to discuss his ideas on "Labor Aspects of Economic Aid" (Mitchell to Eisenhower, Mar. 8, 1957, WHCF/OF 116-B-5). Arguing that economic and political pressures were impelling the underdeveloped countries of the world to industrialize as rapidly as possible, Mitchell had stated that it was imperative to find some means to "enable the underdeveloped countries to industrialize without sacrificing human values and political democracy on the altar of economic progress." It would be "folly," Mitchell had written, to assume that American interests would be "automatically advanced" through the industrialization and economic development of "backward countries." Industrialization and economic development, by themselves, might not offer any guarantee of social progress or general economic welfare and might "even provide ready excuses for wholesale disregard of human values in the pursuit of the overriding goals of totalitarian rulers." Eisenhower underlined many sections in Mitchell’s report.

3 Mitchell had argued that the United States had "no legitimate interest in helping countries to industrialize unless we can influence the course of their economic development." This, he believed, should be done through the "development of managerial, labor and educational institutions, for these institutions will determine in large measure the course of economic and political growth of the countries in question."

4 Mitchell would respond on March 12 (AWF/A), saying that Eisenhower had raised a crucial point regarding the need to relate development of skills to present or potential employment opportunities in undeveloped nations. Stating that the United States must be "alert to the danger that in helping people to help themselves, we do not compound old problems nor create new ones," Mitchell proposed an initial inventory of skill requirements. This inventory would be based upon the "foreign countries’ own realistic appraisal of the skills and resources needed and those which are available, to meet its current and anticipated industrial and agricultural programs." On April 12, 1957, Assistant to the President Sherman Adams would send Mitchell a memorandum (WHCF/OF 116-B-5) informing him that Eisenhower wished to act upon Mitchell’s suggestion to set up a "small task force" responsible for implementation. For background see nos. 50 and 90.

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. To James Paul Mitchell, 11 March 1957. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 64. 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/64.cfm

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