Presidential Papers, Doc#781 To Freeman F. Gosden, 19 July 1958. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
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Doc #782

Document #781; July 19, 1958
To Freeman F. Gosden
Series: EM, WHCF, President’s Personal File 472
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XIX - The Presidency: Keeping the Peace
Part V: Forcing the President's Hand; June 1958 to October 1958
Chapter 12: America Invades the Mideast

 

Dear Freeman: For over ten days I have waited patiently for the inspiration that I knew would come properly to acknowledge the saga of Tulips and his travelling companions.1 While I refuse to admit the lack of talent to do justice to an appropriate reply, I do have the refuge of the assorted problems that have descended on me this last week.2 So I can only say that I have read and re-read your masterpiece--and admit in all honesty that when I saw Cliff last weekend I did not dare call him "Tulips." Of course he exhibited with pride his photographs of all of you--placards included--done up for the Ascot.3

I suspect you are at Bohemian Grove. With a little encouragement, I could feel very sorry for myself on that score alone.4

I do have one grievance against you. Will you kindly tell me why it was impossible to travel from New York to Los Angeles by way of Washington? I had hoped very much that you would stop over.

At any rate, many thanks for your letter. If I were you--and if I had your talent--I’d write a scenario on the travels of the Musketeers!

With warm regards, As ever

1 On July 8 Gosden had reported, as requested by Eisenhower, on his business trip to Europe with Cliff Roberts and Barry Leithead (see no. 743). Roberts had received the nickname "Tulips," Gosden explained, because "he fell in love" with the antique tulip vases in the American embassy in London. As a result of this affection, Gosden wrote, the travelers had visited "at least seventy-five antique shops and in each instance our old bachelor friend, Cliff, would enter the shop and quietly say: 'Do you have any tulip vases?'" The remainder of Gosden's report described various comic mishaps that had taken place during the trip. See also Whitman to Champion, December 3, 1958, and Champion to Whitman, December 8, 1958. All correspondence is in the same file as the document.

2 On the recent criticism of Assistant to the President Sherman Adams see no. 753. On the recent crisis in the Middle East see nos. 753, 770, 773, and 776. On July 7 White House aide Gabriel Hauge had submitted his resignation (see no. 769).

3 On Sunday, July 13, Eisenhower and Roberts had played bridge at the White House (Ann Whitman memorandum, July 13, 1958, AWF/AWD).

4 Eisenhower had attended the Bohemian Grove encampment, near San Francisco, California, in July 1950. Bohemian Grove was the site of the annual meeting of the Bohemian Club, which was originally organized in 1872 by journalists and writers for professionals who work in or appreciate literature, art, music and drama (for further background see Galambos, Columbia University, no. 388).

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Freeman F. Gosden, 19 July 1958. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 781. 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/781.cfm

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