<--PREV Doc #7  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  Second Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #9 Document #8; January 28, 1957 To Harold Edward Stassen 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 Harold:1 Thank you very much for your letter of the 26th, telling of recent developments in the United Nations on the disarmament matter.2 I assume that you are making to the Secretary of State such official report as may be appropriate.3 I realize that formulation of disarmament policies that will conform to the best interests of the United States is in itself an intricate process; to achieve any measure of agreement by other nations to such policies is even more difficult. There is, however, no alternative to continuation of the effort, with all the intelligence and patience that we can bring to bear on the matter. I am grateful for what you have contributed in the furthering of this great effort.4 With warm regard, Sincerely 1A draft of this letter with Eisenhower's handwritten emendations is in AWF/A. For background on Harold Edward Stassen, Eisenhower's Special Assistant for Disarmament since March 1955, see Galambos and van Ee, The Middle Way, nos. 8, 1318, and 1348. 2 As Stassen had explained, the United Nations General Assembly's Political Committee had voted to refer all disarmament discussions to the Disarmament Commission, giving special consideration to Eisenhower's proposal for the exchange of military blueprints and aerial inspection. The committee also agreed that equal consideration should be given to Soviet Premier Nikolai Bulganin's proposal for the establishment of ground inspection posts at strategic centers. Stassen wrote: "Divisive voting on all measures adverse to US policy, such as the proposal for the cessation of nuclear tests, was avoided; a favorable reference for the Eisenhower plan was included in a unanimous resolution; and the stage was set for a renewed effort to reach a sound first step agreement in this field" (Jan. 26, 1957, AWF/A; for background on Eisenhower's proposals made at the July 1955 Geneva Summit Conference see Galambos and van Ee, The Middle Way, no. 1523). On Bulganin's inspection plan see ibid., no. 2151; for United Nations discussions see U.S. Department of State, Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955 - 1957, 27 vols. (Washington, D.C., 1985 - 92), vol. XX, Regulation of Armaments; Atomic Energy (1990), pp. 449 - 55; see also Whitman to Bernau, January 29, 1957, AWF/D-H; and New York Times, January 26, 1957. 3 On January 25 Stassen had told Brigadier General Andrew Goodpaster, Eisenhower's Staff Secretary, that he had been unable to reach Secretary Dulles but would call him before the end of the day (Goodpaster, Memorandum, Jan. 25, 1957, WHO/OSS: Subject [Alpha], Disarmament). 4 For developments see no. 171. Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Harold Edward Stassen, 28 January 1957. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 8. 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/8.cfm <--PREV Doc #7  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  Second Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #9

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