Evening star., 1951-11-04
Eisenhower
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Eisenhower
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will meet again Tuesday with de-
fense officials at the Peritagon.
| Without being at all specific
presidential Secretary Joseph
Short said Mr.. Truman and Gen.
Eisenhower have "lot of mat
ters" to discuss and it was thought
lbest to do it in person. Hence.
the pl esidential summons for Gen.
Eisenhower to fly home.
Pressing For Defense Speed.
Aside from advocating the
change in policy emphasis on
building up a European defense
force. Gen. Eisenhower is ex-
pected to make a major effort to
speed up the production and de-
livery of supplies to Western Eu-
rope from the United States.
This undertaking undoubtedly
will involve him in a struggle
under way between the military
and civilian sides of the Govern
ment here over how rapidly to
step up production.
Curiously the General will draw
the main support for his ideas
of the fastest possible military
build up in Western Europe from
civilian officials of THE White
House mobilization Office, the for
eign military assistance program
and the State Department. All
these agencies are pressing for
the Defense Department to switch
from what they consider its slow
paced production programs to a
precise schedule of production
and rough and ready acceptance
of deliveries in order to get more
weapons into Europe at once.
Some informants reporting the
clash between the White House
production Office and the defense
establishment saw significance in
the timing Of Gen. Eisenhower'sI
return. They suggest that Mr.
Truman invited him back here at
this time for the maximum effect
of his prestige. personality and
persuasive powers on his COL
leagues in the military establish
ment who are responsible for
directing the planning of arms and
ammunition.
Called "Strictly Military" Talks.
Administration leaders insist
privately, as the White House an
nounced publicly. that the reason
for Gen. Eisenhower's conferences
here is solely to talk about the
problems of Western defense and
that he was not asked back for
any political purpose. Gen. Eisen-
hover himself has said that his
own plans are for strictly mill
tary" talks here.
Nevertheless speculation per-
sisted about the political signifi-
canoe of a meeting of two men
who are potential presidential
candidates for next years election.
The fact that the President and
the General are due to meet to-
morrow for a time at least with
out any other person being present
obviously provides an opportunity
for them to discuss matters of
a most confidential nature. 1t
provides an opportunity for the
President, should he desire, to
find out what Gen. Eisenhower
is thinking about his own future.
Besides Mr.. Truman's natural
political interest, there is the ques-
ton OF whether a successor need
be found for Gen. Eisenhower
in Europe any time soon.
Quite apart from his meeting
with the President, Gen. Eisen-
hower's hackers among Republi-
cans here have an intense desire
to get something more definite on
the prospects Of the General as
a presidential candidate. Some.
like Senator Duff of Pennsylvania,
hope to see him or hope for some
indication-perhaps of a private
and confidential nature-to his
intentions.
Western Europe Tagging.
While the White House has said
mo emergency" prompted the
summons 70 Gen. Eisenhower, the
rearrnament problems involved
fall little short of constituting a
crisis IN the plans for defense
of the West.
| Here are the principal elements
OF this near crisis, which vitality
affect what Gen. Eisenhower seeks
to do and what he may be able
to do:
Present defense programs call
Ing for organizing an interna-
tlonal army capable of defending
Western Europe by mid-1954 with
men and weapons to be supplied
by the European nations and the
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