Milford chronicle., 1952-12-05
EISENHOWER STUDIES FOR
FUTURE POLICY

Just 20 years ago President Hoover in
vited President-elect Roosevelt to the White
House to discuss some Of the problems in
volved in changing Administrations at a
time when the country was sunk In a great
depression. Mr.. Roosevelt paid the visit
However, according ID Mr.. Hoover's subse-
quent account, little benefit came Of it, for
the reason that the PTesident-elect was COM
pletely nOn-c0operative
Twenty years later this highly unusual
event was repeated-With some very great
differences. This time the talk between
President Truman and President-elect Eisen-
hover dealt entirely with international re-
lations and the hot and cold wars. It's pri-
mary purpose was to acquaint General Els
enhower with highly secret information
most of which, Washington sources say, is
Of a very grim nature. Mr.. Truman, accord
ing to reports, remarked that he did not
want new President to come into the vast
responsibilities of office in time Of world
crisis as unprepared as he was when Mr..
Roosevelt died. AS Vice President, Mr.. Tru-
man was never close to his predecessor and
was kept almost completely in the dark about
matters of the highest Importance.
News reports said that there was no sign
of personal geniality between the President
and the President-elect when they met-nO
doubt the charges and cOunter-charges made
1uring the campaign have left much bitter
ness on each side. There was, however, an
attitude of sober purpOsefulneSs. At the end
of the meeting they issued joint statement
which emphasized the fact that General
Eisenhower has not been asked to assume
any Of the responsibilities of the Presidency
until he takes the oath Of Office and that he
could not under the Constitution, which pro-
vides that the President must exercise his
functions until the very end of his term. But
arrangements were made, the statement con-
.tinued for cooperation between the present
and incoming administrations that "will be
of great value to the stability of our cOun-
try and to the favorable progress of inter-
national affairs"
It is unlikely that the details of these ar
rangements and of the Truman Eisenhower
conference will be made public until the pass
age Of time dissipates the need for secrecy
But it is safe bet that the talk ranged the
whole world Korea, China, Europe, Indo-
China-all are trouble spots, all effect our
foreign policy, all have an influence on our
own economic situation to a greater or lesser
extent. The policy we should pursue within
the United Nations must also have been
argued. And the President-elect was doubt
less given the latest word on A-bomb and
H-bomb development.
At the moment, the greatest interest
hinges on General EisenhOWer's trip to the
AOfedu UdJISlIOuIs lIlS, IL Is DeueVeO, VIII
produce certain much-desired results. 1t will
give him, with his military knowledge and
background, better understanding of the
tactical and strategical situation than ne
could obtain from reports and the accounts
of other men. It will give troop morale lift
to know that the next President is vitality in
terested in them and their future, and that
Korss is not a forgotten war" But every
one agrees that it will be most unfortunate
if too much is expected-if we look for Els
enhower to produce a miracle. No man more
passionately desires to end that stalemated
conflict. But, world communism's attitude
and position being what it is staggeringly
difficult problems stand in the way.
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