Evening star., 1953-09-27
By Joseph A. Fox

Eisenhower cabinet meetings
have become the proving ground
for administration policies gen
orally. and after eight months.
the White House is satisfied
with the way this plan is work
ing out.
Giving fullest play to the
team" idea which he has been
emphasizing since campaign
days, Gen. Eisenhower has de-
veloped a conference system for
the weekly Friday morning Ses-
sions which gives all the parti-
cipantS a look at what is going
on outside of their own parti-
cular province-and the oppor-
tunity to offer suggestions.
Always, according to presiden-
tial associates, there is an effort
to work out agreement as to the
desirability of contemplated
moves. There is, however, plenty
of room for dissent, it is made
clear, for Gen. Eisenhower wants
none of the "yes, Mr.. President"
technique in his official family.
Uses Best Brains
Years in the Army convinced
him of the SoundneSs of the staff
conference-that is the mact1in-
cry used for White House opera
tions-and it is just being carried
a step further in the cabinet
meetings.
AS one side put it:
When Gen. Eisenhower was
campaigning, he promised to get
the best brains available for the
cabinet if elected. He has done
that. It would be silly not to
make fullest use of the men
around him"
1t was pointed out, too, that
at the very outset, the President
told his cabinet associates that
he wanted ther to speak their
mind on everyc 5asion-whethe
they agreed wi: | him or not.
When the ca met meets now,
there is a pri ted agenda at
every chair-an Innovation. This
is composed la, gely of items
that the PresidenL wants to bring
UP, but it includes also those
matters that other participants
desire to have discussed.
He Has Final Say-SO,
This gives everybody a chance
to have look at the overall pic
ture, particularly when more
than one agency is concerned
with some one thing-foreign
affairs and defense, for example
ard this, Gen. Eisenhower IS
convinced, is especially helpful
In efficient administration.
= When a subject has been ex-
hausted. the President is liable
to ask:
. We'll now. are we all agreed
on that?"
But as an aide quipped,
there's no showing of hands"
And, as it also has been en-
phaSized. the ultimate decisions
are made by the President him
self-not by those about him.
One of former President Tru-
mans favorite sayings was that
p President gets a lot of advice
from lot of people-but he
alone can say yes or no.
In a further effort to mesh
>. cabinet operations with the
!, overall functioning of the Gov
ernment, President Eisenhower
has materially broadened the
base of the weekly meetings.
High Officials Sit In.
He has continued the prac-
tice-Started in the Coolidge
AdminiStration-of having the
Vice President sit in. Added have
been Joseph H. Dodge, Budget
director; Harold E. Stassen,
Foreign Operations administra-
tor; Philip Young, Civil Service
Commission chairman, and
Henry Cabot Lodge, jr., United
States representative to the
United Nations.
,r Mr.. Dodge is on hand to talk
about the financial angle in
Yolved in any particular matter;
the FOA and United Nations
representatives round out the
foreign relations discussion which
ordinarily would be left to the
Secretary of State and Chair
man Young is present for advice
on personnel generally.
Always in on the cabinet
meetings, too. is Sherman
Adams. top assistant to the
President, who functions much