Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-24
Eisenhower Is Back;
Palm Springs Plot
Against Him Denied
By Gornett D. Homer

President Eisenhower returned
to a full days work in the White
House today after a six-day golf
ing vacation in Southern Cali
fornia sunshine. climaxed by the
arrest Of two men with a 20
rifle near his vacation abode.
Both White House Press Sec
rotary James c. Hagerty and
Palm Springs (Calif.) Police
Chief John S. Davis said the in
cldent definitely did not involve
any plot against the Presidents
life.
The two men. jailed on va
grancy charges in Palm Springs,
were described by Chief Davis
as drunken "winos." One was
an Indian and the other part
Indian. They were arrested
when they drove up to the
guarded gate of Smoke Tree
Ranch near Palm Springs and
demanded to see the President
yesterday afternoon.
Lanas at 7:45 AM.
Tanned and looking in fine
shape after his California vaca-
ton. Gen. Eisenhower landed
here at 7:45 am. today in his
special plane, the Columbine
He had taken of from Palm
Springs Airport at $3.50 last
night u1:30 Washington time)
He drove Immediately from
the Military Air Transport Serv-
ice terminal at National Airport
to the White House, where he
had a meeting with Republican
congressional leaders
Senate Majority Leader Know
land and House Speaker Martin
said they brought the President
up to date on the legislative sit
uation. But they denied that
either of two current contro-
versieS came up for discussion
Senator McCarthy's dispute
with Army Secretary Stevens
and the scheduling of a Geneva
conference to include Commu-
mist China.
MIR. Hagerty told reporters
later that I'VE will have no
comment from the White House"
on the Stevens-McCarthy row.
An 11:15 conference with Sec
rotary Of Defense Wilson had
also been on Gen. Eisenhower
schedule as given to reporters
by Mr.. Hagerty in Palm Springs
yesterday But last night that
was listed as a miStake-Mr
Wilson is out of town.
The President so far has kept
himself aloof from the row be-
tween Secretary Stevens and
Senator Mccarthy over the Wis
consin Senator's conduct of an
investigation of the Army.
Dulles Luncheon Guest.
Secretary of State Dulles was
another caller at the White
House today. Gen. Eisenhower
invited him for lunch to talk
over results of the Berlin confer
ence. The President sent his
Secretary of State a message
from Palm Springs last week
congratulating him on the fine
job" he did there.
The incident that stirred some
excitement in Palm Springs yes
terday occurred just after Gen.
Eisenhower had returned to the
Smoke Tree Ranch cottage of
Paul Helms-where he spent his
vacation-from a round of golf.
Mr.. Hagerty hastily called re-
porters into the temporary White
House pressroom in Palm
Springs Ell Mirado Hotel at
pm. to tell them about it. He
received a query from a radio
correspondent about a reported
attempt on the Presidents life.
That report, said Mr.. Hagerty,
was inaccurate.
He said this is what happened:
About 2:30 pm. two men drove
UP to the front gate of Smoke
Tree Ranch and said they want
ed to see the President. This
heavily guarded gate is about
half a mile from the cottage
where Gen. Eisenhower was
Quartered.
The two men, who obviously
had been drinking, according to
Mr.. Hagerty. were in a 1885 Ford
bearing California license plates.