Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-26
President S Confidence
Viewed as Betrayed
Writer VisuoIizes Judas
In Eisenhower Cabinet
Rx Frank R. Kent

III 6tSSHHOWSI NODlHeC
By Fronk R. Kent
A President can stand criticism from
the opposition and he can stand it from
the press. He expects to be assailed
by inconseQuential characters" like
Chairman Mitchell Of the Democratic
National Committee and by irrespon-
sible persons such as the long winded
Senator Wayne Morse. Nearly all Pres
idents Of both parties have had such
critics. Some have suffered severely
under them. Some have taken them in
their stride. Some, like Calvin Coolidge,
have not minded them in the least.
But. what hardly any President could
tolerate without real emotional dis
turbance is the presence in his cabinet
Cor Of some one personally closer than
a cabinet member) Of Judas
traitor, a man or woman who gives
confidential information to a hostile
politician or journalist who uses it to
undermine and injure him. When one
considers that the cabinet members
are 10 persons personally picked by
the President as his most trusted ad-
visers with whom he consults most
frequently and from whom he naturally
can have few SecretS-to discover that
one or more of them is disloyal-and,
what is even worse. not to know surely
who he iS-that is about as hard blow
to take as can well be imagined.
4
Few Presidents have been without
this bitter experience. Mr.. Truman
OF NEv 1,nI
least two. Mr.. Coolidge had one or
two, but 1t was not bitter to him be-
cause he never knew it. There never
was any evidence that any member Of
Mr.. Hoover'S cabinet ever leaked be-
cause Mr.. Hoover was an exceptionally
good judge Of men. but there were
leaks and worse than leaks in the
Harding cabinet. In fact, 1t is hard to
name any President in our history who
at one time or another did not have
this kind Of cabinet trouble. Some
times the identity Of the leak was
widely suspected; sometimes 1t was
never known-even by the President.
Often the President is the last to know.
Up to q few days ago there had been
no real suggestion that any member of
sufficient Importance to have confiden-
tial relations with Mr.. Eisenhower was
in any way disloyal to him. But about
a week ago a well-known writer with
an acknowledged bitterness, manifested
in many ways and many times. toward
the President printed letter approved
by the President but signed by the
Director Of the Budget to the heads
of various governmental departments,
nearly all Of whom are members of the
cabinet. This hostile journalist de-
clared that the letter was complete
except for one paragraph, which he
said he purposely had omitted because
1t tended to disclose the identity of
the cabinet officer who gave it to him.
Now. this letter was neither import
ant nor sensational. 1t followed close
ly Secretary Of the Treasury Hum
phrey's revelation that expenditures
and revenues for the current fiscal year
showed considerably wider gap than
had been expected. Therefore. hope Of
a real budget balance for this year
must be deferred. Therefore, Mr.. Eli
Senhower had directed that a secret
letter be written to cabinet officers and
few other heads of departments ear
nestly reiterating his views on the ur-
gent necessity of further cuts in all de-
partments and again expressing his
view that rigid retrenchment was es-
sential. He personally asked that this
be given personal and immediate at
tention of the heads of departments.
Now, as has been said, this was not
an alarming nor exciting letter though
its tone was earnest and urgent, and
the direction that it should be kept
confidential was explicit. Its publicity
would seem to have done no particular
harm. It created no great STIR That Is
on the surface. But harm has been
done, nevertheless. It Is possible that
the President does not yet know the
facts, but 1t is hardly possible that he
will be back long in Washington be-
fore he knows them. Though sure to
add to his worries. he has got to be
told. After all, it is not unique ex-
perience. Many of his predecessors
have had to suffer from the same
wound.
And after all, it is not fair to blame
the newspaperman. He owes no ALE
glance to General Ike. He did not steal
the document and he violated no con-
fidence in printing it. His business is
to get news-and this news did not
endanger the security Of the Nation.
It was the cabinet officer who violated
the confidence of his chief and be-
trayed his friend. And he will get away
with 1t, too. Any man who would do
that sort Of thing would deny it under
oath and, Of course. the newspaper
man will refuse to divulge his source
of information. 1t Is tough on Ike, but
he isn't the only President who has
been treated that way. AS for the
cabinet official, of course, he is dirty
dog-but you can't kick him unless you
know him. Maybe that time will come.
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