Evening star., 1961-05-09

He announced his intentio
Evening Post-the first he has
House January 20.
He also disclosed that he was
not sure he would not have
sought a third term-if the
Constitution had permitted
and if he could have foreSeen
the Republican defeat in the
presidential election.
Gen. Eisenhower said his de-
cision to continue to play an
active role in public affairs was
reached as he and his wife
were driving from Washington
to their Gettysburg (Pa) farm
after President Kennedy'S
Inauguration.
Suddenly, it seemed to me,
this new life of mine promised
a new kind. of personal adven-
ture," he wrote.
Citizens Interest Vital
He said he long had believed
the long-term health and vigor
of the Nations free govern
ment depended on the level Of
each citizens interest in Amer
ica's basic problems land his
readiness to discuss and argue
with his fellows"
And. he continued, Il then
and there determined to be a
participant in such discussions
and arguments as long as I
might retain the strength and
find the opportunity to do So"
Telling of the sights as we'll
as his thoughts on the coun-
tryside journey, he said his
wife and he were given a
heart-warming welcome by
students and nuns Of st.
Joseph College near Emmits-
burg, Md.
And so we approached the
farm" he resumed. But I
was still thinking, what next?
What, If anything. can I do
to stir up the public interest
in important public issues?
A Conclusion Reached
Before we arrived at our
front door I reached one SIM
pie conclusion:
There is little reason for
me or anyone else to think
and talk of or to live In the
past, smugly hugging to him
self memories of successes or
futilely bewailing setbacks.
The task is to use the past
and it's experiences to help
us peer more clearly into the
future and to do our best to
make 1t better.
This, in my own way, l
shall try to do. I think
it will be fun; I hope 1t will
be useful"
Gen. Eisenhower left no
doubt he was upset at the
defeat Of Vice President
Richard M. Nixon for the
presidency and that this con-
ceivably could have changed
his thinking about the hypo-
thetical possibility of a third
term.
He indicated that one Of
the questions most frequently
asked of him Is:
Had there been no 22d
amendment Restricting 8
President to two terms), would
you have been, again, a can
didate for the presidency"
Recalls Own Statement
Gen. Eisenhower noted that
he had said publicly prior to
the election that he thought
more than two terms were
neither wise nor desirable
even if there were no such
amendment.
These reasons were all the
more persuasive to me-" he
said, because of my convic-
ton that in Dick Nixon the
country had one Of the ablest
men in our history for the
position. Moreover he was, I
thought, the one best pre-
pared for its duties and re-
sponsibilities.
Because I had full conf
dence that he would be elect
ed, I looked forward happily
to turning over to him the
desk in the Presidents office.
Consequently, preceding the
election, the answer was easy
for me.
But the election upset my
calculations, reversed my ex-
pectations and exploded my
plans and, if I could have
foreseen this development,
what would I have then said?
I think know-but how can
I be absolutely sure? I do