At 4 o'clock one afternoon last week
four trusted associates of Dwight Eisenhower met at the White House and
were quietly ushered into the President's office. After the men he had
summoned gathered around his desk, the President made formal and final
the commitment that they and millions of other people had at first
hoped for and had then expected through many anxious weeks. The
President told Vice President Richard Nixon, Presidential Aides Sherman
Adams and Wilton B.
Persons, and Republican National Chairman Leonard Hall that he
would accept a second term if the party and the people wanted him. He would make his announcement at his news conference the next day, he
said, and explain his decision to the people on radio and television a
few hours later.
Then, together, the five went over an early draft of the statement the
President proposed to make to the people. Although the men thus entrusted with the great secret kept it to
themselves, nearly all of the 311 reporters jammed from wall to wall in
the President's news conference room the next morning were sure that he
would make an announcement and that it would be yes. No other answer
seemed possible. Nevertheless, tension crackled in the room. Reporters
peering down from the balcony could see what was on the one sheet of
personal “DDE” stationery the President dropped on the desk. Printed in
large letters and underlined with black grease pencil were the words
Red Cross, Italians, Farm Bill, Upper Colorado. The fifth subject,
doubly underlined, was “Personal.” “That Is, Affirmative.” First the President had a word to say about the
annual fund campaign of the Red Cross, including the comment that “I
could profitably use the whole half hour if I would try to express what
I really believe about it.” There was a nervous laugh in the room and
a whispered “Please don't.” After three minutes on the Red Cross, Ike
spent a minute talking about the visit of Italy's President Giovanni
Gronchi and Signora Gronchi. Then he wanted “to mention two bills that
are before Congress,” the farm program and the Upper Colorado River
development bill. By that time, under the glare of the television
lights, the temperature in the room was rising and the pressure on the
reporters had risen to the breaking point. No one could be quite sure
whether Ike merely wanted to get the other subjects out of the way, or
whether he was the only man in the room enjoying those minutes. At 10:37 a.m., by the big electric clock on the wall, there was a pause.
Then the President took a deep breath and began the announcement that
the world was awaiting: “Now, my next announcement involves something
more personal, but I think it will be of interest to you because you
have asked me so many questions about it.” But before he gave his
answer, he had some tantalizing introductory remarks. He had reached a
decision, but he could not express it in a simple yes or no, so he was
asking for time on television and radio. Then, finally, he said it: “My
answer will be positive, that is, affirmative.” Then the questions poured out. Q: When had he arrived at his decision? A: I will say that I was arguing about it yesterday morning. Q: With whom had he discussed the problem?
