Staff Notes on Senator Joseph McCarthy

O D McCARTHY, Senator Joseph R. 5/22/53 The subject of the activities of Sen. McCarthy received extensive discussion at a White House staff meeting on May 22, 1953, follow- ing press reports that he was sending a letter to the White House concerning British ships used in trade with Communist China. Mr. Hagerty commented that the basis of the letter seemed to be false reports, that the State Department had the correct information on the subject, but that the State Department regarded it as classi- fied information which could not be given out to correct the news- paper reports. Mr. Cutler and Mr. Jackson urged that the White House not ignore this misuse of information in a way that could embarrass the President. Mr. Morgan, Gen. Persons, and Gov. Adams called at- tention to public opinion which is overwhelmingly against trade with China and suggested that this question was therefore too complicated for use in straightening out the Senator. Mr. Cutler emphasized the dangerous effect that the letter would have upon our relations with our Allies and that continued ac- tivities of this sort will eventually leave us without any Allies. He asserted that public opinion would be with the President in any campaign he undertook. (According to press reports, the letter in question was retrieved from the White House by Senator McCarthy after discussions between him and Vice President Nixon. See newspaper comments beginning Thursday, May 21, and extending through Tuesday, May 26,1953.) fam Minnich TO BE AN 1 CONFIDENTIAL Rd E.O. NLE, Date 7/13/79 By