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After discussing the matter we concluded that it would
be better for Mr. Wallace not to give out the letter but
to let nature take its course. I made the point before
this conclusion was reached that if the letter was given
out at all, it should come from Mr. Wallace, the writer of
the letter, and not from the White House.
At about 3:30, after I had got back to my
office, I reviewed the whole matter in my mind and came to
the conclusion that it would be better for Mr. Wallace to
give out the letter than for Pearson to have it exclusively
and drag its publication out over two or three days. This
still seems to me a wise decision. Obviously, if Pearson
had published the letter alone, every newspaper would have
carried it with credit to Pearson and the pressure for its
complete release after the appearance of the first install-
ment would have been perhaps irresistible. At any rate, the
letter was destined for publication, whatever Wallace or
the White House might do about it. Having reached this
conclusion, I called Wallace and told him to go ahead if
he wished and give out the letter. I had in mind the time
that would be required, as I thought, for mimeographing the
letter and I felt -- as a newspaperman - that if it were
to be given out, it should be made available at the earliest
possible time for the benefit of the morning papers. One
consideration was the difference in time between here and
New York. So I told Mr. Wallace to go ahead, meaning to
check immediately with the President and if he disapproved
the release, to call Mr. Wallace off. I figured it would
take at least an hour to mimeograph and put out the letter.
I went immediately into the President's office,
interrupting a conference between him and Clayton. I told
him what I had done and why, and both agreed that I had taken
the proper course. That would have been all if I had not --
as a further precautionary measure - suggested that the
President before finally making up his mind read the letter
again. He then had Clark Clifford come in with the letter
and the President read it aloud while Clayton and Clifford
e
and I listened. His reading had preceded fifteen
minutes when I interrupted and said perhaps I had better
tell Mr. Wallace to hold up his release of the letter till
further notice. I called Mr. Wallace from the President's
desk and gave him this word, and Mr. Wallace said all right.
The reading of the letter then continued and was finished.
Discussion was then resumed as to whether or not its release
should be approved by the President. A decision was reached
that because of the inflamatory nature of the letter, approval
46
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"ocrText": "After discussing the matter we concluded that it would\nbe better for Mr. Wallace not to give out the letter but\nto let nature take its course. I made the point before\nthis conclusion was reached that if the letter was given\nout at all, it should come from Mr. Wallace, the writer of\nthe letter, and not from the White House.\nAt about 3:30, after I had got back to my\noffice, I reviewed the whole matter in my mind and came to\nthe conclusion that it would be better for Mr. Wallace to\ngive out the letter than for Pearson to have it exclusively\nand drag its publication out over two or three days. This\nstill seems to me a wise decision. Obviously, if Pearson\nhad published the letter alone, every newspaper would have\ncarried it with credit to Pearson and the pressure for its\ncomplete release after the appearance of the first install-\nment would have been perhaps irresistible. At any rate, the\nletter was destined for publication, whatever Wallace or\nthe White House might do about it. Having reached this\nconclusion, I called Wallace and told him to go ahead if\nhe wished and give out the letter. I had in mind the time\nthat would be required, as I thought, for mimeographing the\nletter and I felt -- as a newspaperman - that if it were\nto be given out, it should be made available at the earliest\npossible time for the benefit of the morning papers. One\nconsideration was the difference in time between here and\nNew York. So I told Mr. Wallace to go ahead, meaning to\ncheck immediately with the President and if he disapproved\nthe release, to call Mr. Wallace off. I figured it would\ntake at least an hour to mimeograph and put out the letter.\nI went immediately into the President's office,\ninterrupting a conference between him and Clayton. I told\nhim what I had done and why, and both agreed that I had taken\nthe proper course. That would have been all if I had not --\nas a further precautionary measure - suggested that the\nPresident before finally making up his mind read the letter\nagain. He then had Clark Clifford come in with the letter\nand the President read it aloud while Clayton and Clifford\ne\nand I listened. His reading had preceded fifteen\nminutes when I interrupted and said perhaps I had better\ntell Mr. Wallace to hold up his release of the letter till\nfurther notice. I called Mr. Wallace from the President's\ndesk and gave him this word, and Mr. Wallace said all right.\nThe reading of the letter then continued and was finished.\nDiscussion was then resumed as to whether or not its release\nshould be approved by the President. A decision was reached\nthat because of the inflamatory nature of the letter, approval\n46"
}