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The Washington post
EUGEINE MEYER, Chairman of the Board
PHILIP L. GRAHAM, President and Publisher
RERBERT ELLISTON
Editor CHARLES a. BOYSEN
Secretary DONALD M. BERNARD, Advertising Director
&. A WIGGINS
Managing Editor
JOHN W. SWEETERMAN, Business Menager
JOHN S. HAYES, Prendent WTOP Radio-TV
AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1952
PAGE 8
members are the President and the Secretaries of
State and Defense. The task of welding a common
governmental policy deserves more, not less, im-
*enhower's Staff
portance in the new Administration.
There will be plenty of room for coordination and
It is an old Army premise that authority may be
simplification by the President's staff, but the new
delegated but that responsibility cannot. Now that
President cannot expect to be a generalissimo in a
General Eisenhower has virtually completed the
civilian administration. Not only will he need to
selection of his White House staff, it is important to
keep a watchful eye himself and insure that the
consider this matter of responsibility as it applies
persons who need to have access to him are not
to the President's official family. While some prin-
screened out, but he also will need to see that his
ciples of military command-such as the nondele-
staff is a staff of agents, not principals, and that the
gation of responsibility-lend themselves to civilian
members respect the difference.
administration, others do not.
In a military framework, for example, the job
of a chief of staff is to insulate the commander and
to require that as many decisions as possible be
made at lower levels. In theory no more than a
handful of persons reports directly to the commander.
Gen. Walter Bedell Smith performed this task of
screening consummately well as chief of staff to
General Eisenhower during World War II.
Competent staff work, of course, is always desirable.
But insulation of the President is another matter.
It could mean that the President would live in a
little dream world of his own, without real knowl-
ëdge of what was going on in his Administration
and, indeed, of what was being done in his name.
That has been one of the faults of the Truman Ad-
ministration-that the President has not kept per-
sonal contact with some departments, and that per-
sons acting in his name sometimes have had personal
ends in view. President Truman has complained
bitterly on occasion about his lack of information.
This newspaper does not presume to know pre-
cisely what sort of staff duties General Eisenhower
has in mind. There have been stories, however, that
he likes to have matters for decision presented to
him in one-page summaries. Doubtless the essence
of some matters can be so briefed. But many de-
cisions, particularly in international affairs, are so
complex that such a system would run the danger
of grave oversimplification. There is no easy way
in which personal participation by the President
can be delegated to subordinates.
'This is particularly true of the functions of the
National Security Council. As this newspaper noted
the other day, the NSC has some defects that need
repairing. But the council has an extremely signift-
cant job, and it cannot be relegated to a secondary
place on a plane with the Fine Arts Commission.
Ideally, the National Security Council ought to 'be
the President's War Cabinet, and its most essential
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"ocrText": "The Washington post\nEUGEINE MEYER, Chairman of the Board\nPHILIP L. GRAHAM, President and Publisher\nRERBERT ELLISTON\nEditor CHARLES a. BOYSEN\nSecretary DONALD M. BERNARD, Advertising Director\n&. A WIGGINS\nManaging Editor\nJOHN W. SWEETERMAN, Business Menager\nJOHN S. HAYES, Prendent WTOP Radio-TV\nAN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER\nMONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1952\nPAGE 8\nmembers are the President and the Secretaries of\nState and Defense. The task of welding a common\ngovernmental policy deserves more, not less, im-\n*enhower's Staff\nportance in the new Administration.\nThere will be plenty of room for coordination and\nIt is an old Army premise that authority may be\nsimplification by the President's staff, but the new\ndelegated but that responsibility cannot. Now that\nPresident cannot expect to be a generalissimo in a\nGeneral Eisenhower has virtually completed the\ncivilian administration. Not only will he need to\nselection of his White House staff, it is important to\nkeep a watchful eye himself and insure that the\nconsider this matter of responsibility as it applies\npersons who need to have access to him are not\nto the President's official family. While some prin-\nscreened out, but he also will need to see that his\nciples of military command-such as the nondele-\nstaff is a staff of agents, not principals, and that the\ngation of responsibility-lend themselves to civilian\nmembers respect the difference.\nadministration, others do not.\nIn a military framework, for example, the job\nof a chief of staff is to insulate the commander and\nto require that as many decisions as possible be\nmade at lower levels. In theory no more than a\nhandful of persons reports directly to the commander.\nGen. Walter Bedell Smith performed this task of\nscreening consummately well as chief of staff to\nGeneral Eisenhower during World War II.\nCompetent staff work, of course, is always desirable.\nBut insulation of the President is another matter.\nIt could mean that the President would live in a\nlittle dream world of his own, without real knowl-\nëdge of what was going on in his Administration\nand, indeed, of what was being done in his name.\nThat has been one of the faults of the Truman Ad-\nministration-that the President has not kept per-\nsonal contact with some departments, and that per-\nsons acting in his name sometimes have had personal\nends in view. President Truman has complained\nbitterly on occasion about his lack of information.\nThis newspaper does not presume to know pre-\ncisely what sort of staff duties General Eisenhower\nhas in mind. There have been stories, however, that\nhe likes to have matters for decision presented to\nhim in one-page summaries. Doubtless the essence\nof some matters can be so briefed. But many de-\ncisions, particularly in international affairs, are so\ncomplex that such a system would run the danger\nof grave oversimplification. There is no easy way\nin which personal participation by the President\ncan be delegated to subordinates.\n'This is particularly true of the functions of the\nNational Security Council. As this newspaper noted\nthe other day, the NSC has some defects that need\nrepairing. But the council has an extremely signift-\ncant job, and it cannot be relegated to a secondary\nplace on a plane with the Fine Arts Commission.\nIdeally, the National Security Council ought to 'be\nthe President's War Cabinet, and its most essential"
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