Diary of President Eisenhower

SECRET DJH 6/25/75 DIARY, March 21, 1956. Additional notes made by acw during telephone conversation of the President with Mrs. Hobby. Her side of conversation could not be recorded. Discussion about Minnesota primary. President said he agreed we ought to know what happened. Said that the Democratic candidates between them got about 400, 000 votes -- but he thinks that some Republicans voted in the Democratic primary. He also said that the Republican vote in the primary does not mean a thing. He said he was shocked that the vote went the way it did in view of the fact that Kefauver without any responsibility, promised everything that anybody wanted. Such irresponsibility means more and more trouble and finally "the United States will rebel and throw all those laws over- board." the wishto Suggestion of television talk by President. President said had, in fact, made same suggestion to Legislative leaders yesterday. Sending Brad Mintener and others to Minnesota. De-segregation. President said one thing worries him and that is that frequently in the South is heard the expression (about de-segregation) that it was a "Republican" decision in the Supreme Court. He pointed out that Justice Warren actually did not affect the decision a bit. Billy Graham. President told Mrs. Hobby of his conversation with Billy Graham yesterday. Said Reverend Graham was convinced that the storm raised by the decision had set back the cause of integration, but he thinks it is bound to come eventually. He said that the political and morale values are plain for all to see -- but that the social values were different. The South has a fixed tradition -- that is compounded with fear and resentment. Reverend Graham is having four meetings throughout the South, and he is going to take the subject of integration and deal with it in about the same basis as the President has dealt with it at the press conference. "If there was ever a time for moderation and decency, it is now." Reverend Graham is going to try to do the same thing from the pulpit and get other preachers to do it. Graduate schools. The President said he thought the South was wrong in one place. He believes that the graduate schools of the recognized universities should establish disinterested boards to decide by examina- tion of the eligibility for entry of all students, and that the graduate schools should abide by such decisions.