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Staff Note on President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Thoughts on the Eve of the Korean Armistice
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12012729
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Staff Note on President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Thoughts on the Eve of the Korean Armistice
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White House Office, Office of the Staff Secretary: Records of Paul T. Carroll, Andrew J. Goodpaster, L. Arthur Minnich, and Christopher H. Russell
L. Arthur Minnich's Files
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CONFIDENTIAL
8/6/53
KOREAN TRUCE
X President (The Person)
941
X Quantico Meeting
.a
The President's visit to the Department of Defense Conference at Quantico
on July 25th and 26th occurred during the final stages of the negotiations
for truce in Korea. It seemed obvious to those who knew him well that
the President was under considerable strain during the trip. However,
when he was with others than White House staff members, he kept a cheerful
appearance and probably did very much enjoy this break from routine and
opportunity to return to a military base and meet with many old friends.
There was cause for the President's uneasiness from the very beginning,
for his departure for Quantico was delayed by the need for a last minute
session with Secretary Dulles and Assistant Secretary Robertson on Friday
afternoon. On Friday evening the President completely departed from his
routine by remaining up until nearly one-thirty, while he talked on and on
with General Cater (Commandant at Quantico), Mr. Cutler, Mr. Hagerty, and
Colonel Carroll. In his conversation he did not concentrate on the Korean
situation, but did revert to his experiences during World War II. It is
perhaps significant that he recalled his discussions with Marshal Zhukov,
which emphasized the complete disregard of the Russians for the value of
human beings. He told one story about how Zhukov explained that the
Russians cleared mine fields for their tanks by marching troops over them.
Also, Marshal Zhukov had expressed surprise that the Americans should allow
themselves to have difficulty with handling German prisoners of war. The
President recalled that he had explained to Zhukov that there was always
the danger that the Germans could retaliate against American prisoners,
whereupon the Marshal asked why the Americans had any worries about their
prisoners in Germany, for they were no longer of any value for fighting!
The President also stayed up long beyond his customary bedtime on Saturday
night, again talking almost incessantly to his close friends.
It had been expected that the truce would be signed early Sunday morning
(Washington time). Indeed, the President had asked the Cabinet members
to attend church services with him in the event it was accomplished. On
Saturday afternoon at Quantico, he learned that the Communists had proposed
the signing ceremony for Sunday evening rather than morning, and he was
concerned lest this delay be the forerunner of additional delays.
While at Quantico the President worked on the message he planned to make
when the truce was signed. He went over it on Saturday morning and then
worked it over again extensively with Mr. Hagerty and Colonel Carroll
DETERMINED TO BE AN
ADMINISTRATIVE MARKING
E.O. 12065, Section 1
By Rd NLE, Date 7/13/79
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
Memorandum on KOREAN TRUCE, August 6, 1953 - page 2
during the drive back to Washington on Sunday. In the middle of Sunday
afternoon he called Mr. Hagerty to get his opinion on changing the end
of the message to incorporate the paragraph from Lincoln's second
inaugural address concerning "malice toward none". He told Hagerty he
had just been reading over Lincoln material.
It is perhaps significant that the President turned to Lincoln's works
at this crucial moment prior to the truce. He spent most of Sunday
afternoon by himself in what Hagerty termed "a contemplative mood",
at first painting, then reading. (Mrs. Eisenhower once remarked to
Hagerty that President Lincoln was the only one of the Presidents whose
residence there could still be felt. This feeling of Lincoln in the
White House has also been confirmed by members of the Secret Service and
others who have spent time in the White House.)
In making arrangements for his truce message, the President had insisted
that they have official word from General Clark prior to going on the
air, for he feared that press reports might be premature, that they would
probably be sent out as soon as signing began, but that there was still
the possibility that something would go wrong before the signing was
complete.
Library
The
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(This report is based on comments made by Mr. Hagerty shortly after
the Quantico meeting.)
fam
Minnich
CONFIDENTIAL