THE PRESIDENCY: Gradualism

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A reporter at President Eisenhower's press conference last week noted that most newspapers had prepared critiques of the Administration's first six months, and asked the President to contribute some self-appraisal. Dwight Eisenhower hesitated momentarily, then began by saying that he would be deceitful if he tried to pretend that everything he had hoped to accomplish had been done. But progress had been made, and the President had a word for it: "Gradualism."

There are many reasons, he explained, why his is a gradualist Administration. The Republican Party is divided up into different kinds,of thinking, said the President; you have differences, so trouble develops. His job is not to create friction, not to accentuate differences, but to bring people together. This takes time.

In the same soul-searching spirit, Dwight Eisenhower decided to get a new fever chart and some suggested therapy for the Federal Government. To do the job he called in an expert diagnostician last week, and revived the old Hoover Commission on government reorganization. Summoned to Washington once more, Old Diagnostician Herbert Hoover, 78, was willing, if-not pleased. "I took this job against my better judgment," he told reporters. "I'm back here from the Bohemian Grove [a private camp in California], where I was having a good time." To assist Hoover on' the twelve-man commission, the President named an erstwhile political foe of the ex-President: James A. Farley. Other commissioners: Attorney General Brownell, Defense Mobilization Director Arthur Flemming.

Through the week the tedious negotiations in Korea (see above) were uppermost in the President's mind. Just before he left Washington for a weekend with 120 top-ranking officers and defense officials at the big Marine base at Quantico, Va., the President had another conference on Korea. The meeting delayed the departure from the White House, and although the motorcade roared down to Quantico at 70 m.p.h., the President was late, and the official welcoming party was confused and missed his arrival. When he finally caught up with the President, Quantico Commandant Lieut. General Clifton B. Gates was blushing like a buck private on the ist sergeant's carpet. "Sorry we gummed up this detail, sir," he said. "It is the first bust we have had." Ike thought it was a fine joke.