107. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Presidential Press Secretary (Hagerty), Washington, February 18, 1957, 8:59 a.m.1
TELEPHONE CALL FROM MR HAGERTY
They compared the newspapers of this a.m.—there and here. The Sec said we have a very nasty situation on the Hill. It looks as though the Democrats were going to abandon any pretense of bipartisanship and there is a very undependable Republican group which is split. K is running for the Presidency and is not hesitating to split. A lot of criticism about the Pres being away. The UN debate starts tomorrow though the Sec does not think it will conclude then. The Pres has got to get tough in dealing with Congress. Hill was talking with Knowland and Johnson—they are sore at each other and at the Pres. They won’t confirm Herter.2 The pressure of the Jews largely counts for Knowland’s attitude, the Sec thinks. The Sec went on re foreign aid and their making a lot of Humphrey’s statement3 and someone yesterday (McCormack) saying the only place is in foreign aid. They discussed the Pres’s return—and the Sec thought it could go until Wednesday.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Bernau.↩
- On January 25, the Eisenhower administration sent to the U.S. Senate for confirmation as Under Secretary of State the name of Christian A. Herter, the former Governor of Massachusetts.↩
- During a press conference on January 15, Secretary of the Treasury Humphrey spoke out strongly in favor of cutting government spending and reducing taxes. Humphrey warned that if the government did not reduce the “terrific” tax burden on the country, there would be a depression that would “curl your hair”. (The New York Times, January 17, 1957)↩