Eisenhower (75 page)

22
“was all the policy the President said he had”:
Ibid.

23
Ike was a terrific poker player:
John Eisenhower, exchange with author, Sept. 2010.

CHAPTER
15:
MANY WAYS TO FIGHT

  
1
“an enlightened and dedicated statesman”:
Nixon,
Six Crises
, p. 185.

  
2
nevertheless reluctantly agreed:
Ibid., p. 184.

  
3
the ceremony started four minutes early: New York Times
, May 2, 1958.

  
4
“I felt an almost uncontrollable urge”:
Nixon,
Six Crises
, p. 204.

  
5
“courage, patience and calmness”:
DDE, Message to the Vice President After the Demonstration in Peru, May 9, 1958, APP.

  
6
“For an instant”:
Nixon,
Six Crises
, p. 219.

  
7
“He had the biggest smile”:
Julie Nixon, responding to a question at DDEPL, Oct. 14, 2010.

  
8
viewed Nasser’s designs with unease:
DDE,
Waging Peace
, p. 263.

  
9
“carry serious implications”:
DDE to Saud ibn Abd Al-Aziz, Feb. 1, 1958, doc. 561, HP.

10
was diagnosed with heart trouble:
DDE,
Waging Peace
, p. 265.

11
“Chamoun is most friendly but indecisive”:
DDE to Hoffman, June 23, 1958, doc. 753, HP.

12
“changed from quieting”:
DDE,
Waging Peace
, p. 269.

13
“No matter what you think”:
Ann Whitman, June 15, 1958, entry, June 1958 (2) folder, box 10, ACW Diary Series, Whitman File.

14
“Today aggression is more subtle”:
DDE, July 15, 1958, diary entry, doc. 771, HP.

15
more than fourteen thousand soldiers:
In
Waging Peace
, Eisenhower described the force as consisting of 114,357 men, but that is a typographical error. It never reached anywhere near that number.

16
“struck a responsive chord”:
DDE,
Waging Peace
, p. 286.

17
did not kill a single civilian:
Wade, “Rapid Deployment Logistics” (no page numbers included in document at
http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/resources
/csi/Wade/wade.asp#72
).

18
“I won’t be pressed”:
The administration’s options, including the possible use of nuclear weapons, are detailed in the Top Secret “U.S. and Allied Capabilities for Limited Operations to 1 July 1961,” appendix on hypothetical conflict over Quemoy and Matsu begins at C-1, NSC 5724 folder, box 22, Policy Papers Subseries, NSC Series, White House Office, Office of the Special Assistant for National Security Affairs, DDEPL.

19
within striking distance of Taiwan:
Embassy in the Republic of China to State Department, telegram, July 30, 1958, in
FRUS, China
, vol. 19, p. 33. See also 375th NSC Meeting, Aug. 7, 1958, in
FRUS
as well as box 10, NSC Series, Whitman File.

20
“If the Chinese communists”:
Memorandum for the Record, Aug. 14, 1958, in
FRUS, China
, vol. 19, p. 55.

21
airbases in mainland China:
Acting Secretary of State Herter to Secretary of State Dulles, memo, Aug. 15, 1958, in ibid., p. 56.

22
its closest ally, the Soviet Union:
Assistant Secretary of State for Policy Planning (Smith) to Secretary of State Dulles, memo, Aug. 15, 1958, in ibid., pp. 57–59.

23
five hundred Taiwanese soldiers were killed or wounded:
Embassy in the Republic of China to State Department, telegram, Aug. 24, 1958, in ibid., p. 70.

24
prevented Taiwan from attacking mainland China:
Embassy in the Republic of China to State Department, telegram, Aug. 27, 1958, in ibid., p. 83.

25
would not be able to support such an action:
See, for instance, Memorandum of Conversation, Aug. 30, 1958, in ibid., p. 102.

26
“the most violent I have seen him”:
Embassy in the Republic of China to State Department, telegram, Aug. 31, 1958, in ibid., p. 107.

27
“The argument that nothing”:
Memorandum of Conversation, Sept. 2, 1958, in ibid., p. 119.

28
“Those who nurture plans”:
Embassy in the Soviet Union to State Department, telegram, Sept. 19, 1958, in ibid., p. 236.

29
“Gilbert and Sullivan war”:
DDE,
Waging Peace
, p. 304.

30
seemed a South Asian Nasser:
Also like Nasser, Sukarno collaborated with America’s World War II enemies in order to strengthen his hand against a Western colonial power. Nasser had allied himself with Italy against the British; Sukarno received Japanese support for his war against the Dutch.

31
“Although U.S. efforts”:
NSC 5518 Policy on Indonesia (2), Oct. 10, 1956, box 16, Policy Papers Subseries, NSC Series, White House Office, Office of the Special Assistant for National Security Affairs.

32
“inspired by the material accomplishments”:
Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to Secretary of State Dulles, memo, Jan. 2, 1958, in
FRUS Indonesia, 1958–60
, vol. 17, p. 1.

33
“wholly undependable”:
Memorandum of Conversation, Jan. 2, 1958, in ibid., p. 5.

34
“preoccupation with the restoration”:
NSC 5518, Policy on Indonesia, Oct. 9, 1957, box 16, Records 1952–61, Policy Papers Subseries, NSC Series, White House Office, Office of the Special Assistant for National Security Affairs.

35
“With Sukarno’s ambitions”:
DDE to Hoffman, June 23, 1958, doc. 753, HP.

36
Communists still outpolled:
Conboy and Morrison,
Feet to the Fire
, p. 13.

37
rejected invasion as an option:
337th NSC Meeting, Sept. 22, 1957, box 9, NSC Series, Whitman File.

38
“all feasible covert means”:
Robertson to Dulles, memo, Jan. 2, 1958, p. 2.

39
to arm eight thousand rebels:
Conboy and Morrison,
Feet to the Fire
, pp. 30–33.

40
stood by offshore:
Brichoux and Gerner, “The United States and the 1958 Rebellion in Indonesia,” p. 6.

41
having been made in Michigan:
Embassy in Indonesia to State Department, telegram, March 15, 1958, in
FRUS Indonesia, 1958–60
, vol. 17, p. 70.

42
“as soon as the rebellion is quelled”:
Embassy in Indonesia to State Department, telegram, March 19, 1958, in ibid., p. 79.

43
poor communications and inadequate aircraft:
359th NSC Meeting, March 20, 1958, box 9, NSC Series, Whitman File.

44
“a submarine or two”:
362nd NSC Meeting, April 14, 1958, box 10, NSC Series, Whitman File.

45
“private persons operating on their own”:
Memorandum of Conversation with President Eisenhower, April 15, 1958, in
FRUS Indonesia, 1958–60
, vol. 17, p. 109.

46
being piloted by Americans and Chinese:
Embassy in Indonesia to State Department, telegram, April 30, 1958, in ibid., p. 126.

47
sixteen soldiers and a member of the ship’s crew were killed:
Conboy and Morrison,
Feet to the Fire
, p. 128.

48
He was still alive:
Ibid., pp. 138–42.

49
met with the secretary of state:
Memorandum of Conversation, May 18, 1958, Conversations with Allen W. Dulles (All Intelligence Material) (3), box 8, White House Memoranda Series, Dulles Papers.

50
“We’re pulling the plug”:
Conboy and Morrison,
Feet to the Fire
, p. 143.

51
through the end of the Eisenhower administration:
In Dec. 1960, Eisenhower considered a request from Pope’s wife to intercede with Sukarno on her husband’s behalf. Christian Herter, then secretary of state, advised against such an overture, and Eisenhower thus did not pursue it. See Dec. 21, 1960, memo, Christian Herter Dec. 1960 folder, box 13, Dulles-Herter Series, Whitman File.

52
“Just go home”:
Conboy and Morrison,
Feet to the Fire
, p. 165.

53
the worst of his life:
Slater,
The Ike I Knew
, p. 180.

CHAPTER
16:
LOSS

  
1
“not in single spies, but in battalions”:
DDE,
Waging Peace
, p. 305.

  
2
sore throat and ill temper:
Ann Whitman, Feb. 5, 1958, entry, Feb. 1958 folder, box 9, ACW Diary Series, Whitman File.

  
3
“He was our ‘big’ brother”:
DDE to Arthur Summerfield, Jan. 30, 1958, doc. 558, HP.

  
4
forever “Big Ike” among the Eisenhower boys:
DDE to Louise Sondra Grieb Eisenhower, June 12, 1958, doc. 742, HP.

  
5
then returned to work:
Whitman, June 24, 1958, entry, June 1958 (1) folder, box 10, ACW Diary Series, Whitman File.

  
6
then turned and walked out:
Slater,
The Ike I Knew
, p. 187.

  
7
“He was the most impolite”:
John Eisenhower, interview with author, Oct. 7, 2010.

  
8
when Adams would get his:
DDE,
Waging Peace
, p. 311.

  
9
“He treated his employees well”:
Adams,
Firsthand Report
, p. 440.

10
“Mr. Adams’ Bad Judgment”: New York Times
, June 12, 1958.

11
“does not know what to do”:
Whitman, June 12, 1958, entry, June 1958 (2) folder, box 10, ACW Diary Series, Whitman File.

12
“I believe that the presentation”:
June 18, 1958, news conference, APP.

13
“Not one of us caught”:
Hughes,
Ordeal of Power
, p. 267.

14
Few were buying it: Time
, July 14, 1958.

15
met with Eisenhower to complain:
Whitman, July 7, 1958, entry, July 1958 (2) folder, box 10, ACW Diary Series, Whitman File.

16
disarray within the White House:
Whitman, July 14, 1958, entry, July 1958 (2) folder, box 10, ACW Diary Series, Whitman File.