THE PRESIDENCY: Under the Collar, Warmer

There was fresh snow on the Rockies last week, and early-morning temperatures fell to freezing at President Eisenhower’s Denver retreat. But as the mercury dropped outside, Ike seemed to be warming up under the collar for the fall political campaign. He endorsed a plan to distribute around the U.S. motion pictures of his Los Angeles speech a fortnight ago, in which he bluntly called for the election of a Republican Congress. He also decided to turn a simple “get-out-the-vote” TV-radio appearance this week into another appeal for a G.O.P. Congress, and he will make still another plea on election eve. Some of his new spirit was displayed in a letter to Rural Electrification Administrator Ancher Nelsen. With scarcely concealed anger, Ike took notice that some Democrats (and Wayne Morse) were charging that the Administration was hostile to REA and planned to curtail its work. Wrote Ike: “This is part of a general fear psychology now being adroitly generated in many fields by people who evidently have ends to serve that they consider more important than the truth.” The truth, said Ike, was that REA is being extended to ever greater numbers of farm families and has his “wholehearted support.”

One reason for Ike’s new attitude was his immense pleasure with G.O.P. reaction across the country to the Los Angeles speech. One White House official called it the “most enthusiastic and largest” response to any speech Ike has made since his inauguration. Another reason was that Democratic orators have gotten under the President’s skin in recent weeks, and a G.O.P. victory has become an emotional as well as a practical consideration with Ike.

The President also found ample time to relax, watched the early innings of World Series games before taking to the golf course (where a portable radio kept him posted on the score). He rooted for, and made token bets on, the hapless Cleveland Indians.

Last week the President also:

¶ Met with Army Secretary Robert T. Stevens and Army Chief of Staff Matt Ridgway and approved their plan to increase Army combat divisions from 19 to 23.

¶ Invited some 40 reporters and photographers to a beef-stew feed at the Cherry Hills Club, and personally supervised the work of Club Chef Jack Pierce.*

¶ Named 49-year-old Neil McElroy, Procter & Gamble president, chairman of the forthcoming White House Conference on Education.

¶ Signed an executive order increasing the penalties for servicemen who go AWOL.

¶ Okayed plans to begin, within a few days, the sale of $384 million worth of surplus commodities overseas in exchange for local currencies to be used in the mutual-aid program.

¶ Allocated $1,000,000 to relieve hurricane damage in Maine, and persuaded railroads to cut by 50% freight rates on hay going into 15 drought-stricken states.

¶ Conferred with General Alfred Gruenther, NATO commander, on European defense, later entertained his old friend at Cherry Hills.

¶ Ordered the Navy icebreaker Atka to Antarctica on an expedition to collect scientific and geographic data. Admiral (ret.) Richard Evelyn Byrd, 65-year-old polar explorer, will serve as technical adviser, although it has not been decided whether he will accompany the expedition.

* Into 3 gallons of beef stock that had simmered for three days went 20 Ibs. of diced prime round, 8 Ibs. of potatoes, six bunches of sliced carrots, 5 Ibs. of onions, 15 tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves and garlic. The stew was thickened with flour.