Office of the Historian

Truman Papers, President’s Secretary’s File: Telegram

The President’s Special Counsel (Clifford) to President Truman 1

secret
Washington, October 23, 1948—1:05 p. m.

White 227. After reading statement of Dewey on Israel, I contacted Lovett and have spent most of morning with him. I explained to him that your integrity has been attacked by Dewey whose purpose is to infer that you have reneged on Democratic platform. I suggested to Lovett that by reason of Dewey’s action, you had no alternative but to reaffirm your support of the Democratic platform. Lovett agrees completely. I suggested to him that you would have to give out statement clearly stating your position on Israel. Lovett agrees. He sent Marshall a cable2 stating in substance that Dewey has violated bipartisan approach on Israel and that Lovett feels that President has to reaffirm his support of Democratic platform. I am working on a statement on Israel now and will have it ready to submit to you on Sunday morning.3 I consider Dewey’s action a serious error on his part and the best thing that has happened to us to date. Affectionate regards.

  1. Transmitted by the White House Signal Detachment to the President at Pittsburgh. Mr. Clifford’s handwritten draft of this message is in the Clifford Papers.↩
  2. Telegram Telmar 92, October 23, p. 1507.↩
  3. For the statement by the President, see telegram Telmar 97, October 24, p. 1512.↩