96. Letter From President Eisenhower to Prime Minister Macmillan1
Dear Harold: [Here follows brief discussion of the disarmament negotiations currently in progress.]
Of course I can understand your disappointment about the restrictions that we finally had to put on the import of wool textiles. I must explain, however, one phase of the problem that our friends should clearly understand.
This Administration stands firmly and squarely for liberalized and greater flow of trade among the nations of the free world. We have fought long and earnestly for acceptance of this doctrine in this country and, in executing the law, have time and again declined to listen to the special pleas of specialized industries in this country in order to promote the general concept of reciprocity and freer trade.
But while doing this we can never forget that the Congress has granted authority to the Executive for making reciprocal trade treaties only on a temporary basis. Once in a while there arises a case that has such great popular appeal that to decline flatly to give any of the relief contemplated by the law could easily result in a return of this country to its former high protection policy.
It is the task of deciding between these immediate and long-term damages to our friends—and to ourselves—that is difficult. I and some of my trusted associates spend many hours of hard study on such questions. If I should approve every recommendation made to me by the Federal Tariff Commission—a body whose responsibility it is to see that justice is done to American industry—the total effect over the past four and a half years would have been almost [Page 249] catastrophic, and we would be totally defeated in the effort to promote trade.
So I beg of you that you try to understand the situation. I shall continue to fight as hard as I know how for the concept of freer and greater trade. But sometimes I am impelled, on such a wide front as that on which I operate, to beat a local and—I hope—temporary retreat.
[Here follows discussion of the German decision to purchase an American instead of a British tank for the German army.]
I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate your letters.
With warm regard,
As ever
- Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204, Eisenhower to Macmillan, Correspondence 1957–1958, vol. II. Secret.↩