President Eisenhower - Presser Number 74 - No drama - no hysterics - no finger pointing.
July 27, 1955 – An Eisenhower Presser – Geneva, Cold War, Pondering Gramps.
July 27, 1955 – President Eisenhower News Conference #74 – NBC Radio – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
President Eisenhower, presiding over the 74th news conference of his presidency. Just returning from the meeting in Geneva with the leaders of France, Britain, and the Soviet Union seeking to end the Cold War. Such issues as disarmament, unification of Germany, and increased economic ties were discussed. Though no agreements were reached, the conference was considered an important first step toward easing Cold War tension.
President Eisenhower: “I think that it is needless for me to take too much time in the attempt to emphasize the importance I attach to the week through which we have just passed.
Some of you, of course, were in Geneva. You made your own conclusions as to the personalities that we met, the relationships between them, the degree of sincerity you attach to their words.
But one thing is indisputable. For one week of argument and debate that sometimes was, to say the least, intense, never once did we have a recurrence of the old method of merely talking to constituencies in terms of invective and personal abuse and nationalistic abuse. That in itself is a great gain and one that I hope we shall never lose; because certainly we are going to progress in things of the mind, in things involving policy, only if we discuss differences in objective terms, not in the terms that cause additional antagonism before you get down at all to the heart of the subject that is under discussion.
I don’t mean to say that the week was one of such glowing promise that it offers almost a certainty of a new era starting now. I do say there was a beginning of this kind made, and if we are wise enough to do our part, it is just possible that something to the great benefit of man may eventuate.
Now, if I can go from great nationalistic subjects, public subjects, to something that concerns only me and my family: this may not be news, but I got home to be greeted by my daughter-in-law with the statement that if all goes well, I will be a grandfather for the fourth time next Christmas–[applause]–which, of course, was a happy ending to the week”.
Here, by delayed broadcast is that Press conference as it was given on July 27, 1955.
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