Beschreibung:

TRUMAN, Harry S. Autograph letter signed ("Harry"), as former President, to Dean Acheson (1893-1971), 31 October 1958. 3 pages, 4to, on personal stationery, with two punch holes along top edge . With carbon of Acheson's 24 October 1958 letter. A FIERY ATTACK ON THE EISENHOWER ADMINISTRATION: "I GET SO STEAMED UP WHEN I VIEW WHAT THESE EXECUTIVE NUMB SKULLS HAVE DONE" TRUMAN LAMENTS THE ABSENCE OF "HONEST TO GOD LEADERSHIP...SINCE 1952." A lengthy diatribe to his former top Cabinet officer, as Truman rounds into the Eisenhower administration and even some fellow Democrats and liberals: "You know national political approaches are somewhat complicated. Especially is that true in foreign affairs and the touchy and soft feelings down south. When we have a Secretary of State whose experience has been altogether in dollar diplomacy [John Foster Dulles], a Democratic National Chairman whose experience has been in northern Indiana and Michigan State [Paul Butler] you can see what we are up against to maintain something of a balance for the welfare of the whole country. 'Professional liberals' are a pain in the neck to me as are 'professional conservatives.' To make them understand that the welfare of the whole country and the leadership of the free world is more important than some crazy local idea, is more important & is a chore for honest to God leadership. We just haven't had that since 1952." Truman goes on to bash GOP fiscal policies and their treatment of the small homeowner and lender, and his script and spelling gets sloppier as his rage intensifies: "The so-called conservatives," he says, only want to "make the money lenders more bloated, make the borrow[er]s not only subject to increased fundamental rates, but to commissions and palm grease for the lender." Truman speaks from bitter personal experience: "Andrew Melon [sic] taught me that lesson in 1922 when he broke me and thousands of others just like me. Now are you bored enough? I get so steamed up when I view what these executive numb skulls have done to a foreign policy that you and I left to them and a domestic policy that took twenty long years of sweat, blood , and tears to establish." Spent, Truman closes with, "When you want the next spasm just call for it."