Adlai Stevenson s Lasting Legacy

Adlai Stevenson s Lasting Legacy

Adlai Stevenson s Lasting Legacy Edited by Judge Alvin Liebling Palgrave macmillan

ADLAI STEVENSON S LASTING LEGACY Copyright Judge Alvin Liebling, ed., 2007. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2007 978-1-4039-8195-0 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. First published in 2007 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 and Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England RG21 6XS. Companies and representatives throughout the world. PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN 978-0-230-62107-7 ISBN 978-1-137-07606-9 (ebook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-137-07606-9 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Adlai Stevenson s lasting legacy / edited by Alvin Liebling. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Stevenson, Adlai E. (Adlai Ewing), 1900 1965 Influence. 2. Statesmen United States Biography. 3. Legislators United States Biography. 4. Governors Illinois Biography. 5. United States Foreign relations 1945 1989. 6. United States Politics and government 1945 1989. 7. Nuclear arms control History 20th century. 8. United Nations History 20th century. I. Liebling, Alvin. E748.S84A64 2007 973.921092 dc22 2006053295 A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library. Design by Scribe Inc. First edition: October 2007 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Transferred to digital printing in 2008.

Appreciation is extended to those who have materially assisted in the editorial process, including the Princeton University and Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt Presidential Libraries, and the Chicago-based eproduction Group document management and electronic discovery and Gamma Photo Labs; also Christopher Cecot of San Diego for his index assistance.

Contents List of Illustrations Recollections of Eleanor Roosevelt ix xi Introduction / Alvin Liebling 1 Prologue The Road to Springfield / Donald C. Campbell 15 Quest for the Presidency / Eugene J. McCarthy 23 Part I His Concern for Humanity and Its Survival 1 Another Time, Another Politics / Adlai E. Stevenson III 29 2 Would That the Guv Were Here / Adele Simmons 37 3 Stevenson: Concerned and Brilliant His Finest Hour Was in Seeking a Nuclear Test Ban / Ken Hechler 49 4 About the H-Bomb / Adlai E. Stevenson II 57 5 How Adlai Stevenson Helped to End Nuclear-Weapon Testing / George Bunn 65 6 Stevenson and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Today / Sidney D. Drell and James E. Goodby 77 Part II His Role in the Creation and Mission of the United Nations 7 Adlai Stevenson and Our Times / Brian Urquhart 89 8 On a World-Scale Roller Coaster: Adlai Stevenson at the UN, 1961 65 / Harlan Cleveland 97

viii C ONTENTS 9 Thoughts of Stevenson s UN Deputy Charles W. Yost / Felicity O. Yost 143 10 The Presidency and Our Role in and with the United Nations / William J. vanden Heuvel 153 Part III His Integrity and His Politics 11 Stevenson: His Impact on Education, International Affairs, Nixon, and Politics / John Brademas 167 12 Remembering Adlai Stevenson / Arthur Schlesinger Jr. 187 13 Adlai s Integrity and Credibility Were Impressive National Resources / Carl McGowan 197 Epilogue Adlai Stevenson: The Past and a Look at the Future His Past Is Prologue / Alvin Liebling 211 A More Sensitive Foreign Policy / Harlan Cleveland 215 A Better Politics / Adlai E. Stevenson III 223 Index 227

List of Illustrations 1 Adlai Stevenson portrait, courtesy of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Library 2 Eleanor Roosevelt and Adlai Stevenson, courtesy of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library cover 3 Adlai Stevenson congratulating son Adlai Stevenson III on birth of his son Adlai Stevenson IV at hospital in Boston, Nov. 6, 1956, courtesy of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Library 28 4 Adlai Stevenson profiled with sons Adlai Stevenson III and John Fell, courtesy of Archie Lieberman 32 5 Gov. Adlai Stevenson with Congressman John F. Kennedy and Stevenson s three sons before a speech during his 1952 presidential campaign, courtesy of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Library 85 6 Adlai Stevenson greets a supporter at presidential whistle-stop, with his sister Elizabeth (Buffy) Ives approvingly looking on, courtesy of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Library 85 7 Adlai Stevenson at the threshold of the Kennedy Administration, 1960, courtesy of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Library, Atlanta Const. by Baldy 86 8 U.S. Ambassador to the UN Adlai Stevenson and Assistant Secretary of State Harlan Cleveland attend Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Conference in Paris, 1963, courtesy of Sabine Wiess for OECD 96 9 U.S. Ambassador to the UN Charles W. Yost attends discussion between U.S. Permanent Representative Adlai Stevenson and French Representative Armand Barard on Chinese Representation, December 1, 1961, courtesy of the UN, photo by M. B. 145 xi

x L IST OF I LLUSTRATIONS 10 U.S. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson leads UN Security Council Debate on Cuba Missile Crisis, October 25, 1962, courtesy of the UN, photo by M. H. 163 11 UN Secretary-General U Thant visits Pres. and Mrs. Lyndon Johnson in Washington with U.S. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson, Ambassador Charles Yost, and UN Undersecretary-General Ralph Bunche, August 6, 1964, courtesy of the UN 164 12 Gov. Adlai Stevenson attends Notre Dame football game with Sen. John Kennedy and campaign research assistant Dr. John Brademas in 1956, courtesy of Dr. John Brademas 166 13 Adlai Stevenson, a warm and intelligent man with a great sense of humor, courtesy of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Library 210 14 Adlai Stevenson s chair is empty but his legacy endures, courtesy of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Library, by Bill Mauldin, Chicago Sun-Times, 1965 225

RECOLLECTIONS OF Eleanor Roosevelt Eleanor Roosevelt and Adlai Stevenson Source: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library ON MY OWN (New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1958), 158 60 In 1952, it was my opinion that Governor Stevenson would probably make one of the best Presidents we ever had had, but I also believed that it was practically impossible for the Democrats to win the election because of the hero worship surrounding General Eisenhower. I did make a speech on the United Nations at the Democratic National Convention that year at the request of President Truman, and I came out for Governor Stevenson, but I did not intend to be active in that campaign, and I was not. Why then did I re-enter politics in 1956? For one thing, I was out of the United Nations delegation by that time and, as a private citizen, I had no feeling that I was barred from taking part in a political

xii R ECOLLECTIONS OF E LEANOR R OOSEVELT campaign. In addition, I believed as strongly as before that Adlai Stevenson would make a good President.... President Eisenhower had seen much of the international scene and was keenly aware of the vital importance of our role in world affairs, but the net result of his administration had not been impressive, because there were enough old-line Republicans in powerful positions to keep the party, on the whole, a conservative, businessmen s party. Of course, the Democratic Party had many conservatives in powerful positions, too, but in general it was more progressive.... Still another thing that influenced me in getting back into politics as the 1956 campaign approached was Governor Stevenson s high standing among statesmen of other countries which are our allies or which we want to have on our side in the world struggle against Communism. After his defeat in 1952, Governor Stevenson had taken a trip around the world to study conditions in other countries and, during my own world travels, I had been greatly interested in the impression he had made on foreign statesmen. Again and again, they told me that Mr. Stevenson was the kind of man who listened, who wanted to learn all the facts. I came to the conclusion that it might be a good thing if more of us did more listening and did not try to ram our own ideas down other people s throats. MY DAY (New York: United Features Syndicate, May 19, 1960) The suggestion made the other day by Adlai Stevenson would, I think, go a long way toward bringing real knowledge to the people about Presidential candidates and their policies.... [His] suggestion to have a great debate on television would be a real step forward in having a rational campaign conducted.... [People] would get a far clearer concept of what was at stake and of which was the candidate best equipped by character and knowledge as well as experience to meet the issues of the future. ON MY OWN, ibid., 167 68 One of the important duties of the President and one that the Republican administration neglects is to be the educator of the public on national problems. Most people do not have the time or inclination to inform themselves fully on the complex and perhaps seemingly remote problems that must be

R ECOLLECTIONS OF E LEANOR R OOSEVELT xiii settled by government. But, if he knows the issues and explains them clearly, the President is in a position to make the people aware of what must be decided and to make them feel their responsibility as citizens in reaching a decision. Without such education of the public, democracy can become a dangerous kind of government because voters are called upon to make decisions or to support decisions without having sufficient knowledge of the factors involved. Ibid., 165 66 I am not an Egghead, but I am in favor of Eggheads if that means the application of our best intellects to the problems of government. I believe most voters feel the same way and I do not think that the description of Governor Stevenson s advisers or some of them as Eggheads was detrimental to his campaign. I don t believe the voters want their candidates to be dumb. Let me cite a couple of Egghead ideas that were bitterly attacked by the Republicans during the [1956] campaign. First, there was the question of abolishing the draft. Since [then] it has become more and more obvious that drafting young men for a big standing army is unwise and unfair.... Another Democratic issue in the campaign was the continued test explosion of atomic bombs. This was derided by the Republican leaders as just an Egghead idea, but, as everybody knows, it has since become a problem of great concern to people everywhere. AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ELEANOR ROOSEVELT (New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1961), 422 23 Now, while I was determined to take no further part in presidential campaigns, I was stirred by reading a statement... that, while Adlai Stevenson was undoubtedly the best candidate for the Presidency, they did not think he could be nominated [a third time] and consequently they were going to support John Kennedy. It seemed absurd to accept anyone as second best until you had done all you could to get the best. For my part, I believed the best ticket would be Stevenson and Kennedy, with the strong chance that the latter would become president at a later time.... I was finally persuaded to go to the convention, when I was distressed to find that once again [as 1956] I was in opposition to Mr. Truman s political stand, and I made a seconding speech for Mr. Stevenson s nomination.

xiv R ECOLLECTIONS OF E LEANOR R OOSEVELT MY DAY, ibid., July 5, 1960 Mr. Stevenson will remain a great figure in the country, whether he is nominated or not. Without any office, he is still the only one of all the candidates who forces the knowledge upon you that he has entered a room even before he speaks.