These are unedited excerpts from a 1995 conversation with journalist James Reston. He was the New York Times Washington Bureau Chief during Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidency, and he offers his observations about Ike’s foreign policies, his relations with the GOP’s conservative wing, and the influence of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. He also explains why the downing of an American U2 spy plane led Eisenhower to consider resigning the presidency.
Independent producer George Colburn conducted this interview for a series of documentaries on Dwight D. Eisenhower’s military and political career – a period covering from 1941 to 1961. The latest installment -- “Eisenhower’s Secret War “ – is airing this spring on public television stations nationwide. C-SPAN 3’s American History TV is airing a selection of interviews that Mr. Colburn has conducted over the last two decades with the people closest to Ike during the war years and his presidency. This interview is from the Eisenhower Legacy Collection.