The Bell in Glatfelter Hall

The place was the unadorned, ink-stained President's office in Gettysburg College's Glatfelter Hall. Seated in black leather chairs in a semicircle were seven top Republican congressional leaders headed by Big Bill Knowland, the Senate Minority Leader, and stormy-browed Joe Martin, the G.O.P. leader of the House. Facing them from behind a wooden, felt-topped desk was Dwight Eisenhower, ruddy, bright-eyed, and looking better than he has for weeks. Ostensible purpose of the meeting: resumption of Ike's weekly conferences with the G.O.P.'s congressional leadership.

Bill Knowland was booming his way down a list of 14 legislative items that were considered "priority." When the talk turned to the imperiled foreign-aid program, Knowland paused to let the President review the difficulties as he saw them. Then, without warning, Ike said quietly: "I feel very deeply about this, and I intend to campaign very vigorously and hard on this issue before the country this fall."

"Why Shouldn't I Run?" Fourteen respectful eyes widened abruptly. Then Knowland's face lighted up. Said he, harking back to Press Secretary Jim Hagerty's grinning hint (TIME, July 16) that Ike was once again in a political frame of mind: "That's much better, than trying to interpret Jim Hagerty's smile." Ike laughed, then bared the heart of the matter in three brief sentences. "Why shouldn't I run?" he asked. "Last February 29 I surveyed all the reasons pro and con when I announced my decision. I'm in much better condition today than I was then." With that, the talk returned to foreign-aid problems (see below).

The meeting over, the President drove back to the farm. Hagerty flashed the news to G.O.P. Committee Chairman Len Hall, then huddled with Knowland and the others. Asked Knowland: "Shall I tell the press right away he is going to run again, then take up the legislative matters later?" "No," said Hagerty. "Why not just tell what was decided on the legislative program, and let the reporters bring up the political question?"

"Hat in the Ring?" In came the correspondents. "Today," began Big Bill pompously, "we had our regular conference . . ." He droned amiably on, touching hard, while he was at it, on the mutual-aid problems. At length came the inevitable question: "Was there any discussion of the President running again?"

Knowland gulped a mouthful of air, exploded: "There was!" he boomed. "The President was in excellent spirits and good humor. The President discussed the situation with the legislative leaders, and stated he felt .that he was in better shape than he was when he made his announcement last Feb. 29. He and we are looking forward to an active, vigorous campaign under his leadership." This time the reporters gulped. "Are you telling us," asked one, "that the President told you he would keep his hat in the ring?" Said Knowland, savoring every second: "I am telling you precisely that." Moments later the classroom bell clanged through Glatfelter Hall, and the reporters took the cue to dash for their telephones.

Nixon, of Course. The President's casual announcement was no accident. The time, method and place had been carefully thought out beforehand by Eisenhower and Jim Hagerty (on the day of the big Hagerty smile the week before). First, it was mutually acknowledged that the "health issue" could be somewhat diluted by making it clear that Ike's abdominal operation was no cause for reappraising his post-coronary decision. The next move was simple: a matter-of-fact statement of his position to friends. The friends took care of the rest. Thus the President settled the issue with the simplicity and finality of a one-foot putt.

Almost as casually Jim Hagerty later assured reporters that Eisenhower had not changed his mind on the subject of his running mate either; of course, Nixon was on the ticket. With this all settled, the way was cleared for some political discussion. Happy Len Hall bounced into Gettysburg for a 60-minute conference with Ike, later announced that the President would put on a "vigorous" campaign, stressing the use of TV and radio.

Last of all in the notable week came the doctors' report. The patient had improved considerably in his five weeks of recuperation. But the convalescence, Hagerty added, would take at least the predicted six-week period. Eager to return to the White House, Ike drove back to Washington Sunday. He will not be expected to carry a full work load, and may still be convalescing when he takes off for the meeting of inter-American Presidents in Panama late this week.

Last week, in his two-hour-a-day work schedule, the President:

P: Appointed former Inland Steel Chairman Clarence Randall as Special Assistant for Foreign Economic Policy, in place of Detroit's Joseph Dodge, resigned.

P: Started planning the 1958 budget, which goes to Congress next January, with Budget Director Percival Brundage.

P: Raised many an eyebrow by nominating for the next United Nations General Assembly, in addition to Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., a list of U.S. delegates that ranges all across the political spectrum: California's Knowland, Minnesota's Democratic Senator Hubert Humphrey, former Marshall Plan Administrator Paul G. Hoffman, and American Red Cross President Ellsworth Bunker, onetime U.S. Ambassador to Argentina (1951) and Italy (1952-3).

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