John F. Kennedy secret White House recording. Tape 12. Conversation between Kennedy and General Douglas MacArthur.


This audio is part of the collection: Presidential Recordings
It also belongs to collection: News & Public Affairs

Artist/Composer: John F. Kennedy
Date: 1962-08-16 00:00:00
Source: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. Digital copy from the Miller Center of Public Affairs.
Label / Recorded by: White House
Keywords: John F. Kennedy

Notes

A digital copy of this White House recording has been provided by the Miller Center of Public Affairs. For more information on this and other recordings, visit the Miller Center's Scripps Library.

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Reviewer: radbond - - March 19, 2011
Subject: MacArthur Does All the Talking
The highlights of this recording - which begins and ends in mid conversation - are MacArthur's recommendation to Kennedy that (1) the U.S. encourage raids on mainland China by the Nationalists in order to draw China's forces away from Vietnam & Laos - and Kennedy's admission that he had already done that but the Nationalists want too much U.S. involvement, (2) MacArthur's memories of his experiences in WWI prompted by Kennedy and (3) MacArthur's estimation of Eisenhower as vacillating, weak and untrustworthy. In keeping with what we know of MacArthur, he dominates the conversation but Kennedy is fully engaged and encouraging. The talk is interrupted by a phone call from Kennedy's father who Kennedy says seems to be in a bad mood. The recorded excerpt begins with MacArthur's estimation of Kennedy's possible Republican opponents in 1964. All in all, a revealing conversation. Too bad it cuts off abruptly right after MacArthur slams Eisenhower -maybe the Kennedy library doesn't want us to hear more.