Averell Harriman, diplomat, politician and businessman, arguably held more government assignments than any American in the country's history, including Ambassadorships to the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom, Secretary of Commerce and Advisor to the President on the Hanoi-Paris Vietnam Peace Talks. Douglas Cooper, with associate George O'Brien, interviewed Harriman at his home in Yorktown Heights, New York.
The Interview
O'Brien asked, "Isn't there a fear of the unfamiliar when we deal with the Soviet Union or Chinese Communists?"
"Very definitely. I've known the Soviets since I first met with Trotsky in the 1920's. I'm not afraid of them. I know they don't want nuclear war any more than we do."
"And proliferation?" O'Brien asked.
"That's the number one issue we face. We've got to keep the Soviet Union's neighbors from getting the bomb. We've got more than 8,000 warheads. We could destroy the Soviets with 400. How much overkill do you need?"
"You were governor of New York, succeeding Tom Dewey. Are you a politician first?" O'Brien asked.
"Well I think Churchill said that a statesman is a dead politician,” answered the Ambassador.
"What are we going to do about domestic issues like intractable inflation?" questions O'Brien.
Harriman says he regards inflation as our top priority. He hopes the new President (Ford) will take unpopular decisions if he has to. "I favor cutting the military budget, especially on new weapons. We can design them without putting them into service. And if necessary, we have to raise taxes.”
Behind The Scenes
During the week following our hour+ conversation, I spoke with Mr. Harriman and he expressed a desire to listen to the interview on radio. I made arrangements for our Danbury, Connecticut station to expand our 6 PM, Wednesday show to an hour, and so advised the Ambassador.
On the Monday following the broadcast, I received a very kind letter from Harriman, postmarked from Washington, D.C. He had enjoyed the program very much, and was grateful for our efforts in editing the finished program.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Douglas P. Cooper Distinguished Contemporaries Collection (1967-1974) contains rare interviews with influential writers, statesmen, artists, songwriters, journalists and others who have left their mark on our culture.
The Origins of The Cooper Collection