Eisenhower appeared on an American Broadcasting Co. television program and discussed Goldwater’s speech accepting the Republican presidential nomination. The program was videotaped in San Francisco Friday.

ABC later explained the interview was taped before Eisenhower met with Sen. Goldwater in San Francisco Friday, a session at which the extremism passage was discussed.

Would Be Neutral

The former President said also he probably would repeat his pre-convention role as a neutral another time, that he was opposed to debates between presidential candidates and that he regarded convention demonstrations as infantile.

Eisenhower was interviewed by James C. Hagerty, former White House press secretary and now ABC-Paramount pictures vice president for corporate relations, and William H. Lawrence, ABC news political editor.

Eisenhower said Goldwater’s speech “by and large” was very outstanding.

Reaction to Statements

Lawrence asked his reaction to the senator’s statements that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice and that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.

“They do cause question in the mind,” Eisenhower said, “the second you try to analyze them . . .”

“Actually, in the first one it would seem to say that the end always justifies the means and the whole American system refutes that idea and that concept.

Won’t Stand Test

“You could analyze them, of course, at some length but I think that they are not the kind of statement that will stand the test of complete analysis . . .

“I don’t know what moderation means. Moderation, if you say it is slovenliness, why that is something else. If we interpret the word moderation to mean reasonableness then, of course, our whole system insists we be responsible in the pursuit of justice.”

Hagerty commented Goldwater’s Democratic opposition already was making an issue of the senator’s remarks and he suspected “we have not heard the last of these two sentences in this campaign.”

“Well,” said Eisenhower, “I tell you I personally think they will be explained in the terms of what the writer, the speaker, was trying to stay.”

Should Stand

“But, as I say, any of us — all of us here, obviously are trying to make our own interpretations and I think a speech of that kind should stand on its own feet.”

In Phoenix Saturday, Denison Kitchel, Goldwater’s campaign manager, quoted Eisenhower as saying he would be glad to help Goldwater in the campaign against President Johnson.

Kitchel also said the former president felt Goldwater should clarify for the voters his defense of extremism in the cause of liberty, a statement the nominee made in his acceptance speech.

Kitchel told of the Eisenhower–Goldwater meeting Friday in San Francisco. At that session, Kitchel said, Goldwater told Eisenhower his reference to extremism “dealt with patriotism and the defense of liberty at home and abroad.”

The campaign manager said Eisenhower told Goldwater the explanation made sense “and he was glad to get the clarification but that he felt the senator during the campaign would have to refer to what he meant several times.”

Source: Associated Press, “Goldwater ‘Extremism’ Speech Interpreted by Eisenhower.” From The Albuquerque Journal, July 20, 1964. Used by permission.