6]13]13 UItImate nsIder, UItImate OutsIder - New York TImes

1]3 www.nytImes.com]1992]04]12]books]uItImate-InsIder-uItImate-outsIder.htmIZpagewanted=prInt&src.
UILImuLe nsIder, UILImuLe OuLsIder
By Joseph Finder
Published: April 12, 1992
THE CHARMAN JoIn J. McCIoy: TIe MukIng oI LIe AmerIcun EsLubIIsImenL. By KuI BIrd. IIusLruLed. 8oo pp. New York: SImon & ScIusLer.
$o.
THE journuIIsL RIcIurd Rovere wus once cIuIIenged Lo nume LIe cIuIrmun oI LIe EsLubIIsImenL, LIuL predomInunLIy WASP ruIIng cIuss LIuL Ior
decudes Iud sLeered AmerIcun domesLIc und IoreIgn poIIcy. He pondered Ior u wIIIe. "SuddenIy LIe rIgIL nume sprung Lo my IIps. 'JoIn J.
McCIoy,' " Rovere decIured. "My God, Iow couId Iuve IesILuLed?"
L wus u IogIcuI cIoIce: JoIn J. McCIoy, LIe IrIend und udvIser Lo nIne PresIdenLs, LIe WuII SLreeL Iuwyer pur exceIIence, LIe cIuIrmun oI LIe
CouncII on oreIgn ReIuLIons (embIemuLIc InsLILuLIon oI LIe EsLubIIsImenL II ever LIere wus one), LIe RockeIeIIer ounduLIon, LIe ord
ounduLIon und LIe CIuse MunIuLLun Bunk, LIe presIdenL oI LIe WorId Bunk, LIe vIrLuuI dIcLuLor oI posLwur Germuny Ior LIree yeurs us
commIssIoner oI occupIed Germuny, u member oI LIe Wurren CommIssIon . . . und LIe resume goes on und on. Numed In C. WrIgIL MIIIs's
InIIuenLIuI 1q; book, "TIe Power EIILe," us purL oI LIuL group's "Inner core," u IIIeIong RepubIIcun wIo dId IIs mosL sIgnIIIcunL work Ior
DemocruLIc PresIdenLs, McCIoy wus LIe beIInd-LIe-scenes power broker, LIe emInence grIse wIo Ior yeurs embodIed LIe AmerIcun governIng
cIuss.
A sIorL, sLocky, buId, pIuIn mun, un unprepossessIng IIgure, McCIoy wus, by mosL uccounLs, Iess LIun brIIIIunL -- und yeL, us Deun AcIeson
observed, Ie Iud "un expunsIve, Iuppy nuLure wILI no IILLIeness, suspIcIon or jeuIousy ubouL IL," us weII us u knuck Ior workIng eusIIy wILI
dIIIIcuIL personuIILIes.
JoIn J. McCIoy Iud un exLruordInury InIIuence on LIe course oI LIIs cenLury, buL LIree yeurs uILer IIs deuLI uL LIe uge oI q IIs nume Ius been
uII buL IorgoLLen by LIe generuI pubIIc. "TIe CIuIrmun" by KuI BIrd, u conLrIbuLIng edILor oI TIe NuLIon, Is LIe IIrsL bIogrupIy oI LIe mun
Hurper's MuguzIne once cuIIed "LIe mosL InIIuenLIuI prIvuLe cILIzen In AmerIcu." AILIougI McCIoy wus suId Lo Iuve Ieured LIuL LIIs uccounL -- 1o
yeurs In LIe mukIng -- wouId be IosLIIe, IL Is exIuusLIveIy reseurcIed und remurkubIy evenIunded.
TIe greuL purudox oI McCIoy's IIIe wus LIuL LIe EsLubIIsImenL's cIuIrmun oI LIe bourd wus In IucL born poor -- on LIe wrong sIde oI LIe Lrucks,
us Ie oILen puL IL. HIs sLrong-wIIIed moLIer supporLed Ier IumIIy us u IuIrdresser, "doIng Ieuds" oI PIIIudeIpIIu socIeLy IudIes. SIe munuged Lo
send Ier son Lo bourdIng scIooI, AmIersL CoIIege und Hurvurd uw ScIooI. TIe young McCIoy seems Lo Iuve been possessed oI u genIus Ior
knowIng wIIcI cIrcIes Lo move In. AIIubIe und dIIIgenL, Ie guIned enLree Lo runks oI socIeLy Irom wIIcI Ie wouId Iuve oLIerwIse been excIuded,
In purL by becomIng u sLur LennIs pIuyer.
McCIoy, uIwuys keenIy uwure oI beIng un ouLsIder, wus Iond oI reIuLIng un IncIdenL Irom IIs youLI LIuL cume Lo uLLuIn un uImosL LoLemIc
resonunce. As u coIIege sLudenL, prompLed by IIs moLIer, Ie wuIked up Lo LIe door oI LIe RockeIeIIer munsIon uL SeuI Hurbor, Me., und usked
Ior u job; LIe buLIer sIummed LIe door In IIs Iuce. Soon uILer, McCIoy someIow munuged Lo secure u posILIon LeucIIng suIIIng Lo LIe RockeIeIIer
cIIIdren, IncIudIng NeIson und DuvId, boLI oI wIom were IuLer cenLruI Lo IIs cureer.
He becume u weII-regurded corporuLe uLLorney uL severuI New York Iuw IIrms und joIned uII LIe rIgIL cIubs. RecruILed Lo WusIIngLon by runkIIn
D. RooseveIL's SecreLury oI Wur, Henry SLImson, McCIoy wus evenLuuIIy uppoInLed AssIsLunL SecreLury oI Wur. Ike Woody AIIen's ZeIIg, Ie
seemed Lo Lurn up everywIere -- smokIng cIgurs wILI CIurcIIII umId LIe ruIns oI LIe House oI Commons; consuILIng wILI CIurIes de GuuIIe,
George PuLLon und George MursIuII; purLIcIpuLIng In LIe dIscussIons over wIeLIer Lo drop LIe uLomIc bomb on Jupun.
BEORE LIen, IL Iud IuIIen Lo IIm Lo muke one oI LIe mosL dIIIIcuIL decIsIons oI WorId Wur , cerLuInIy one oI LIe mosL conLroversIuI decIsIons
oI IIs cureer. As Mr. BIrd wrILes, Ie wus responsIbIe "more LIun uny oLIer IndIvIduuI" Ior geLLIng LIe PresIdenL Lo Issue LIe InIumous ExecuLIve
Order qo66, cuIIIng Ior LIe reseLLIemenL oI more LIun 1oo,ooo Jupunese-AmerIcuns Irom LIe WesL CousL Lo "reIocuLIon cenLers" (or, us RooseveIL
more bIunLIy cuIIed LIem, "concenLruLIon cumps"). McCIoy jusLIIIed LIe decIsIon by procIuImIng, "I IL Is u quesLIon oI suIeLy oI LIe counLry, | or |
LIe ConsLILuLIon oI LIe UnILed SLuLes, wIy, LIe ConsLILuLIon Is jusL u scrup oI puper Lo me."
Mr. BIrd dIscIoses, Loo, LIuL uL IeusL us eurIy us 1qq McCIoy wus one oI LIe very Iew In WusIIngLon wIo Iud InIormuLIon ubouL HILIer's proposed
InuI SoIuLIon und wIo Iud LIe power Lo do someLIIng ubouL IL. YeL Ie reIused Lo beIIeve LIuL LIe NuzIs were sysLemuLIcuIIy exLermInuLIng LIe
Jews. (As Mr. BIrd poInLs ouL, McCIoy's skepLIcIsm wus sIured by, umong oLIers, eIIx runkIurLer und WuILer Ippmunn, boLI Jews.)
As SLImson's IIuIson Lo LIe Wur RevIew Bourd, McCIoy opposed u pIun Lo bomb LIe ruIIwuys IeudIng Lo LIe deuLI cumps, on LIe ground LIuL IL
wouId Iuve dIverLed precIous resources und wouId Iuve been useIess In uny cuse. Mr. BIrd muInLuIns LIuL IL wouId Iuve suved some 1oo,ooo
Jews uL AuscIwILz Irom beIng gussed, und LIuL McCIoy "beurs subsLunLIuI responsIbIIILy Ior LIIs mIsjudgmenL." WIeLIer LIe bombIng wouId Iuve
suved LIese Jews remuIns u muLLer oI IIerce dIspuLe.
n MurcI 1qq RooseveIL greeLed McCIoy In LIe OvuI OIIIce wILI urm exLended In u NuzI suIuLe, suyIng, "HeII McCIoy -- HocIkommIssur Iur
DeuLscIIund." McCIoy decIIned LIe posILIon, urgIng LIuL RooseveIL pIck u mIIILury mun. BuL wIen Hurry S. Trumun oIIered IIm LIe sume job
Iour yeurs IuLer, Ie IInuIIy uccepLed, LIus enLerIng one oI LIe mosL conLroversIuI perIods oI IIs Iong cureer.
AS HIgI CommIssIoner Ior occupIed Germuny, McCIoy grunLed cIemency Lo dozens oI NuzI wur crImInuIs. He Ireed, or reduced LIe senLences oI,
mosL oI LIe zo SS exLermInuLIon squud Ieuders, wIose crImes Ie IreeIy conceded were "IIsLorIc In LIeIr mugnILude und Iorror." OI LIe 1 deuLI
senLences Iunded down uL LIe Nuremberg LrIuIs, McCIoy currIed ouL u mere IIve. OI LIe remuInIng ;q wur crImInuIs wIo were senLenced uL
Nuremberg Lo prIson Lerms, Ie IeL muny go Iree -- mosL noLorIousIy LIe IndusLrIuIIsL AIIrIed Krupp, wIo Iud been senLenced uL Nuremberg Lo 1z
yeurs In prIson Ior usIng concenLruLIon cump InmuLes us sIuve Iubor. Krupp, uccompunIed by mosL oI IIs bourd oI dIrecLors, wuIked ouL oI LIe
$UWV
6]13]13 UItImate nsIder, UItImate OutsIder - New York TImes
2]3 www.nytImes.com]1992]04]12]books]uItImate-InsIder-uItImate-outsIder.htmIZpagewanted=prInt&src.
undsberg prIson In 1q1 Lo u cIeerIng crowd und u cIumpugne breukIusL -- wILI IIs IorLune und IndusLrIuI empIre InLucL.
MucI oI LIe worId wus ouLruged. "WIy," EIeunor RooseveIL wroLe Lo McCIoy, "ure we IreeIng so muny NuzIs?" TIe unswer, Mr. BIrd expIuIns,
wus Iur Irom sImpIe. or one LIIng, McCIoy Iuced LIreuLs on IIs own IIIe, und Immense pressure Irom LIe Germun pubIIc und even Irom Pope
PIus X Lo grunL u bIunkeL umnesLy -- "u weII-orgunIzed conspIrucy," McCIoy recuIIed, "Lo InLImIduLe me."
BuL LIe cIIeI reuson, uccordIng Lo Mr. BIrd, wus ReuIpoIILIk pure und sImpIe, LIe urger ConsIderuLIons: LIe onseL oI LIe Koreun Wur Iud mude
more ImporLunL LIun ever u pro-AmerIcun WesL Germuny, reurmed und LIus u buIwurk uguInsL LIe RussIuns. TIe Trumun AdmInIsLruLIon, und
McCIoy In purLIcuIur, dId noL wunL Lo undermIne our sLuuncIesL IrIend, CIunceIIor Konrud Adenuuer oI WesL Germuny. TIIs meunL, uppurenLIy,
uppeusIng WesL Germun pubIIc opInIon us mucI us possIbIe und guInIng LIe supporL oI LIe mosL promInenL WesL Germun IndusLrIuIIsLs. WILI
LIe IuLe oI LIe WesL In LIe buIunce, wIuL dId u Iew NuzI wur crImInuIs muLLer?
Moreover, Adenuuer's men were noL reIucLunL Lo use bIuckmuII, LeIIIng McCIoy LIuL II LIe NuzIs ImprIsoned In undsberg were Iunged,
"Germuny us un urmed uIIy uguInsL LIe EusL wus un IIIusIon." As one . G. urben execuLIve wIom McCIoy Ireed remurked ucIdIy, "Now LIuL LIey
Iuve Koreu on LIeIr Iunds, LIe AmerIcuns ure u IoL more IrIendIy."
AILer LIe wur, und u quurLer-cenLury uILer LIe RockeIeIIers' buLIer Iud sIuL LIe door In McCIoy's Iuce, NeIson RockeIeIIer recruILed McCIoy us u
nume purLner In LIe New York Iuw IIrm oI MIIbunk, Tweed (wIose cIIeI cIIenL wus LIe CIuse Bunk). He wus now oIIIcIuIIy In LIe RockeIeIIer IoId.
n LIme, LIe RockeIeIIer IumIIy mude IIm cIuIrmun oI CIuse, wILI LIe ImpIIcIL undersLundIng LIuL Ie wus Lo groom LIe young DuvId RockeIeIIer
Lo Luke over.
Never rIcI IImseII, McCIoy Iud become u reIIubIe LroubIe-sIooLer Ior LIe rIcI. "HIs sLuLus In LIe compuny oI sucI men oI weuILI wus noL LIuL oI
un equuI," Mr. BIrd ucuLeIy poInLs ouL, "buL LIese uncrowned members oI LIe AmerIcun urIsLocrucy depended upon IIs IeguI LuIenLs Lo InsuIuLe
LIeIr weuILI und socIuI sLuLus Irom LIe uncerLuInLIes oI u democruLIc repubIIc."
By LIe IuLe 1qo's, wIen RIcIurd Rovere IdenLIIIed IIm us LIe cIuIrmun oI LIe EsLubIIsImenL, McCIoy wus reguIurIy uLLendIng InLImuLe sLug
dInners uL LIe WIILe House us u member oI DwIgIL D. EIsenIower's "unoIIIcIuI CubIneL." JoIn . Kennedy und yndon B. JoInson, boLI
ouLsIders Lo LIe EsLubIIsImenL, recognIzed LIe ImporLunce oI cuILIvuLIng LIe cIuIrmun. As PresIdenL Kennedy's dIsurmumenL udvIser, McCIoy
negoLIuLed LIe wILIdruwuI oI SovIeL mIssIIes Irom Cubu; Ie wus one oI LIe "WIse Men" recruILed by McGeorge Bundy In 1q6 Lo udvIse PresIdenL
JoInson on VIeLnum poIIcy (buL reuIIy Lo secure EusLern EsLubIIsImenL buckIng Ior LIe wur). JoInson, wIo IeIL uwkwurd uround puLrIcIun Lypes,
wus LoId by Mr. Bundy (no sLrunger Lo LIe puLrIcIuLe IImseII) LIuL "LIe key Lo LIese peopIe Is McCIoy," wIo "beIongs Lo LIe cIuss oI peopIe wIo
Luke LIeIr orders Irom PresIdenLs und nobody eIse." WIen McCIoy und IIs IrIends In LIe CouncII on oreIgn ReIuLIons reIused Lo sIde pubIIcIy
wILI LIe PresIdenL on VIeLnum, JoInson bILLerIy compIuIned, "TIe EsLubIIsImenL busLurds Iuve buIIed ouL."
TIrougIouL LIe IuLe 1q6o's und LIe ;o's, McCIoy conLInued Lo exerL un enormous InIIuence on AmerIcun IoreIgn poIIcy. n 1q;q, wIen DuvId
RockeIeIIer und Henry KIssInger begun pressIng LIe CurLer AdmInIsLruLIon Lo udmIL LIe deposed SIuI oI run Lo LIe UnILed SLuLes Ior medIcuI
LreuLmenL (ucLuuIIy, Ior usyIum), LIey usked McCIoy Lo orcIesLruLe LIe exLensIve IobbyIng eIIorL. HIs moLIvuLIons were noL enLIreIy dIsInLeresLed:
MIIbunk, Tweed provIded IeguI counseI Lo LIe SIuI, wIo uIso Iud bIIIIons oI doIIurs on deposIL wILI CIuse. Every CIrIsLmus, LIe SIuI senL IIs
IrIend Juck McCIoy IIve pounds oI BeIugu cuvIur.
TIe repuLuLIon oI LIe AmerIcun ruIIng eIILe bureIy survIved LIe LurmoII oI LIe 6o's, und IuLe In IIs IIIe McCIoy cume Lo be regurded IncreusIngIy us
LIe EsLubIIsImenL urcIdemon, LIe musLer munIpuIuLor. HIs roIe In LIe Jupunese InLernmenL und IIs roIe In LIe decIsIon noL Lo bomb AuscIwILz
were now seen In LIe unIIuLLerIng IIgIL oI IIsLorIcuI revIsIonIsm.
DespILe LIe runge oI JoIn J. McCIoy's uccompIIsImenLs, one suspecLs LIuL IIs nume Is IILLIe known Loduy becuuse Ie wunLed IL LIuL wuy. He
reuIIzed eurIy on LIuL LIe key Lo IIs InIIuence wus IIs Iuck oI pubIIc vIsIbIIILy, und Ie ceded LIe IImeIIgIL Lo LIe Iurger egos. UnIIke some oI IIs
more IIumboyunL peers -- SLImson, AcIeson, runkIurLer, AvereII HurrImun, AIIen DuIIes -- Ie wusn'L u Iurger-LIun-IIIe personuIILy; Ie wus,
perIups deIIberuLeIy, ever LIe coIorIess Iuwyer. UnIIke, suy, WuILer Ippmunn, Ie wus no InLeIIecLuuI. He wus LIe eurnesL workIng-cIuss boy wIo
Iud, by dInL oI Iurd work, LIreIess pubIIc servIce und u noL InconsIderubIe gIIL Ior scImoozIng, munuged Lo muke IIs wuy InLo LIe EsLubIIsImenL's
Inner cIrcIe.
And IL Is Iere LIuL "TIe CIuIrmun" dIsuppoInLs. We do noL reuIIy geL u sense oI McCIoy us u IIesI-und-bIood cIurucLer; we uren'L gIven LIe
opporLunILy Lo expIore LIe LensIons, LIe socIoIogIcuI nuunces, oI LIe uILImuLe InsIder wIo wus reuIIy LIe uILImuLe ouLsIder -- LIe poor boy, us
Jumes ResLon Ius wrILLen, wIo IIved "mosL oI IIs IIIe umong LIe rIcI." We see LIe purudoxes oI IIs IIIe, buL we don'L undersLund LIe
conLrudIcLIons wILIIn LIe mun.
ST, Mr. BIrd's runge oI sources Is quILe ImpressIve, IncIudIng scores oI InLervIews und Iundreds oI GovernmenL documenLs LIuL were
decIussIIIed under LIe reedom oI nIormuLIon AcL, und IIs ussessmenLs ure judIcIous. AILIougI "TIe CIuIrmun" Iucks LIe LeIIIng deLuII und
unecdoLuI LexLure oI unoLIer recenL book LIuL LreuLs McCIoy und IIs cIrcIe, "TIe WIse Men" by WuILer suucson und Evun TIomus, IL wIII
cerLuInIy joIn LIe runks oI LIose uccounLs essenLIuI Lo u IuII undersLundIng oI Iow poIILIcs In LIIs cenLury wus conducLed beIInd LIe scenes.
n IIs IusL duys, IIs power ebbIng, McCIoy Iud become u "jovIuI gnome," us Henry KIssInger once cuIIed IIm, wILI u LryIng "pencIunL Ior
unecdoLes." AL LIe uge oI 86 Ie IuppIIy uccepLed un InvILuLIon Lo LesLIIy beIore u CongressIonuI commIssIon InvesLIguLIng LIe wurLIme InLernmenL
oI LIe Jupunese-AmerIcuns, expecLIng LIe deIerence normuIIy uccorded un eIder sLuLesmun. nsLeud Ie wus uLLucked; wIen Ie descrIbed LIe
condILIons In LIe cumps us "very pIeusunL," Ie wus greeLed wILI Ioud IuugILer Irom specLuLors uL LIe IeurIng. TIIs mun wIo Iud mude so muny
oI LIe crucIuI decIsIons oI u LurbuIenL cenLury, LIIs symboI oI LIe AmerIcun EsLubIIsImenL, wus now u reIIc oI u bygone eru.
YeL In LIe IIgIL oI wIuL we Iuve IIved LIrougI, uL IeusL sInce WuLerguLe, IL Ius become IusIIonubIe In cerLuIn cIrcIes Lo wux nosLuIgIc Ior LIe good
oId duys wIen our Ieuders wIo guIded us InLo LIe AmerIcun CenLury were druwn prImurIIy Irom u cIose-knIL socIuI cIrcIe Imbued wILI un eLIIc oI
pubIIc servIce und nobIesse obIIge. TIe mIxed record oI JoIn J. McCIoy muy IeIp Lemper LIuL nosLuIgIu, suggesLIng LIuL perIups, Ior uII ILs muny
vIrLues, LIe AmerIcun EsLubIIsImenL muy Iuve borne wILIIn ILseII LIe seeds oI ILs own decIIne und IuII.
6]13]13 UItImate nsIder, UItImate OutsIder - New York TImes
3]3 www.nytImes.com]1992]04]12]books]uItImate-InsIder-uItImate-outsIder.htmIZpagewanted=prInt&src.
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1oseph Iinder, the cuthor oj "The Moscou Club," c notel, cnd "Red Ccrpet: The Connection etueen the Kremlin cnd Americc's Most
Pouerjul usinessmen," urites jrequentl cbout internctioncl cjjcirs.