Senator H. Alexander Smith began December 3, 1948, in the same way that he began every other day. He arose early, washed, dressed, ate breakfast, and waited to hear from God. On this particular day, God revealed, in Smith's words, “that I have a special message for this Congress and God will guide me.” It was not unusual for Senator Smith to hear such things. God's instructions, according to Smith's daily prayer journal, often addressed affairs of state – just as often as God spoke to him about more mundane matters such as what to wear, where to vacation, or how to deal with Mrs. Smith's temper. Smith's journal, in which he recorded these revelations, provides more insight into his efforts to shape Cold War foreign policy than any volume of the Congressional Record or any piece of legislation.

H. Alexander Smith served as a Republican Senator from New Jersey from late 1944 until the beginning of 1959. Previously a New York City lawyer and a lecturer in the department of politics at Princeton University, during his time in the Senate Smith focused primarily on foreign affairs and domestic labor issues. From his seat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and particularly as sometime chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asian Affairs, Smith both observed keenly and participated actively in the formation of American foreign policy during the formative years of the Cold War.