The compact English pamphlet which was so useful in promoting Sony's ADR was actually intended for President Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1960 visit to Sony.
Ibuka and Iwama were attending the IRE show in the U.S. when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called to inform Sony that it had been included in Eisenhower's itinerary. President Eisenhower had been invited to Japan as a state guest to take part in the centennial celebration of friendly relations between the U.S. and Japan. The Sony individual who took the phone call knew Eisenhower was scheduled to visit several Japanese firms. He had not expected Sony to be on the list, though. That was the first news of the  Ike Affair.
In April, Ambassador MacArthur and a secretary to the President paid an unexpected visit to Sony to privately convey the news that the President would tour the company. With this, the President's visit was set. When Ibuka and Iwama were told about the visit after returning to Japan a week later, Ibuka said, We've already heard about it at airport customs. The visit, though not yet officially announced, was already big news.
After the official announcement by the Foreign Ministry on May 12, an Ike Office was established. Morita took the lead in determining what form the welcome for President Eisenhower should take. This is when the English pamphlet was produced. It was the first time Sony had ever produced a company outline which introduced the Sony Spirit in English. It was aimed at the foreign press who would inevitably follow the American President.
The pamphlet found a wider range of uses than originally intended, however. It gave prospective customers better insights into what Sony was about. Sony staff would hand it to them, saying, This is what we are about, we suggest you read it, and they would have a totally different attitude the next time they met. Also, it was particularly helpful in promoting Sony's ADR issue. In its rundown on the companies which Eisenhower would visit, a major New York newspaper gave a thorough summary of the pamphlet's contents --- even listing the amounts of Sony's R&D investments. The Wall Street Journal, the bible of investors, also drew heavily on the information provided in the pamphlet. In fact, staff of the American underwriters of Sony's ADR said that it had helped them understand Sony better. As it turns out, this remarkable little English pamphlet was the sweetest fruit of the Ike Affair.
And just why was this called the Ike Affair? A visit by an American President was a happening in itself. The fact that this visit was abruptly called off was another incident altogether. The major pending question for Morita and those involved in the Ike Office was the dissent surrounding the revision of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty.
In 1960, Japan was caught up in widespread demonstrations concerning the revision of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty. These demonstrations rocked Japanese society to its very foundations. Foreign press headlines raised troublesome questions like Is Japan Susceptible to Rebellion? or Might Ike Receive the Bite of Sony Workers When He Visits? As the disturbances grew more aggravated each day, Sony officials worried over whether they could guarantee the President's safety.
 The Haggerty Incident put an end to the issue. Press Secretary James Haggerty's visit to Japan was abruptly cut short when he was surrounded by angry Zengakuren (National Federation of Students' Self-Government Associations) demonstrators at Haneda Airport and had to be airlifted out by a U.S. Army helicopter. At this point it was decided that the President's trip to Japan would have to be canceled.
Although there was nothing Sony could have done to change the situation, their disappointment over the aborted visit was great. And the security treaty conflicts were to continue to hold Japanese society in sway for some time to come.
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