Silver Lining

Whatever the effect of President Truman's egregious action on foreign policy (see above), he was still head of the Democratic Party, still neck-deep in the campaign to keep Democratic control of Congress. His calling list last week was jammed with the names of visiting politicos bringing bulletins from the field, comparing notes, asking for advice and help from the President.

National Chairman Bob Hannegan, in & out of the White House all week long, turned up once with a whole swarm of 21 freshman Democratic candidates. Former Ambassador to Russia Joe Davies dropped by, announced that he was bullish on Democratic prospects.

From New York State alone came three ranking Democrats: Brooklyn's Borough President John Cashmore, State Chairman Paul Fitzpatrick, gubernatorial candidate Jim Mead, who was closeted with the President for a solid two hours (usual visitor's stay: about 15 minutes).

Out across the nation the rumble of campaigning grew. In Missouri local Democrats thundered the call to arms, whooping it up for Harry Truman, "a distinguished Missourian in the tradition of Franklin D. Roosevelt." In Ohio, senatorial candidate John Bricker returned the Republican challenge with the voice of doom: "Bring on your New Deal, Communistic and subversive groups. If we can't lick them in Ohio, America is lost anyway."

At week's end, after the worst political buffeting of his presidential life, Harry Truman turned up unannounced in Washington's First Baptist Church. The sermon topic: "The Silver Lining."

Last week the President also:

P: Visited General of the Armies John J. Pershing on his 86th birthday at Walter Reed Hospital, took advantage of the occasion to make a little prayer for "eternal peace in this world."

P: Raised to the rank of brigadier general his personal White House physician, Dr. Wallace Harry Graham, whose father is a longtime friend of Harry Truman.

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