Warming Up

Reporters had small hope that the President's press conference last week would produce any important news or even pleasant laughter. In three months, Harry Truman had called in the press only six times (F.D.R. averaged two conferences a week). On most of those occasions he had been closemouthed, cautious and clipped. Besides, Senate Minority Leader Alben Barkley had already popped the major White House news item of the week, when he announced that the President would again veto the income tax cut bill if it was anything like the first one.*

Sure enough, President Truman had his guard up. He said that Barkley was right about the veto, and let the matter drop. Other questions he answered briefly, parried or dropped with a "no comment." In seven minutes the conference was over.

Aside from his new caution in dealing with the press, Harry Truman had his mind on other things.

Party Chairman Bob Hannegan was back in Washington after five months of treatment for high blood pressure. They discussed politics. They measured the possible effects of Tom Dewey's foray into the West. During most of the rest of the week, Harry Truman's calling list was loaded with some 100 small but handy worker-Democrats. It was time to start warming up for 1948.

* It was identical except for the date (Jan. 1, 1948) on which it was to go into effect. The first tax bill would have been effective July 1, 1947.

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