Kitten on the Keys

Even sad-eyed Charley Ross, the President's press secretary, was hard put to hide his smile. Gravely he introduced the bespectacled, sunburned little man in the seersucker suit to the morning press conference at Key West, Fla. "We have with us today a distinguished contributor to the Federal Register" said Ross. As the score of grinning correspondents and photographers could plainly see, the contributor was Harry Truman, who pulled up a wide-armed writing chair, sat down and posed a gold pen over a Western Union press form.

The pen scratched vigorously as Ross droned on: "The President of the United States came down this morning at 7:25 a.m. He went for his constitutional walk at 7:30 a.m.: . . was back at the house at 7:50 a.m. for a breakfast of grapefruit--" A correspondent interrupted to ask: "Was it California grapefruit?" The man from the Federal Register said it had come from the kitchen. But Charley Ross, with an ear keenly tuned to Florida pride, was more positive. "It was Florida grapefruit," he said.

When Ross had offered his last crumb of inconsequential news and the gag had been played to death, Reporter Truman talked a while on behalf of the President of the U.S. "I think this is the best vacation I have had down here," he said. "I think the family enjoyed it too." Margaret and Bess had flown to Washington at midweek, a prompt signal for Adviser Clark Clifford to cheat on shaving. The President himself was due to leave for Washington Dec. 20 and to take off three days later for Christmas with the family in Independence, Mo.

Lounging, in gaudy, relaxing clothes, in lawn chairs under the palms with the President at their center, the "Palm Tree Cabinet" debated the best ways to press for next year's stiff Fair Deal agenda. There seemed to be plenty of time for kittenish lightheartedness in the soft warmth of the Florida Keys. One day, for example, Congressional Liaison Man Joseph Feeney was roused from a nap in the sun by a dash of cold water. Above him, grinning broadly, stood the President of the U.S., holding two empty water tumblers.

Later in the week Budget Director Frank Pace Jr. flew in with his troubles. The budget for fiscal 1951, he told newsmen, would be "under $45 billion." He added: "In my judgment the budget cannot be balanced without additional taxes." It was also obvious, though he did not say so, that Congress was unlikely to be in a tax-increasing mood. The U.S., already $256 billion in debt and likely to add $5.5 billion to its burden this year, found little warmth in the news that it might go into the red another $7 billion next year.

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