Evening star., 1945-04-13
Presidency Is Third
Of Important Jobs
Thrust on Truman

|
Thrust on Truman
BY the Associated Press.
INDEPENDENCE, Mo-, April 13.
The long corn row down which he
wearily plodded half century ago
behind a pair of Missouri mules
just a plain, poor country boy whose
ambition had not yet scared beyond
the evening sunset-led Harry S.
Truman straight on to the White
House and the mantle of leadership
at turning point in world history
President Truman today is Presi-
dent of the United States, the third
of three increasingly important jobs
he didn't want and which he was
content to let another have if he
could take lesser job more to his
liking.
Twelve years ago not a dozen in
fuential persons in Washington and
almost nobody in other world capi-
tails knew even of the existence of
the man who today occupies the
White House and is commander in
chief of American Armies around
the world driving relentleSSly on to
victory that poses staggering
world leadership responsibilities for
the Nation.
Aspired to Collector Job.
Mr.. Truman then was an obscure
county judge County commissioner
in Jackson County, Mo, job he
had held off and on for 10 years
and he aspired to higher things-say
the county collector He went to
Boss Tom Pendergast, his political
mentor, early in 1884 seeking Pen
dergast's machine support for can
didacy for the collectorship.
mo, I ant going to support you"
Pendergast told the surprised and
disappointed Truman, who rose to
60 and couldn't believe his ears
when Pendergast continued: You're
going to run for the United States
Senate"
Ten years in the Senate found
Mr.. Truman in 1914 busy and con-
tented with that job and wanting
no other.
AS vice presidential candidate
and then as Vice President, Mr..
Truman refused to dream or to talk
about the possibility he would be-
come President, although the whole
Nation talked during the campaign
of President Roosevelt's fading
health and the strong probability
his running mate would step up to
the White House.
First MiSsOurian in White House.
Mr. Truman is on record at no
time as ever indicating he thought
he would occupy the White House,
nor has he ever indicated he
thought seriously that such would
come.
Today Mr.. Truman steps up to
his first day in a historical role and
Missouri sees its first native son in
the presidency, a man who was so
poor and obscure in his childhood
that he is unremembered in his
birthplace.
Actually, he got away from the
farm only a decade ago when he
checked into Washington as fresh
man Senator. He never got to COL
lege because of lack of funds, and
he pulled his way upward the hard
way and through unbelievable
political luck such as has come to
few men in all history.
When Mr.. Truman went back to
his birthplace, Lemar, Mo-, l20
miles south of Kansas City, to-
receive his notification last August,
he found no one in the little town
of $500 who remembered him as
a child because he moved away
when he was a. The little story
and-a-half white house in which
he was born still stands, but the
mule barn his father ran in the
80s is gone. His mother was 80
years old when he was born on
May 8, 1884, and she lived to see
him enter the White House, cele-
brating that event quietly at nearby
Grandview at the age OF 90.
Grew Up on Farm.
Mr.. Truman grew up on farm
in Jackson County and graduated
from high school in 1901.
In 1915 he was helping his father
run the farm when the elder Tru-
man died, and he was still there
in 1916 when Battery B, his National
Guard company, was mobilized for
war, eventually going overseas where
Capt. Truman was in command
when Armistice Day dawned over
the Argonne front. This battery
fired a barrage that ended Is min
utes before the guns Of war were
stilled. He directed the fire.
Mr.. Truman came home on the
zelphin, German ship that rolled
so badly he lost IS pounds in the
Today crossing.
Mr.. truman owes his rise in poll
ticc RI tuo mon tn Whop, ho jS i'm