The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-08-04
Observations
Morgenthau Not
Asked TO Leave
Treasury Post

Henry Morgenthau. Jra was not
asked TO resign as Treasury secre-
tary, reports TO the contrary not
withdrawing. He resigned OF his
own volition but the way it hap
pened was such that he felt he
had no choice.
Here's the play-by-play Morgen-
thau story. obtained from ,0urces
whose reliability has never been
Questioned:
Morgenthau was disturbed by
persistent reports that he was TO be
replaced. These reports, in his
mind at least. received support
from the fact that then-War Mobil-
izer Fred NJ. Vinson had been Sc.
lected by President Truman 10 &C
company him TO the big Three
conference at Potsdam as his fuan-
cial adviser.
AS a result, he went over TO the
White House on the morning of
July to have the matter settled
once and for all He asked the
President about the reports, and
Mr.. Truman replied with a wave
of the hand that would deny them
categorically, that he had told Nor
ganthau that he was TO stay on and
that he meant it.
Morgenthau replied in effect as
follows:
We'll. in that case give me
hn
porters ask me about such rumors
l can show them the letter and put
the matter at rest"
The President refused. and Nor
ganthau answered that he had no
alternative but TO resign. Mr.. Tru.
man apparently voiced no protest,
Morgenthau went back to the
Treasury and wrote out a letter OF
resignation. The President called
a news conference at p. m. that
day TO announce the resignation.
Morgenthau sent couple of his
stop.ranking aides over 10 the White
House 10 provide Judge Samuel l.
Rosenman with information so that
Rosenman would write a letter for
the President accepting the resig-
nation.
When Vinson did not go TO Pots
dam, Morgenthau cabled the Presi-
dent asking that his resignation be
made effective at once. Mr.. Tru-
man cabled right back. granting the
request. Previously. the President
and Morgenthau had agreed that
the resignation would become et-
fective after the Chief Executive
returned from Potsdam.
That is-plsy-by-play-how IT
happened that Vinson succeeded
Morgenthau before the President
returned.
ALL WILL AGREE THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMAN is a very
busy man at Potsdam shaping the
world of tomorrow.
Despite the heavy burdens that
are testing his leadership in the
highest office Of the land, Mr.. Tru-
man has managed to send personal
notes to intimate friends back in
the states. Written by his own
hand-flowing large letters a la
John Hancock-the notes undoubt-
edsy will be cherished by their
recipients and posterity.
One of the letters was written by
the President after he had survey
ed the rubble that is Berlin and
in the midst Of days and nights OF
heavy conferences. Two days after
he wrote the note, it was in the
hands OF the addressee.
THERE'S A LIVELY INVESTI-
CATION going on by interested
government departments into the
recent broadcast OF Captain Zach
arias, former naval attache in To-
kyo. which urged the japanese TO
surrender now before their land
is totally destroyed.
Zacharias has been broadcasting
along the same line for many
weeks. His talks were regarded as
ordinary propaganda broadcasts.
But when his widely-publicized
speech was issued by the Office OF
War Information, he was described
for the first time as an official gov
eminent spokesman"
This appeared TO give his words
weight they never had before, and
newspapers jumped on the signific-
ance.
High policy ofiicials here were
repeatedly not consulted on the
question OF giving Zacharias unusu-
al authority. But it is considered
possible that the authority came
from Potsdam. II this is the case,
Of course. this speech would appear
even more significant than other
wise.