Evening star., 1945-12-30
Snyder Carries on Despite Critics
Recoverson Director Encouraged by Progress Already
Reestabshmen of Civilian Goods Production
Ru uLoehhH HanLn

The No. hot seat in Washington is
at the moment occupied by John w.
Snyder, an Arkansas boy who describes
himself as country banker from st.
Louis His current job still goes under
the outdated designation of director of
the Off1ce of War Mobilization and
Reconversion. but his assignment now,
of course, has to do with conversion of
our wartime economy to one of peace.
Since the brickbats started flying,
after the end of the Truman honey
moon'-the era of good feeling which
usually enSues when new man assumes
the burdens of the White House-a good
many missiles have been aimed in the
direction of John Snyder.
The brickbats come from Capitol Hill.
and from the newspaper, radio and
magazine commentators. They don't
particularly bother Snyder, who goes
his unruffled way knowing full well
that he is no genius-the phrase is his
| but satisfied that he is doing the best
that can be done by man of experience
who recognizes his own limitations.
Snyder is to the Washington press
corps something like what Winston
Churchill once said of Russia: "a riddle.
wrapped in a mystery, inclosed in an
enigma" They aren't quite sure how
to size him up
Some of this confusion results perhans
from the circumstance that none of
the writer's who have attempted to
appraise Snyder has ever sat down
across the table from him and talked
things over.
A Liberal Conservative"
Sitting across the table from this
writer in the cramped Office he occupies
IN the east wing of the White House.
Snyder was reluctant to reduce to a label
the philosophy he brings to bear on the
problems OF Government, but finally set
tied on the phrase liberal al-conseryative
II, he added, you have to spell it down"
I think that business must take
more enlightened view of affairs than it
mas IN the past" he added, "but. on the
other hand, we can't swing too far on
the e-other side
He recognizes that the prime problem
OF the country today is to get back to
full production and full employment, and
Is encouraged to note that on both
these items we are "way ahead of the
program" despite the current wave of
industrial disputes. On how to cure that
situation he was silent, but it can be
said that he has no panacea, any more
than has any one else in Washington.
Snyder, now 40 years old, keeps him.
self in trim with 20 minutes of setting
up exercises each morning. He has no
other recreations or hobbies, except that
he has collected coins and airplane
models. He doesn't smoke, he drinks
moderately, and, like a good many of
the Truman men, has had an extensive
II not expensive course in learning when
to draw. and when not to draw to an
inside straight. y. '@
His residence is comfortable six
room apartment in the Wardman Park
Hotel in Northwest Washington, but his
family complains that he doesn't spend
much time there. An early riser, he gets
to his Office each morning a little after
o'clock, and dictates until 9, when he
goes into conference with the President
and other Truman advisers. That meet
ing may last for an hour or so, and then.
all day long, it's "one conference after
another"