Detroit evening times., 1945-04-20


Mr.. Truman makes no pre-
tense 10 superior intellect. In
heart and mind he is a genuine
midwestern Small-towner, n OF
in any sense beWildered by cur
rent great events. but apt 10
bring 10 their solution his native
qualities. These have been whet-
ted by the successful part of
his late career in politics.
LIE IS genuinely humble, yet
IL not self-effacing. He is CO.
operative, not weakly principled.
He was opposed TO Mr.. Roose-
Welt on manpower and he was
against compulsory work legiS-
lation. He got along with the
army chieftainS, but was dis
tinctly opposed TO their waste,
and fought their reluctance 10
advance national guard and re-
serve officers.
While personally friendly 10
Wallace, he opposed his wee
presidential cand dacy. He
talks freely. In the Senate he
had no economic adviser, or
ghost writer, as some cabinet
members and senators have,
and he thinks for himself.
In view of these intimate
considerations. the expectations
Of Congress for success of his
administration rest on rather
sound grounds,
think the-apparent diff
ficulties of the country in
understanding this situation at
the outset, are more the fault
of the country than of Mr..
Truman 1 have been a re-
porter here 25 years, and in
earlier days, lived and travelled
with PreSi entS Harding,
Coolidge, Hoover and Roosevelt
The common tendency of The
country is to make a great man
out of any one who happens 10
be president at the time, if this
is at all possible.
SOMETHING Q @ m ent a in
~ human nature inspires ro-
mantle eXaggeratlOn of leader
ship. Yet few men are heroes
to their Wallets. or the reporters
who cover them.
In the case of Mr.. Roosevelt,
il was considered desirable by
his leaders, for political effect,
TO stress his greatness to the
point Of exclusion of all other
men. This was plainly over
done in the last campaign for
votes, and seems to have back
fired into some confusion, if not
hySteria, now that his services
have been Withdrawn by
greater authority.
The truth is the ableSt men
with whom he won great popu-
larity in his first two adminiS-
trationS were nearly all gone
from his side at the end Hull,
ByrneS. JOness ct all and his
health was such that he had
not been up to his old par for
a long time.
Some question Truman's abil-
ity to deal with Stain and
Churchill. but he swiftly got
Molotov to the San Francisco
conference and Mr.. Roosevelt
could not
4 S FAR as measuring the in
"a tellectual capacity of men I
venture 10 suggest that this
very day. wherever YOU may be,
there are probably several men,
known or unknown within a
few miles of you. whose intel
1ect knowledge temperament
and mentality are the equal Of
any man VINO has ever been
president.
The greatness Of Mr.. RooSe-
welt will be measured by history,
not by us. His virtues will he
measured effectively with his
defects.
Perhaps AS in the case of
Lincoln. his simple beauty of
soul and purpose will over
balance his mistakes, and thus
Judge him greater than we
know. Or. as in the case Of
Washington. his indeStructible
devotion 10 a cause in the face
of continuing disasters, may
make him the superior of men
he Will meet in history.
believe IN the living not the
dead. If by cXtolllng the virtues
of one who is gone, We may in
Splre tho living. then. and then
only arc tributes justified.
II mourning is carried 10 the
extremity Of hurt 10 the living
whether II be tho case Of a
mother mourning her son 10
the dctrlment Of the health of
children still alive under her
care or a group mourning a
leader 10 the dctrlment of prog
results is wrong. and those
who are gone. would he the first
TO expose IT'S WfongneSS III they
could
This is the heaviest, invisible
burden Mr.. Truman is carrying.
D.s'rihl'rd nv King Features s,nd Inc.
Reproduction In whole or In part
strictly prohibited.