The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-04-17

'T don't want the job. I don't think they're serious. HI wait until hear it from the Chief himself"
 Late that night, with the con- vention on the verge of a three cornered deadlock, Truman was again back in his room when he received another call-this time from the President. .. :. .. ...
 Hello, MT. President" Tru- man said, "How are yOu?"
 There was a pause. .. e.. ...
 But what should I do, MT. President? I don't quite know what to say" were Truman'S next words.
 "Stay in there and pitch, Harry" Roosevelt replied. Every things going to be O. K"
 '.OK," answered Truman If you say so. I'll stay In there.' FROM HOT DOGS
 TO VICE PRESIDENCY
 He hung up rather weakly, said he was going over to see Mrs. Truman and his daughter Mar garet at the Morrison hotel. Walk. ing down crowded State street, Truman reiterated to friends that he didn't want the job. He was nervous, tense, and worried.
 "Why don't you go to 8 club and have a drink?" advised Q friend.
 No, I don't think will," said Truman, "I think I'll just dcuk in and see a movie"
 He did.
 Next day, when the vice presi. dential ballot was finished the owl-like little man from Missouri was seated on a box behind the rostrum eating a hot dog and drinking a bottle of pop as a voice came over to the micro phone: Will the next vice-prcsi. dent of the United States please come to the rostrum?" The voice had to boom out several times before Harry Truman, the man who didn't want to be President. laid down his pop bottle and re- luctantly came to the microphone. COURAGEOUS SENATOR
 Though Harry Truman dreaded the possibility of becoming Presi- dent, as Senator he never ran away from a fight.
 His chief senatorial battles were as chairman of the so- called Truman Committee. The name resulted from Harry's crusading determination to in- veStigate war scandals or any, thing else interfering with the war. Harry was so fervent that even Republicans on the COm- mittee came to admire and re- Spect him.
 Republican Senator Ferguson o1 Michigan, one of the most fearless men in Congress, joined the com- mittee under the impression that Truman was playing politics. He soon learned to the contrary If the Administration was to blame, Truman said so. Ferguson came to be a roorter on the Tru man team.
 Time after time also, Tru- man stood up against the Army and Navy. Some senators put their tails between their legs where the brass hats are con- cerned. But Truman made Gen. B. B. Somervell writhe in an. guish over the senate blasts against the Army's uneconomi- cal pipeline to carry oil over the Arctic wastes.
 He also told the truth about Jesse Jones delays in providing synthetic rubber, exposed the se- cret deal with the Aluminium cor- poration for the Shipshaw plant in Canada. prodded the Navy for failing to accept the Higgins land- ing craft, thus delaying the Flu. ropean invasion.
 Truman's committee also goad- ed the Army about its terrific waste of food. called attention to the way dollar-a-year men in the War Production Board were fav- bring their own companies. and revealed the disastrous delays in aluminium ana steel production.
 One of his most significant battles was with the War De. partment over some cracked air. plane engine cylinders bmilt by