Detroit evening times., 1945-09-01
WESTBROOK
PEGLER
Fair
Enough

WHEN you call me an opti-
w mist, smile. but / arm
afraid Harry Truman IS work.
ing out TO be a real good Ameri..
can president and l find the
same sweet apprehension
among Republicans who never
thought TO see the day when
Hopkins, Biddle, Perkins and
the like of them would get the
hoist and a fellow didn't have
TO feel that if he put faith In
some presidential promise or
proposition il would blow up
in his face like a trick cigar.
First of all, he showed very
decent respect for Congress
which was a greater gain than
most of us realized at the time.
think Mr.. Truman will set
the Political Action Committee
back on its heels.
1t will be just an auxiliary OF
the Democratic party, entitled
10 no special say in government
because il can't live outside the
party.
MO AMERICAN president ever
~ talked more about his love
for the common people than
Franklin d. Roosevelt.
He was an aristocrat with q
patroniZing attitude toward tho
common people and the course
of his life showed that he
viewed them effectively.
Servants, mansions, yachts,
private schools and aloofnesS
from the lower classes in his
case are in contrast to Mr.. Tru-
mans life story.
! think Mr.. Truman has been
smart in keeping Henry Wallace
on as secretary of commerce.
That keeps Henry boxed up
where he can do not very great
harm and If he kicks down the
stall and goes tearing away.
come l94S, he will have for a
following only an unimpOrtant
minority of political queers and
good riddance, too.
4 BOUT Ickes. I don't know.
"A would have liked 10 sec
Mr.. Truman heave him, too, but
fellow can't demand that a
president obey all his own pref
udices, so / can spot him Ickes
and still like him for some OF
the things that he has done.
For example, l think his ap-
pointmentS of Lewis Schwelien-
bach 10 the labor department.
and Paul HerZog 10 the labor
relations bo1rd and their state
ments OF policy give promise of
new attitude toward the
unions which have been run
ming hog wild for years.
As 10 whether they mean
what they said and intend 10
compel compliance we Will have
10 wait and see but, on knowl-
edge Of Truman as man and
as president. 10 date. / see no
reason 10 suspect him Of the
sort Of trickcry that We have
been accustomed 10 so long.
WINSTON CHURCHILL s
w squawk over Mr.. Tru-
mans announcement OF the
termination of lend-lease is
very satisfying because, ad-
miring this rowdy old buck for
his patriotism and courage IN
saving the war, ] think RooSe-
welt was just snob enough Ia
play up 10 him because he is a
British aristocrat and Ameri-
can ariStocratS always have
looked up 10 British aristocrats.
But Mr.. Truman won't be
impressed by any accent and.
while l suppose he will have 10
do some kind of business IA
keep Britain going, IL is good
for all concerned that the
world be put on notice that II
is time for them 10 think about
getting weaned
And, wh tever hiStory'i
opinion may be Of Mr.. Roose,
Welt as an orator. for chang Z
AZ least, | like Mr.. Truman>
style better, though il reminds
me Of a sophomore tackle ad-
dressing a rally in Memorial
Hall at Old Siwash the night
before the big game.
Quail IS real nice on occasion
but | am told that no man ever
ate quail day for 30 days,
though many a one tried IL for
side bet in the gaslight era,
and l know quite lot Of people
who were absolutely fed up on
Mr.. Roosevelt's corn.
Do you know who Mr.. Tru-
man really is?
He is George Spelvin, Amer1.
can.