Evening star., 1946-06-21

forts to placate the radical groups
so insultingly hostile to him per-
sonally, seems entirely political, stu
pid and unsound.
Nevertheless, Mr.. Truman, in q
crisis, made a stand against labor
arrogance in gratifying contrast to
the modifying attitude of his pred
ecessor. The coarse denunciation
of the Daily Worker and the pro-
fessional union bosses that followed
was tribute to him.
Close Affections.
Whatever may be said in criti-
cisln of the Truman administration,
there is a refreshing lack of ma
levolence about it. The essential
decency of the President himself
makes it easy to forgive his lesser
mistakes and the weight of his
burdens tends to create sympathy.
Certainly, nothing he has done
justifies the malicious and per-
sistent personal disparagement to
which left-wing political and jour-
nalistic spokesmen are devoting
themselves. And it is very tough
luck, indeed. that in addition to
his other troubles, Mr.. Truman,
apparently, should be afflicted with
some exceedingly leaky vessels
among his close aides and advisers.
That some of those upon whom he
depends were leaking" information
or ideas to hostile writer's has
seemed manifest for months. 1t is
difficult to conceive of anything
more disturbing to harassed exec
utive or more unworthy in his sup
posedly loyal friends. The most re-
cent example of this Is in widely
distributed articles appearing few
days ago in which a detailed ac-
count of an alleged White House
conversation between the President
and Economic Stabilizer Chester
Bowles was given. Mr.. Bowles, it
was stated, after conferences with
Philip Murray and william Green
the labor bosses, had reached an
agreement with them by which both
strikes and prices were to be con-
trolled.
Two Sources.
Instead of being delighted with
this, when Mr.. Bowles personally
went to him with the plan, the
President. it was stated, gave way
to sharp attack of the pique he
has long felt for Mr.. Bowles" and
'irritably' denounced the aforesaid
labor bosses. All this is stated as
coming from ''the highest sources"
and on authentic authority"
Clearly, the only authentic in
formation of a private conversation
between the President and Mr..
Bowles could come from the Presi-
dent or Mr.. Bowles. Clearly, the
disparaged President did not repeat
the conversation and the natural
Inference from the articles is that
the highly praised Mr.. Bowles did.
Now, perhaps this does Mr.. Bowles
grave injustice. Perhaps he never
repeated the conversation he had
with the President on this matter
Perhaps there was no such conver-
sation. Perhaps there was no such
agreement. Certainly, it seems
rather silly notion that the Messrs
Bowles, Murray and Green should
think that prices could be kept down
without wages being kept down, too
And If the Messrs. Murray and
Green ever voluntarily agreed to the
latter they would both be out of
their very soft jobs with great speed
and completeness.
Not the First.
1t Is difficult to read this article
without inferring that, directly or
indirectly, the information upon
which it is based came from Mr..
Bowles. This puts Mr.. Bowles in a
very bad position If he did not
supply the information-and one
cannot believe that he did-then he
owes 1t to himself, as well as Mr..
Truman, to deny the correctness of
these inevitable inferences and re-
pudiate the compliments which the
authors heap upon him.
Conceding that Mr.. Bowles, either
directly or indirectly, has not
leaked" to these writing gentlemen,
80 obviously hostile to his chief and
50 effusively partial to himself one
would think that he would be very