Evening star., 1946-10-14
Truman Aides
Help Prepare
Talk on Meat
Presidents Decision
On Control Problem
Is Closely Guorded


President Truman polished to-
day personal report to the
Nation on the meat shortage
which has stirred up housewives
and politicians alike.
Attorney General Clark and Sec
retary of Agriculture Anderson
joined the White House group
which already included Stabiliza-
ton Director Steelman and other
presidential aides. Eben Ayres,
White House secretary, told news
men Mr.. Truman still was working
on his all-network broadcast, set
for 10 pm. tonight.
The Presidents decision report
edly has been made, but it is a
closely kept White House secret.
His apparent choice lies among
these:
1. Outright scrapping Of meat
controls, recommended by many Re-
publicans, some Democrats and most
of the trade.
2. Relaxation Of controls, involv-
ing higher prices or some sort of
bonus to bring livestock to market.
5. Importation Of meat, perhaps
in combination with other measures.
4. Stand-pat position behind the
current stabilization measures.
OPA Not Notified.
So tight was the White House
secrecy on the presidential conclu-
sions that the best clue on the ver-
dict was purely negative:
II higher price ceilings were in
volved, the OPA was headed for a
hurry-up job working out schedules.
Only a few hours before the an
nouncement time. the agency's price
experts said they had not been ad-
.vised to plan for any changes.
In the past when ceiling changes
have been in sight, the OPA staff
usually has had advance notice on
the chore. There are $1,000 items
in the retail meat list alone.
Trade sources likewise professed
to be in the dark. Spokesman for
packers and meat distributors said
higher ceilings would be unexpected
and a decontrol order would be q
big surprise.
Hours before the Chief Execu-
tive's broadcast. the Republican
Party termed the scheduled address
political and demanded radio time
to reply.
Mr.. Truman Is on record as firmly
opposed to removal of OPA controls.
He took this stand September 26.
but at a news conference last week
he refused to comment when asked
whether he had changed his mind.
One indication that he may have
changed his mind came from a high
official who Is familiar with the
problem. He limited to a reporter
that top aides helping prepare Mr..
Truman's speech met at the White
House last night and that decontrol
of meat is In the picture.
Political Purpose Charged.
The COP contention that Mr.
Truman's address will be POLITICAL
came from Carroll Reece, chairman
of the Republican National Com
mittee.
"Just three weeks before crucial
congressional election" Mr.. Reece
said, 'Mr. Truman has chosen to
tie up most of the Nations radio
facilities with an explanation of his
administrator so-called stabiliza-
tion program, with particular refer
ence to the stabilized shortage Of
meat. Whatever may be the form
Of his explanation, its substance and
its obvious political purpose will be
political. 3
"If Mr.. Truman has in mind
some action to solve the meat prob
lem-and it is to be hoped that he
has-he can take that action at his
desk in the White House, where it
could have been taken many weeks
ago.
Mr.. Reece said It is his opinion
that "the American people would
receive at least as much enlighten-
ment-and certainly more enter
tainment-from the regularly sched-
uled radio programs which the
President is displacing tonight"
The COP chairman also said "the
practice of allowing a President to
take advantage of his political posi-
ton to tie up the Nations radio IA
cilities for political addresses when
ever he chooses is a vicious practice
which should be stopped.
However. so long as that practice
continues, I conceive it to be my
(See MEAT, Page A-4.)