Evening star., 1946-04-07

abroad as President Truman ends his
first year in the White House.
Labor troubles, recalcitrant Con-
gress and the Russian prob m
lem"-the trinity that has be-
deviled the administration for
months-continue to dominate
the scene, and the clouds which S
short time ago gave signs
of breaking once more are clos
ing in.
Friday marks the first ami
versary of President Roosevelt's
death. 2
Within that 12-month period,
his successor has had some rough
contacts with the "hairshirts"
that 60 with the Office into which
he was catapulted so suddenly. s @&s&3
Flood Tide of Criticism.
Often, in reflective moments, &8$B|
the even-tempered Truman must
have wished for miracles-or a M
good, sound nightstick and the
will to use it. But to the coun-'
try at large, the Missourian has
presented an unrufled exterior.
At every opportunity the Presi-
dent expresses his conviction
that everything will work out.
although on a couple of oc- |ass
casions he has commented wryly
that voluble promises Of support
which came from all sides when
he shouldered a monumental
task somehow have failed to ma
terialize.
The close OF Mr.. Trumans
first year in ONCE finds him -
breasting flood tide of criticism. He
is accused of failing to exhibit leader
ship at home and of following an uncer-
tain course abroad. Appointees have
been lampooned. He is too much this
or too much that, according to who
happens to be telling it.
Attacks of this nature are neither new
nor startling, particularly in a campaign
year. Their vehemence. however. some
times is surprising.
It could be argued on the Presidents
behalf that White House leadership, or
the lack of it, had little to do with the
two toughest nuts he has had to crack
the strikes In major industries that have
hindered the reconversion program and
congressional intransigence. His prede-
cessor also had trouble in those areas,
even in time of war.
The administration foreign policy that
Is causing some SO much unhappiness
might be summed up without oversim-
plification in one clearly stated principle,
to make the United Nations work. Mr.
Truman has spared no pains to empha-
size that. If the goal is attained, as he
says, issues that disturb international
relationships can be composed. If it
isn't, the alternative was spelled out by
Cromwell: Trust in God and keep your
powder dry"
Attacks Picayunish.
Attacks on Truman appointments
have been of the picayunish variety.
Critics have harped on the number OF
old friends whom the President has
enlisted and their reputed inadequacy
The issue has been distorted.
His selections for the judiciary, topped
by former Senator Harold H. Burton of
Ohio, the first Republican named to the
Supreme Court in Is years, have been
excellent The cabinet certainly does
not suffer by comparison with that
which he inherited In the several
independent agencies the President
usually has been reappointing holdovers
from the Roosevelt administration when
terms expired if they cared to stay
Actually, the field of objection must be
narrowed down excluding the Pauley
appointment) to three or four individ-
uals whose qualifications seemingly have
been challenged on no firmer grounds
than some vague suspicion of unfitness
or personal bias.
It might be added that so far as the
record goes, the worst that can be said
for the nomination of Edwin w. Pauley
to be Undersecretary of the Navy was
that 1t was poor judgment in the light of
the California oilman's business connec-
tions. More political "savvy" in White
House councils would have saved the
President on that one.
Mr.. Truman has been as conscious as
his critics of the necessity of surround
ing himself with men of the highest
caliber. He has frequently spoken re-
gretfully of his inability to hold on to
valuable aides and bring others to his
side, since the end of the war made pub
lie service less attractive. Right now
there are vacancies in half-dozen top
fight jobs, including that of Federal
loan administrator, which the President
has delayed filling because he has not
been able to get the men he wants.
An objective appraisement of the
downward curve Of presidential fortunes