Evening star., 1946-04-06
I rumun at Crossroads
Of Political Career
Sees President in Luck
During His First Year
BY Raymond Moley

DNA I1S A1lS L IL 81 CdI
BY Raymond Moley
President Truman now has horse
shoe court on the White House grounds
to satisfy his hankering for little
exercise. 1t readily will appear that
the horseshoe may become the emblem
OF this honey administration. The idea
is not inappropriate, since the Presi-
dents first year has been distinguished
by amazing luck
And while we may indulge in our ma
tional custom of feeling sorry for the
man in the White House, we must admit
that Harry S. Truman is pretty lucky
fellow. After year, his luck still holds.
And don't believe those stories about
his wanting to go back to Missouri. He
doesn't regret the fate which has
whisked him into the history books.
The President will be subject to ap-
praisal from time to time, and the rating
may go up or down. It's early yet. But
as we look back over the year just about
to end, the word lucky must figure in
the verdict.
Mr.. Truman did little to win his nom
lnation for Vice President He was a
child OF what politicians call "availa-
blllty.' President Roosevelt, for weeks
before the convention in 1914, seemed
to be indifferent about the choice of
running mate. The President was even
lnolHerent about his own candidacy.
although he had no doubt about win
The aHvicarc uyI,o H.,
influence with the President eliminated
all candidates but Mr. Truman and then
convinced the President that Mr.. Tru-
man would do him "the least harm"
Not that he would add strength, but that
he would take away less than Messrs.
Wallace, Byrnes, Douglas or other pos
slble candidates might take. And so Mr..
Truman was nominated, without any
seeking on his part.
He inherited, on the day of Mr. Roose-
Velts death, two wars that were all but
won. He presided over the glories of
victory
On the domestic scene he was lucky,
too. Dire predictions of unemployment
did not materialize. Reconversion, de-
spite strikes, went well enough. And
most important, and certainly without
effort on his part he was able to be the
first President in Is years to promise an
early balancing of the budget.
Inherited Postwar Program.
President Truman inherited from his
predecessor few odds and ends of do
mestic measures which he has called
his postwar program. Most of these,
like the full-employment bill, are, in
the main, CIO-New Deal proposals
Most of them are being revised dras-
| tlcally by an independent Congress.
Mr.. Trumans policy toward strikes
finally boiled down to indorsing a large
part OF what was demanded and to
breaking the price line. The net OF such
purely passive course of action will
neither help nor harm the President
politically. Whatever craftsmanship Mr.
Truman may possess in handling do
mestic policy has not yet shown itself
His major appointments have been
only average. Messrs. Byrnes and VIM
son are growing in public estimation
Mr.. Anderson is above average. Messrs
Schwellenbach and Snyder are not so
successful. Mr. Clark has made little
impression. Mr.. Krug is improved. The
Pauley nomination was a deplorable
mistake
In short, Mr.. Truman follows the let
ter of the Roosevelt policies at home,
for which he might be called liberal"
But his appointments and his advisers
suggest a conservative with no very
high standards of ability.
On the side of the machinery Of ad-
ministration, the record is not good
Two departments, Commerce and Labor.
have cried aloud for reorganization for
long time. For years, under Mime.
Perkins, labor agencies mushroomed
everywhere except in the Department
of Labor. When Mr. Schwellenbach took
over, we heard lot about gathering all
the assorted labor agencies into the
Department. Nothing of the sort has
happened. After year of Mr.. Wallace.
the Commerce Department still is
sprawling and disjointed. There is no
labor policy, despite months of labor
activity.
Future May Hold Trouble.
The field of foreign affairs has missed
the capacity Of Mr.. Roosevelt to recon-
cile differences between Russia and
Britain. Instead, we have drifted, until
recently, into a position where we
seemed merely to be supporting Britain.
Secretary Byrnes at last has established
himself as balance between the two
empires But Mr.. Truman himself has
done little to carry out the good start at
PotSdam. It was an error of judgment
to contribute his presence to the
belligerent Churchill speech at Fulton.
Mr. Truman has had luck, but luck is
capricious mate. There will be hard
going this year. Congress is staging the
usual prediction showdown show. Mr..
Truman, if he appeals to the country
next fall in behalf of a Democratic Con-
gress, will have meager proof that he
can get action even from a Congress
elected to support him. He will have
little IN the way of program to offer.
Under such circumstances, he may get
Congress that he will not like at all.
Next year, too, he must struggle once
more with the unsolved problems of
labor. And prices. even if the OPA is
continued will be troublesome.
The first Truman year has revealed
President who enjoyed vast good will at
the start and who has lost some of his
appeal. Unless the second year reveals
virtues hitherto hidden, he NAV be in