Evening star., 1947-06-21
Press Reaction on Veto
Majority of Nations Newspapers Criticize Presidents
Rejection of Labor Measure

The Star called his move "short-sighted' and
predicted that although the labor bill may
become law despite the veto, the President will
suffer as consequence of his decision"
The Chicago Tribune saw in the veto radical
advisers" persuading the President "to cement
into his political machine the labor racketeers
and the Communist bosses of labor unions"
The Tribune added that 'if Mr.. Truman were
intelligent and sincere in his anti-Communist
crusade he would welcome any legislation to
prevent application of the same tactics in
America. Instead, he plays into the hands
of the Reds"
The Cleveland Plain Dealer said the Presi-
dents "only hope of winning the presidential
election in 1948 was in retaining the support
OF the labor and left-wing groups which formed
the backbone of the New Deal" and "his mes
sage denouncing the Hartley Taft bill is cal
culated to do just that. = :" The tenor of the
Presidents message clearly indicated that he
does not favor law to eliminate the abuses
and curtail the monopolistic practices which
have been condemned by public opinion"
Benefit without Blame.
The Los Angeles Times commented that Mr..
Truman was almost certainly prompted by
the fact that "he will have the benefit of the
act without taking the blame for it..
The st. Louis Globe Democrat said the Presi-
dents message was "a luminous bid for union
support in '48" which "glowingly restated his
ardent championship of labor" but docs not
stand against cool, penetrating reason"
The Philadelphia Inquirer commented that
lin typical New Deal fashion" Mr.. Truman
has made bold bid for support by special
group of the electorate which seeks to main
tain its exclusive privileges that have wrought
grave injury to the rest of our people
Defects Held Exaggerated.
The Baltimore Sun, although finding valid
ity" in some of Mr.. Truman's criticisms of the
bill, said "he has emphasized and even exag-
gerated the bills few defects and given no at
tention whatever to its many advantages"
The newspaper said there is more to be feared
from the political implications of (the) veto.
Heretofore it has appeared that the President
has found the courage to act with sole refer
erence to the national welfare Now it begins
to appear as if he were more concerned, in
some matters at least, with his own and his
party's chances in 1948"
The New Orleans Times -Picayune said the
veto, as in the case of the tax-cut-bin veto,
was "a national disservice."
The Detroit Free Press called the tax and
labor bill vetoes "one-man Government-or
rather a one-man negation of Government"
The newspaper said the President sis straining
so far ahead to 1s48 that he has lost all sense
of perspective"
The Norfolk Virginia-Pilot commented that
Mr.. Truman's message "leayes the impression
that this is the message of man who made up
his mind In advance to veto the bill and then
searched through it for every excuse, however
fimsy, to give some color of justification to
the action"
The Richmond Wa.) Times Dispatch called
the veto message "a piece of political pander-
ing" that clearly revealed him (dr. Truman)
to be following the dictates of powerful bloc
OF labor leaders"