Evening star., 1947-12-12

Horrimon Had Urged
Legislation Thot Drew
Presidential Attack
By Dapid Laurence
President Truman either Is get
ting a little mixed up on what Is
going on In Washington or else he
isn't being kept as closely informed
by his aides as he should be about
what is happening to proposed leg
islation.
Certainly there is much puzzle
ment here over the Presidents out
burst at his press conference in
which he said he would not favor
any relaxation or suspension Of the
antitrust laws while he is in the
White House. Maybe he didn't un-
derstand the question Of the re-
porter. For the fact is that his own
Secretary of Commerce, Averell
Hartman. had proposed that very
thing to Congress. Presumably a
member of the cabinet in charge of
an important series of recommended
tions must be speaking with the
approval Of the President.
Maybe cabinet officers don't con-
suit the President. Maybe Congress
had better ignore what the cabinet
secretaries say hereafter. Mr.. Tru-
man has added to the confusion
and delay in getting an anti-infla-
ton program enacted.
Limited Immunities."
The problem Of relaxing the anti
trust laws came up on Tuesday
when Secretary Hartman proposed
that the new laws contain a Sec
tion granting limited immunities
from antitrust action when plans
for voluntary pooling Of information
or concerted price reduction are
approved by the Attorney General.
Senator Taft, Republican, Of Ohio
was quick to excuse Mr.. Truman's
negative comment on the ground
that he didn't understand the pro-
posed legislation. Mr.. Taft said
that any agreement reached under
the Wolcott bill would be subject
to the approval Of the President
and would not be exempt from anti
trust laws unless 50 approved.
The question asked by the re.
porter concerned this proposal and
Mr.. Truman either had not heard
Of 1t before or didn't understand
it. After all, President has many
things to do nowadays and there
have been other indications that
he has not been keeping too vel
informed.
Not long ago he expressed sur.
prise that any one should protest
against the proposed gag on mfor-
nation to the press in the Gov.
ernment departments. He seemed
not to have heard Of 1t, though the
newspapers were printing a goo6
deal about 1t. Maybe all this comes
from delegating the presentation o.
programs and proposals to mem
bers Of the cabinet and others ir
the presidential encourage who
write speeches for Mr.. Truman or
subjects which he hasn't the time
to study himself.
It has been suggested that
President who is not thoroughly in.
formed ought not to hold press con-
ferences, as it reveals him to be
unfamiliar with what is going on
around him. It could give the coun-
try the impression that they have
a synthetic executive in the White
House who signs what others put
before him and approves what he
does not really understand.
Wallace Speech Recalled.
It will be recalled that former
Secretary Of Commerce Henry WAL
lace read . speech on foreign policy
to Mr.. Truman which the latter
was reported by Mr.. Wallace to have
approved. Later, when the Presi-
dent did learn what the speech
really meant, he withdrew his in
dorsement.
The intimidation maneuvers on
the part of the President and Con-
gress are headed for political bat
tlefields. Apparently Mr.. Truman
thinks he can put the Republican!
in a hole by demanding drastic
program which he knows neither
Democrats nor Republicans woule
adopt because public opinion doe
not favor 1t. The Republicans, O
course, will give the President ,
milder version Of such Legislation
which he would have to take tn
responsibility Of vetoing.
Already much valuable time ha.
been lost through the President
delay in sending detailed proposal
Of his own to Congress. The con
gressional committees have beel
waiting for two weeks now for MI
Truman's recommendations on wag
and price control which he promise
to send to Capitol Hill shortly.
Maybe the strategy is to get tn
stopgap legislation through first be
fore introducing the more contro
versial pieces Of domestic controls
Anyway, the country Is rapidly get
ting the idea that the Truman ad
ministration is divided within it
own ranks, that 1t has no con
structive program and that all 1
wants to do is place the responsi
bility for lack of drastic control
on the Republican Party. The 1874
campaign Is already on.
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