Evening star., 1948-02-09
Truman 10 Leave
ByAirFeb. 20
For West Indies
Will Visit Puerto Rico,
Cubo, Virgin Islands;
May Be Gone z Weeks
By Joseph A. Fox

| IIcSlUCllU ulildL Will leave
on February 20 for long-de-
ferred visit to Puerto Rico, the
Virgin Islands and Cuba, 1t, was
announced at the White House
today.
His itinerary will include an in
spection tour of the American naval
base at Guantanamo, Cuba, and a
vacation at Key West, Fla, which
may keep him away from the Cap
ital as long as two weeks.
The President also has under
Sympathetic consideration" an in
vitation to speak at the University
of Missouri on May S, during jour-
nalism week. The occasion will be
a memorial for an old friend of the
Presidents. William R. Painter. Mr..
Painter, who served at one time as
lieutenant governor of Missouri, was
once a president of the Missouri
Press Association.
The visit to the West Indies has
been contemplated by the Presi-
dent for the last year, but he has
hitherto been unable to take the
time.
To Spend Night at Key West.
Under present arrangements, the
President, accompanied by some
members of his staff, will fly from
Washington on the Sacred Cow
on the morning of February 20,
and land in Key West in the mid
afternoon.
He will spend the night at the
submarine base there and then leave
at am. for the 41z-hour flight
to San Juan, Puerto Rican capital.
He will lunch with Gov. Jesus
T. Pinero at the official residence
That evening there will be a recep-
ton and dinner attended by island
ofhcialdom.
The President may make speech
there, but details have not been
completed.
At San Juan, the presidential party
will be joined by Secretary of the
Interior Krug and Secretary of
Agriculture Anderson, who will go
as far as the Virgin Islands with
Mr.. Truman.
To Cruise to Charlotte Amalie.
On the next day, February a.
the President will leave San Juan
aboard the presidential yacht Will
liamsburg for the Virgins. An ac-
companying press party will use
the airplane tender Greenwich Bay
Mr.. Truman is due to reach the
port of Charlotte Amalie, at St
Thomas in the Virgin Islands, at 8
q m. the same day. There, he will
lunch with Gov. William Hastie,
former dean of Howard University
Law School here, and then attend
an evening reception at Govern
ment House At dinner, the Presi-
dent will be host to Gov. Hastie and
other officials aboard the Williams
burg.
Leaving st. Thomas at 4 o'clock
on the morning of the 23rd, the
President will go to St. Croix Island,
40 miles away. After a reception
and lunch with local officials, the
President will depart at l pm. for
: Guantanamo. He Is due to arrive
there on the morning of the 25th.,
Then Returns to Key West.
After an inspection trip of the
naval base and lunch at the Off
GERS Club, the presidential party
will leave by air at 2 o'clock for
Key West, arriving at pm.
The President will again be domi-
ciled at the submarine base, where
he has vacationed on previous oc-
casions, and may stay there until
the morning of March S, according
to Charles Ross, presidential secre-
tary. He must be back by March
for the annual dinner of the White
House Correspondents Association.
Mr.. Truman was anxious to visit
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
year ago, but the press of affairs
here made this impossible, and
after his visit to Rio de Janeiro in
September he announced his inten-
ton of seeing the Caribbean pos
sessions as soon as possible.
The invitation to speak at the
Missouri School of Journalism was
given to the President by Dean
Frank L. Mott.
The university, which is located
at Columbia, Mo-, will hold its an
nual journalism week from May
3-8. simultaneously there will be
meeting there of the Missouri
Press Association.
The. contemplated speech there
would be the second accepted re-
Gently by Mr.. Truman. On Sat-
urday he accepted an invitation te
address the dinner of the Friendly
Sons of st. Patrick in New York or
Il HEorob IT