Evening star., 1949-08-18
Vaughan, White House Jester,
Is Elder in Alexandria Church
Old Friend of Trumun
Often in Trouble, but
Always LoyoI to Boss
By Paul R. Leach

Cheose Daily News StoH Writer
In some respects, Maj. Gen
Harry Hawkins Vaughan appears
not quite grown up. That is one
reason President Truman. his pal
for 81 years, keeps him on as his
Army aide at the White House.
In his seth year, he is 215
pounds of what his ill-wishers call
q mixture of bluster, blarney, good
and bad nature, salty talk and
practical joking. He is called the
White House jester. The West
Point Army, of which he definitely
is not a product, calls him a
bumbler.
He is a ruling elder and Sunday
school teacher at the Westmin-
ster Presbyterian Church in Alex
andria, Va. Jostled off guard, he
can cuss like a mule skinner. His
intimates say he has an endless
stock of mems room stories on the
Chic Sale style of architecture.
When Gen. Vaughan recently
returned from a vacation trip to
Guatemala with his family, re-
porters wanted to know who paid
his expenses, United Fruit Line
agents having refused to say.
Swears, Grows Plaintive.
Gen. Vaughan's replies bristled
like a porcupine's quills with swear
words. 1t was nobody's qualified
adjectived business, he roared. He
threatened to punch a camera
man in the nose, finally said he'd
saved for two years for the trip
paid his own way, and would have
to save two years for another
vacation.
Then he grew plaintive, if not
ridiculous.
After ALL" he said, Il am the
Presidents military aide. You
guys will want favors at the White
House some day"
With all that, White House at
taches say he's valuable to the
President, custom gives the Presi-
dent Army and Navy aides and
recently an Air Force aide was
added. Primarily they are his
liaison on routine affairs with
their branches of the armed
services.
In full uniform, with spaghetti
loops on their shoulders, and all
their honor and campaign RIB
bons, they accompany him wher-
ever he goes in public. They are
subject to call for whatever jobs
the President wants to give them.
Backed Up BY Truman.
In addition to this, Gen. Vaughan
is Mr.. Truman's confidante and
an antidote for the wearying
hours and trying work that go
with the presidential job. To all
callers, the President must be
suave and calm. To Gen. Vaughan,
his closest White House friend,
he can blow off steam and be
snapped out of it with a funny
gag or story. Gen. Vaughan talks
q lot. But he is tight-mouthed on
condolences between him and his
boss.
Mr.. Truman backs him up In
almost whatever alaes does. Gen.
Vaughan has been accused ggof
stepping beyond the range Of his
line of duty to tell cabinet men,
bers how to run their depart
ments. He has been spanked for
that, especially by Clinton P. An
derson, former Secretary of Agri-
culture, now Democratic Senator
from New Mexico. Gen. Vaughan
stays away from Senator Ander-
son even now.
Last year Mr.. Truman had to
take a hand to him, although
Press Secretary Charles G. Ross
did the fronting for the President.
When the Presidents staff was
enlarged by an Air Force aide.
Gen. Vaughan came out into the
White House Office foyer and told
reporters he had been designated
"Chief Armed Services Aide
that the others would be his as
sistants.
Others Hit Ceiling.
Rear Admiral Robert L. Denni-
son, the Naval Aide, and Brig. Gen.
Robert B. Landry. the Air Force
Aide, did some ceiling hitting.
Thereupon Mr.. Ross, after con-
sultation with the President-and
after Mr.. Truman and Gen.
Vaughan had been in the wood
shed-called reporters in to say
all three aides were OF equal
standing.
There have been frequent ru-
mors that Gen. Vaughan has in
terceded in a lobbyist way for
various friends at the White
House.
Drew Pearson has been Gen.
vaughan's principal Journalistic
nemesis. The columnist also has
carried on a private war with
President Juan Peron OF Argen-
tina for a long time. When the
Argentine Ambassador here threw
a party and hung a medal on Gen.
Vaughan, Mr.. Pearson went to
town on it. He had President
Peron and Gen. Vaughan both to
shoot at.
A few days later Mr.. Truman.
speaking at Reserve officers din
ner-the President thought he was
talking off the record-defended
Gen. Vaughan, saying the gen
erals attackers were trying to hit
the President through his aides
and secretaries.
"I want you to distinctly un-
derstand," said Mr.. Truman, that
If any SOB. thinks he can cause
any of those people to be dis
charged by me by some smart
aleck statement over the air or in
the paper. he has got another
think coming"
Gen. Vaughan's friends say hi: