Evening star., 1949-01-20
Johnson Tells Truman
Party Has Is Million,
100000 Over Goal

The Democrats are in the money
as President Truman starts his new
term today.
Guest Of the Democratic Finance
Committee at a luncheon in the
Mayfiower Hotel yesterday, Mr.. Tru-
man was told by Louis Johnson, the
committee chairman who formerly
was Assistant Secretary of War, that
finances are in good shape"
Sights had been set on a fund of
81 100000 by Senator McGrath of
Rhole Island, National Committee
chairman, Mr.. johnson explained.
A final accounting will show COM
mittee receipts of $l,500,000.
The report moved the President
to harken back to time when
things weren't so good.
There were times in this cam
paign when we were pretty we'll
strapped" Mr.. Truman said. I'VE
couldn't buy radio time, we couldn't
even pay for the transportation of
the President from one end of the
country to the other to make his
campaign. But we did get Louis
johnson interested in the situation,
and from the time he began opera
tions. We were able to make the
necessary tours and get some Of the
radio time necessary to tell the
people what the issues really are
and were"
1t was no secret that while the
President was waging his rugged
81, ,000- mile drive for reelection, his
party was short of funds-a con-
dition that reflected itself par
ticularly in restricted radio sched-
ules. But until the Presidents dis
closure yesterday. it was never
realized that the financial situation
was such that travel posed
problem.
Receives Large Medal.
As a memento of yesterdays af-
fair, the President. who occupied the
unusual role of presiding officer at
the luncheon, received a large repro
duction of the official inaugural
medal, which bears his likeness,
mounted in mahogany. There was
q smaller medal for Mrs. Truman.
The President also received a gold
key to the inauguration from the
committee, as did Vice President
elect Barkley. Attached to each of
the keys was gold-plated penny,
coined 100 years ago at the Denver
Mint, where 100 of these old coins
were just discovered. Committee
men are to have them as souvenirs.
In his brief talk, Mr.. Truman, as
he has done previously, stressed
party responsibility and the neces-
sity of putting across the Demo-
cratic program.
He told the gathering he is sure
there are q million men" who
could make q better President.
But I have job, and I have
to do it. and the rest of you have
got to help me-" he said.
House Speaker Rayburn said that
since election day he has thanked
the American people for giving
US this great humanitarian" as
President.
Million Fit for Job.
You are very kind to me, Sam"
the President responded, "and I
hope I can live up to the things
you say. I doubt very much whether
can or not because am Just
an ordinary human being who has
been lucky-or unlucky, whichever
way you want to look at it-and I
have always said that I am sure
there are q million men in the
United States, no doubt, who could
do the job much better than I can.
or could do it. But ] have a Job,
and I have to do 1t, and the rest
OF you have got to help me-"
Il have always been an optimist,"
he said. Il have always believed
that right would prevail. have
labored under the idea that If the
people of the country understood
clearly what the issues were in this
campaign, they would only vote one
way.
We succeeded in getting that