Evening star., 1949-02-24
Truman Blunt Word!
Seen as Unfortunate
Slip Of the Tongue
Aide Could Not Offend
Argentine by Refusing
To Accept Decoration
By David Laurence g

term, IS. o. b." in a public
gathering at which women were
in attendance has stirred Wash
ington. Mr.. Truman did not, of
course, say what he meant by the
initials-he might have meant
"Son Of Beelzebub"-but most
people here feel he made an un-
fortunate slip Of the tongue for
which he should be forgiven.
Certainly Mr.. Truman isn't the
type of man who uses language
Of that kind normally. He was
provoked to indignation by news
paper criticism. Some Presidents
can take adverse comments, and
some cannot.
The particular episode which
angered Mr.. Truman had to do
with criticism of the acceptance
by his military aide, Gen.
Vaughan, Of a decoration from
the Argentine government. 1t is
true that President Peron, who
bestowed the decoration. is a
dictator and that many people in
the United States have been
alienated by the course Of events
in Argentina. where liberty has
been trampled upon.
Aide Could Not Refuse.
But a presidential aide could
not publicly offend the Argentine
Embassy, which offered the deco
ration, without seeming to reflect
the position of the President OF
the United States. Just at the
moment, friendly relations are
being maintained with Argentina
for a host of practical reasons.
To accept the decoration was
step taken as the best way to
handle a delicate problem. To
have refused it would have caused
an international incident and un-
necessary embarrassment for the
United States.
But Mr.. Truman wasn't dis
cussing the merits Of the case in
his address to the Reserve Ofhcers
Association. He was indignant at
the newspaperman and radio
commentator, who, Of course. was
well within his rights in raising
the question as to the meaning OF
the decoration and its acceptance
by the Presidents aide.
Again and again Mr.. Truman
has shown little tact in handling
critics. He should have ignored
altogether the criticism about the
Argentine decoration. There is no
rule that requires the President
to defend all members Of his
official family from criticism. In
democracy and with a free press,
1t is natural that many things
distasteful to q President will be
printed, and he can reply with
vehemence. too.
Difficult to Correct.
To use improper language. how
ever, is a grievous error which is
sometimes difficult to correct.
Many people, for instance. have
been arguing for a long time that,
in books and plays, words in COM
mon usage-even If vulgar or pro-
fane-should be printed because
they have been so widely used as
to become part of the vocabulary
of people in various walks OF
life.
Perhaps these debates on what
is or is not proper to permit
in books and plays will be af-
fected now by the precedent estab-
lished here this week. 1t will be
contended that If President OF
the United States uses term, it
certainly has something approach
ing official sanction.
It would be regrettab!e. how
ever, if the impression created
upon the youth of the land Isl
that language hitherto deemed
improper had suddenly been given
sanction through usage by
President of the United States
In a public meeting.
The only way out for the PreSi-
dent, it was suggested on many
sides, was a public expression OF
regret and apology. Such a step
never hurts a public man.
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