Evening star., 1950-11-17
Truman Shrugs Off
Rebuff at Polls, Will
Push His Program
By joseph A. Fox

President Truman will continue
to press for his Fair Deal pro-
gram in the 82d Congress, despite
the rebuff at the polls on Novem-
ber which reduced Democratic
majorities in both Senate and
House.
Outlining his course at a news
conference late yesterday which
was the first since Election Day,
the President brushed aside Re-
publican gains as a normal Off
year development, and said he
was not blue about the results.
The President also reiterated
that Secretary of State Acheson
would stay on the job, despite
Republican insistance that the
voters showed their dissatisfac-
ton with the State Department,
and he announced abandonment
OF plans to get Congress back
here for the short session before
November 81, explaining that
nothing could be accomplished in
the few extra days.
Quips About Prediction Error.
He expects the lame duck"
session, he said, to act on the 81
billion excess profits tax he has
requested. a deficiency bill for
military operations, rent control
extension and statehood for Alas
ka and Hawaii, which was left
hanging when Congress quit for
the campaign.
The President was in good hu-
NOR as he faced the conference,
and to the big question-What
about that Democratic landslide
he had predicted-quipped that
he was like all the rest of the
pollsters and predicters-wrong.
Democratic losses were the
smalleSt-Save for one exception
suffered by party in power in
an oft-year since 1916, Mr.. Tru-
man said. The exception, he said,
was 1884. The use of 1916 for
comparative purposes puzzled re-
porters. as that was a presidential
year, but it was said at the White
House later that Mr.. Truman was
referring to a period rather than
to a precise date.
Gets Along With Taft.
What about the reelection of
Senator Taft?
Senator Taft-Ohio Republican
and principal target of the
Democrats-had a right to win,
the President continued, saying
the people could choose whom
they wanted. He and Senator
Taft get along fine, he continued,
recalling their associa ton in the
Senate. They just differ on public
policy, Mr.. Truman said, adding
that is the way a democracy
should operate. Smiling, the Pres
ident said he got a Democratic
Senator in his own State of Mis-
souri,, where he campaigned.
There, Thomas C. Hennings, jr.. I
whom Mr.. Truman opposed in
the primary. unseated Senator
Donnell, Republican.
Practically all the Republican
victories could be traced to local
conditions which he could explain,
II he had time, the President in
sisted.
Silent on 1852 Plans.
Mr.. Truman had no comment
for the present on his own plans
for 1852, when told that one of
his afternoon visitors, Paul Fitz-
patrick, party chairman in New
York, said he looked for MIR. Tru-
to head the ticket two years
hence. But he expressed salts
faction over the outcome on New
York, where the Democrats re-
elected Senator Lehman, and suf-
fered a net loss of one House seat.
despite the big victory of Re-
publican Gov. Thomas E. Dewey.
The President said plans for
getting an early start on the
lame duck" session were given
up. because work on the tax bill is
just getting started, and the mill
tary deficiency bill wouldn't be
ready either.
The new Congress, converting
January 8, however, will get his
whole Fair Deal program, includ-
ing repeal of the Taft-Hartley
labor law. He was noncommittal
on the subject of accepting
amendments to this old bone of
contention, rather than outright
repeal.
Will Get Along With South.
Asked if he intended "to make
an effort to get along with the
Southern bloc in the Senate" Mr..
Truman said he always had gotten
along with them-and then, half
under his breath chuckled that he
was not the one who didn't get
along.
The President would not COM
NIT himself on the choice of a.
majority leader to succeed Sena-
tor Lucas. defeated in Illinois.
That, he said. was up to the Sen
ate.
Outside of the political field, the
President said he is reluctant to
send an Ambassador to Spain
but could be convinced. The loan
just announced marks no change
in policy toward the Franco gov