Evening star., 1950-09-07
Marine Corps League Cheers
Truman on Surprise Visit

TuHIQn OF OuFb
The Marine Corps League. ap-
parently happy to let bygones be
bygones, reused themselves to a
lusty welcome for President Tru-
mans surprise visit today.
AS the President walked smil-
ingly to the leagues convention
platform at the Hotel Statler,
there was no sign of the bitter
rancor shown by delegates last
night before they accepted Mr..
Truman's apology for his remarks
about the Leathernecks.
Then, boos and catcalls were
mixed with cheers as the dele
gates waited in an overtime Ses-
sion to hear the Presidents apol-
ogy for calling the Marines the
Navy's police force" with a
propaganda m a chine. almost
equal to Stalin'S."
They cheereo Mr.. Truman as
he arrived and as he left.
"Just Wild About Harry"
Before settling down to routine
convention business. League Com
mandant Clay Nixon visited the
leagues auxiliary to report on the
Truman visit and assure the
women delegates that all went
well.
Three delegates also visited
Commissioner John Russell Young
today to present him with "dog
tag" emitting him to membership
in the Military Order of Devil
Dogs. In return they received q
key to the city.
j One of the three, Miss Betty
Jean Money of San Francisco. told
Mr.. Young her colleagues were SO
pleased by everything that the
next time we come to Washington
We'll probably be singing, We're
Just Wild About Harry"
Few such sentiments were ex-
pressed last night, even after del
egates supported Mr.. Nixon's pro-
nouncement that the whole matter
was a CLOSED incident"
The league. which opened its
three-day national convention yes
terday, devoted almost its entire
first sessions to sounding off on
comments made by the President
in his letter to a Republican Con-
gressman-and to waiting in
anxious anticipation for a move
from the White House.
Marine Hymn Sounds.
AS word circulated late yester-
day that Gen. Clifton B. Gates.
Marine Corps commandant, had
gone to the White House. the dele
gates tried unsuccessfully to get
down to routine business. While
waiting for the message to arrive,
some of them sang stanzas of the
Marine hymn.
Handed the message at 6:25
pm, Mr.. Nixon began to read to
the accompaniment of wild cheers
and applause.
The boos came when he reached
the portion of the letter in which
the President explained that by
police force" he meant the
Marines are always ready for
action.
Apology Is Re-read.
After finishing, delegates made
him re-read the first sentence of
Mr.. Truman's message, in which
he apologized, saying:
II sincerely regret the unfor-
tunate choice of language which
used in my letter concern
ing the Marine Corps"
Pronouncing the matter a
''closed incident" Mr.. Nixon said
he appreciated the President
coming to us as a man and a
member of the Marine Corps
League"
Mr.. Nixon then got a standing
vote of confidence on the motion
of Sheriff William c. Harris of
Savannah, Ga. who earlier had
been most vociferous in his crit
icism of the President.
Calling Mr.. Truman an Gin
competent nincompoop.' Sheriff
Harris had been jumping up all
afternoon and asking whether the
time had come to "give Truman
hell"
He Takes the Floor.
Finally, he got the floor to do
the job himself.
II gave up three of the best
years of my life." he said. "to be
able to get up and give the Presi-
dent of this great country hell,
and he is going to get it now.
1--WE always been against him
and I am going to redouble my
efforts and get him out of the
White House. We ought to give
him a licking for his stupid state
ment."
The fiery sheriff drew cheers by
calling Mr.. Truman this creature
in the White House" and saying
that "he makes me break out in
chilly bumps"
At the same time, he hit De-
fense Secretary johnson as "in-
competent.
Mr.. Nixon allowed him to finish.
then remarked that Mr.. Harris
had blown off lot of the steam
a lot of the delegates wanted
blown off,
The league chief announced
later that his outfit still wants