Evening star., 1951-03-01
The Political Mill
Il erm Amendment
May Defeat Truman
Might Affect His Chances
If He Decides to Run
BY Gould Lincoln


It looks as though the late Franklin
D. Roosevelt will be referred to in history
as the only President of the United States
elected to more than two terms. Yet
there is, of course, the chance that
President Truman may be elected to
third term-provided the voters want
him enough. Under the new, 22nd q
Amendment to the Constitution, Mr..
United States to whom such an honor
from the two-term limitation.
The President graphically said, when
asked to comment on the new amend
ment: II have no comment-it doesn't
affect me-" Technically Mr.. Truman is
correct But the adoption of the
22d Amendment may strongly affect
his political future. 1t might even cause
him to decline to run for a third term
and If he ran. 1t might have It's part in
defeating him-provided he is defeated.
The American people, acting through
their State legislatures, have said en-
phatically they want no more third
term Presidents-that two four-year
terms is enough for any man in the
White House The sole exception to
this new fundamental law is the man
who may inherit, as Vice President, the
presidency. Such a man, II he has not
served more than two years Of his
predecessors term, may be elected to
two terms-which could give him total
of ten years in the White House.
The spirit of this new enactment is
against more than two terms for Pres
ident-and the outside limit is ten years.
If President Truman determines to run
to succeed himself and should he be
elected he would serve total of II years.
months and % days. So Mr.. Truman
would be violating the spirit of the
amendment. If not the letter. Further.
the course of the amendment and Its
ratification clearly shows that the voters
do not care for Mr.. Truman as third
term President-not as of today.
It was the second worst" Congress in
history (according to Mr.. Truman) which
submitted the 22d Amendment to the
States for ratification. In 1947. 8 States
ratified; in 1948 States; in 1949. 2
States; in 1850, l State, and in 1851.
IL States-and many more may still
ratify. The course shows how enthus-
iasm for the adoption of the amendment
swelled enormously in the later part Of
1950-an enthusiasm which overfiowed
in the first two months of 1851.
Mr.. Truman's popularity evidently hit
the toboggan. The amendment has been
ratified by Democratic as well as Re
publican State Legislatures-and no last
minute resistance was able to stem the
flow, although it was tried in some Of
the States.
When the late Mr. Roosevelt ran for
a third term in 194e. only tradition
stood in his way. The people. through
their State Legislatures or through State
constitutional conventions, had never
passed on the question of presidential
tenure of Office since the adoption Of
the Constitution. With the adoption of
the 22d Amendment, the situation is ma
terially changed.
When the 80th Congress submitted the
amendment to the States in 1947. 1t was
actuated in the exemption Of Mr.. Tru-
man from the two-term limitation, by
several reasons. First, he was exempted
so as not to make it appear the amend
ment was personal attack on Mr.. Tru-
man. Second, no one thought that Mr..
Truman might undertake to become
dictator. Third. it was feared that II
Mr. Truman was included, Democratic
State Legislatures would decline to rat
ify just from party regularity. The 194a
presidential election was just around
the corner-and the party's national
convention might select Mr.. Truman.
These are none Of them sound reasons
for exempting Mr. Truman from the
operation of the amendment-but they
we're at least practical.
President Truman may decide not to
run for reelection The new amend
ment gives him an "out." if he wishes to
take it. He can merely say he believes
in living up to the spirit Of the Consti-
tuition as amended.