Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-10-18
Truman to Announce 50 Plans
AT Politically Expedient' Time
By joseph A. Fox

- - - -
By Joseph A. Fox |
President Truman declared to-
day he will disclose his political
plans for 1852 when it is politic- |
ally expedient to do so.
And he added In the course Of
a brisk and good humored news
conference colIoquy, he win be the
judge Of time. 4
The Presidents statement came
las reporters sought to draw him
out on the subject Of his own
candidacy by recalling that Sen
|ator Taft. Republican, of Ohio,
|avowed candidate for the G. O. P.
nomination, had ex-
pressed the hope that Mr.. Tru-
man would be the Democratic
candidate next year.
Asked If he would oblige the
Senator, Mr.. Truman said that
he wasn't ready to make state
ment yet. but he stressed once
more that he has made his de-
cision.
At one point in the exchange, /
the President SAID It would be
time to talk about other things
when he had his three major
messages ready for the next ses-
sion Of Congress in January.
These are the State of the Union,
budget and economic messages.
| That remark was made in dis
cussing the possibility of a "whis-
tlestop" tour.
The President disclosed, in
Icidentally. that he had sent a
mote to Senator Taft saying he
had noticed the Ohioan had
tossed his hat in the ring and he
was sure he would have a lot of
fun.
! The President and Senator Taft
despite political differences
have always enjoyed good personal
relations and Mr.. Truman's note
on the Taft candidacy accom-
panied a copy, of a message of
reorganization he had received
from the Ohio Senator after the
1913 election.
He's Against Sin, Too.
i The tenor of that message had
come into dispute in the Forrestal
diaries.
/ The President quipped that he
himself is, as he said. against sin
too when a reporter wanted to
know what he thought about the
items that Senator Taft has listed
as issues for the next campaign.
| Mr.. Truman also came strongly
Ito the defense of the retiring Ma
Itional Democratic Chairman Will
liam M. Boyle. jr.. telling newsmen
that no matter what they might
have read to the contrary, Mr..
Boyle was getting out only because
;lof his health.
i Senator Taft yesterday produced
la copy of the congratulatory
letter he wrote the President
shortly after the 1948 elections.
! Contrary to a report in the
Forrestal diaries, there is nothing
in it to the effect that Senator
Taft was pleased by Mr.. Truman's
victory over Gov. Dewey.
Il Senator Taft's Office gave type
written copies of the letter to
jnewsmen. Questions from re-
lporters developed that the orig
final letter was longhand and that
Senator Taft had not kept copy.
Asked how the Senator got the
copy he released. aides explained
, that Senator Taft asked the
White House for it and was
!, given it.
/ What the Letter Said.
| Here is what the letter said:
MN Vulcania
Hon. Harry S. Truman.
President of the United States,
my Dear Mr.. President.
Il wish to extend my hearty
, congratulations on your election,
, and I hope to do the same in per-
son on my return to Washington
about December Is. There are
many matters on which we can
agree to disagree. On the other
hand there may be some others
where can be of help in elimi-
mating unnecessary legislative
difficulties.