Evening star., 1951-08-12
Unanswered Charges
To Be Used in 1852
Writer Sees Recent Disclosures
Figuring in Next Compoign
By Fronk R. Kent

The cocksure columnists and others
who now assert that Truman will rum
may be right. However perhaps they
have not given full consideration to what
many agree is a basic question, to wit,
regardless of policies, how bad does an
administration have to smell before the
American people react against it?
Or. put it another way: How deep Is
their desire to have their Government
run by upright men? If it is not very
deep, then raising this question will get
us nowhere. On the other hand, If it is
really deep, then the predictions about
Mr. Truman for 1852 will prove un-
founded. For there is no doubt his ad-
mlniStration has begun to smell. The
odor first became noticeable about two
years ago when exposures were made of
the "f1ve-percenters" in the White House
circle: of the deep freezes and other
presents which some presidential in
Inmates had accepted from dubious
characters seeking governmental favors.
Then followed entrance into WASH
ington law firms of several of Mr.. Tru-
mans close associates with no asset save
their White House intimacy, which they
have maintained while acquiring rich
clients and collecting large fees. These
clear cases of caShing in on a preSi-
Dental relationship seem to many even
more fiagrantly sordid than the RFC
disclosures Of the unpretty practice Of
individuals applying for loans giving
mink coats, etc, to wives of influential
presidential aides and paying the ex-
penseS Of others of the inner circle" at
expensive hotels. Climaxing these in
cidents was the revelation by the st.
Louis Post-Dispatch that Chairman
William Boyle of the national committee
had been on the payroll of 6. corpora
tion whose application had been three
times rejected by the RFC but was
approved after it retained Mr.. Boyle.
Add all this up and it is not surpris-
ing the administration should be un-
healthily odoriferous. But there is
more. Within the past two months Mr..
Truman personally has been attacked
in an unprecedented manner in two ma
tional magazines of large circulation
and in number of newspapers. Not
before have such allegations been made
in such way against President.
If not true, these articles are clearly
libelous. They were not printed by ir-
responsible persons One magazine,
Look, has more than million circula-
ton and is owned by the Cowles BROTH
ers, not only highly substantial but
highly reputable citizens. The other,
the American Mercury, is well financed
and edited by men of substance In a
recent editorial it asserted that more
than a million reprints of its Truman
attack had been sold and distributed.
What has shocked and amazed a great
many people is that such charges could
be made against Mr.. Truman without
something being done about it. There
has come neither denial nor denunciation
from Mr.. Truman nor from any friend
of Mr.. Truman.
Many years ago Theodore Roosevelt
sued the editor OF small paper who
had falsely asserted that he was
drunkard. Mr.. Roosevelt, refusing f.
nancial compensation, got verdict,
retraction, an apology and complete vim
dication Apparently no such action is
contemplated by Mr.. Truman or his
friends. Apparently the idea is that the
public memory is such that, If ignored,
these charges will be forgotten. So not
one word is to be said in ,refutation.
But if Mr. Truman runs again they will
not be forgotten. The Republicans will
see to that. The effort to ignore these
charges convinces them of their truth.
They will have no fear of libel suits or
effective denial Ammunition has been
given they did not have in 1948. No one
can doubt it will be used in 1952-if Mr..
Truman runs.