Evening star., 1952-05-07
Truman Denounces
Real Estate Lobby
And Stain Helpers

ADMINISTRATOR 1OeS WnOm ne aC-
cuseS Of travelling fright down the
alley" the Communists want this
Nation to take.
Telling cheering guests at the
National Housing Conference din
ner at the Hotel Statler last night
that he was giving them a sample
whistle stop" speech, the Presi-
dent tore into favorite whipping
boy-"the real estate lobby'-for
working against his low-coSt hous-
ing program.
He also denounced those he said
would "hamstring the Govern
ment" by cutting national de-
tense appropriations and other
funds for the executive branch.
Aid Fund Cut Cited.
His remarks were pointed up by
the action of the House Foreign
Affairs Committee yesterday in
knocking more than 81 billion
from the $7.9 billion he has asked
for the Mutual Defense setup. The
House committee took, the slice
from the money allocated for
Europe after the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee had proposed
an acroSs-the- board cut in the
same aid measure.
Facing his 68th birthday to-
morrow and the prospect of be-
coming private citizen on Janu-.
airy 20. the President made it,
clear last night he was not going
to let either age or his retirement
from the presidency keep him from
gong to the country with the
facts" as he did in winning re-
election in 1948. ...
With the same "give-em- help
technique he employed so success
fully four years ago, the President
told the conference:
There have been certain things
happening in this country that
have been right down the alley
Mr.. Stain wants us to go. Now
let's stop it. Let's get our senses
back and stop it,
Long Fight Recalled.
To the gathering, made I'D of
State and local housing authori-
ties, the President declared that
appropriation cutters and lobby
lists have fought him ever since
he laid down his 21-point program
of domestic and foreign legisla-
tion-genesis of the Fair Deal
In September. 1945.
The President confined his talk
principally to the housing ques-
ton, which has been one of his
net projects
He called the real estate lobby"
q stubborn and selfish lot. and
added that "some of them are
making their living fighting hous-
ing"
Declaring that "the real estate
lobby has been trying to choke
public housing to death by cutting
of it's appropriations" the Presi-
dent amplif1ed:
That seems to be the policy
now, trying to cut off appropria-
tions."
The interests using these ap-
preparation cutting tactics, Mr !
Truman continued, are about to|
ruin the national defense program
and choke off the executive offices.
Mr.. Truman also repeated a
1948 campaign charge that Sen
ator Taft of Ohio. a leading con-
tender for the Republican,
presidential nomination, turned
against his own program for a
long-range housing program in
the extra session that year, and
got the Senate to kill it.
"Teenie Vicente" Bill Passed.
The Senate, he said, later
passed "teenie weenie" housing
bill, but the Democrats, after
their 1948 victory, passed a strong
housing measure and the real
estate lobby took a good licking
for once"
Mr.. Truman was given a stand
ing ovation when he entered the
dining room for his brief appear
ance, and he spoke extempo-
raneously.
His talk followed ones by Sena-
tors Douglas. Democrat, of H.
linois and Tobey, Republican. of
New Hampshire. who promised toI
fight for defeat of a House ap-
preparation bill provision cutting
the Presidents program for 75,-I
600 low-rent housing units tol
5000 in the fiscal year starting
July l.
Mr.. Truman has promised tol
campaign vigorously for the Dem
ocratic presidential nominee this
year, whoever he may be. His
speech last night, however, indi-
Gated that he won't be through
talking even when he leaves the
White House.
Reiterating his hopes for a firm
world peace. he declared:
IF we keep our heads, we can
get a peace that will last"
Then he went on to say:
whether I'm in or out of office,
and I'll be out next January, Il
am going to carry on this fight"
I'm going up and down this
country as a private citizen and
give them all I got" he said.
''I'm going to tell the people what
this Government is trying to do
to obtain world peace"
AS for his opponents, he said,
"I'm going after them hammer
and tongs" for trying to ham
string the Government and try
ing to keep us from doing our
duty as a world power"
I'm going to tell them about
It in words of one syllable so that
they will understand it," he
added.
Bunker Presents Credentials
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