The Key West citizen., 1952-03-31
KEY VESTS CLIMATE

Continued From Page One)
Westers who had predicted he
would run.
Mayor c. B. Harvey issued a
statement Sunday saying:
Since we consider him our
foremost citizen, we deeply re-.
gret that President Truman will
not seek reelection, but want
him to know that the gates of
the city will always be open to
him"
n Business. people, tourists, and
Key Westers all seem to think
that the Presidents refusal to
run will not affect Key Vests
booming tourist business.
"After all, said George Stinch-
field, whose shop provided some
of the bright shirts not only for
the White House Press, but by
gift to the President, Key West
is now known throughout the
| world, because of the visits of
Mr.. Truman. That kind of pub-
licity will not be forgotten for q
long time.
The President told this reporter
at, his personal press conference
that he hoped to return to Key
West next November. This may
mean that he will come down foI
a Vacation following the inten.
sive campaigning he will do for
the Democratic Party from the
July nominating convention on
/ ward.
The open door in Key West
was promised the President by
all city officials. who expressed
real regret that the man Of whom
| all Key West has become fond.
will not return to the big White
/ House in Washington
/ The Key West boom is not
| solely attributable to the Presi-
ient's eleven visits here. OF
aqu6l importance were vast ex-
/ Dansion of naval activities, and
/ before that the planning of Key
| West as full fledged tourist
! center by former FERA director
j Julius Stone, back in 1884 and
j 1885.
4 Before Trunan.s first visit tc
/ Key West lin 1916. seven Other
i United States Presidents hae
aced the Island City with theil
| presence Tor short or long stays
Franklin D. Roosevelt fished OF
the Keys and particularly arount
4 Dry Tortugas. He motored doWi
the newly completed Oversea
Highway in 1888 to Key West
stopped for lunch at the CGs
lcamp on Summerland Key,
His immediate predecessor Her
bert Hoover, sfilisvisits Key West
though he docks his yacht a
Craig, on the Keys. An inveterat'
fisherman, Hoover has visited ke.
West often in the past "A years.
Calvin Coolidge, 3oth presiden
Of the United States also visited tn
, Island City, as did Grover Cleve
: land and William Howard Taft
The first Roosevelt, President Thef
. iore came to the Island City.
|. is not known at this writing whetf
er ii was before or after his fs
nous charge up San juan Hill ]
the Spanish American war.
And first Of all Presidents to Y
sit Key West according to local /
gend was President Ulysses Graz
. famed Civil War general.
A general who may be the flrl
military man since Grant to sit
the White Hucse, Ike Eisenh'
wer, also visited Key West short
after World War ii. The Genera
a leading possibility for the 10
Republican nomination left Z
paintings here that he did whi
recovering from the war.
He also left an autographed pi
ture which formerly hung In 4
YMCA on Whitehead street. y
searched fer II today TO ascerta
the exact date of his visit her
but could not find It.
Whoever occupies the big VIII
House in Washington will be mo
than welcome in Key West, was 4
conccnsus here. The fact that Z
Keys climate and fishing ha'
| drawn eight Presidents, looks w
for the future Of the Island City
the winter White House Of i9si
winner
a