Evening star., 1952-12-12
Truman Conference Record


is President.
@. Mr.. President. do you
thing it Is possible that Gen.
Macarthur would have any plan
for the solution Of the Korean
situation that he didn't have
when he came back?
Mr.. Truman replied that, ex-
pressing his private opinion,
that is what he believes.
Several Questions Raised.
Here several questions were
raised: What was that? What
did you say?
The President replied there
was nothing new. He said he
didn't think Gen. Macarthur
has anything new to offer.
@. Mr.. President. if Gen.
Eisenhower has a plan which
could be put into effect i'm
mediately to end the war, do
you think it is his duty to
present it to you now?
Certainly. the President said,
adding that he would want it
put into effect now. He said he
wanted to stop the war just as
badly as everybody does, has
tried in every way possible to
bring it to a conclusion and is
trying to do it without involving
us in an all-out war in the Far
East.
@. Would it have been pos
sible for Gen. Macarthur to call
on you any time during this
period?
Why, certainly, Mr.. Truman
replied, adding that Gen. Mac
Arthur didn't want to see him.
@. Mr.. President, am a little
bit confused about military prot
ocol. When Gen. Eisenhower
came back this time, I asked
him at his press conference If
he would report to Congress.
He said he couldn't until he was
invited to. Would that apply to
Gen. Macarthur reporting to
you?
Mr.. Truman said the first
thing Gen. Eisenhower did when
he came back from Europe was
to report to him, and said that
was his duty.
@. Without invitation, on his
own initiative?
That was his duty. the Presi-
dent repeated.
@ Mr.. President, if Gen. Eli
senhower has any new views on
how to solve the Korean situa-
ton, is it his duty to call on you
and report to you?
Mr.. Truman said that was
correct.
@. Mr.. President, do you
think that Gen. Macarthur
was inhibited because he had
been dismissed by you?
Not necessarily. was the reply.
he added that would not keep
Gen. Macarthur from follow
ing military etiquette, remark
ing that he missed an awfully
good chance for headline by
not coming in.
Q. If it is Gen. MacArthur's
duty to report any plan at once,
and If he does not fulfill his
duty, what follows then? What
step do you take?
Mr.. Truman said he wouldn't
take any now, that it is a little
late. s
@. Mr.. President, want TO
get it clear. You wouldn't care
to see Gen. Macarthur now?
No, Mr.. Truman replied. there
is no reason for him to see the
general.
@. If he asked to see you,
would you see him?
Would Not Be Discourteous.
Mr.. Truman said that of
course he would, that he
wouldn't be discourteous to
anybody and never has been.
The questioning halted here
for a little and Mr.. Truman
asked the reporters if tha we'll
had run dry.
We are just writing, one Of
them replied. I think you have
filled up the creek. sir. Laughter
marked the exchange, then the
questioning resumed.
Q. Mr. President, the Attorney
General of Massachusetts,, I be-
lieve, says you were urged dur
ing the political campaign to
announce you would go to
Korea and that the war would
be over by Christmas, and you
rejected the idea. Was that
suggestion put up to you?
Yes. it was. Mr.. Truman said.
He added that he decided it
wouldn't serve any purpose and
would be just piece of dema-
goguery. He said that is what
it has turned out to be.
Q Mr.. President, want to
get is straight. You said you
thought it would serve no good
purpose. it was just a piece of
demagoguery and that is what
it turned out to be?
That's correct. Mr.. Truman
said.
O. The current trip that is
on now is a piece of dema-
goguery?
Yes, replied the President.
Then he added that the an
nouncement of that trip was