The Key West citizen., 1952-08-21
Question OF Margaret's Gun
Toting Bodyguard Pingpongs
Across Atlantic; Deny Story
Bv WARREN ROGERS JR.

WASHINGTON R-The question
a whether Margaret Truman's
sun-toting bodyguard roughhoused
Swedish citizens ping ponged
across the Atlantic today, trailing
official denial, comment-and 81
lence.
Swedish newspapers had first
serve Tuesday. They reported what
they called "tough guy" tactics
used by three Secret Service agents
accompanying the Presidents
daughter on her European tour.
The Swedish newspaper Ex-
pressen said the bodyguards flung
aside a photographer who tried to
snap Miss Truman's picture
at StockhOlm's Central Station,
blocked a theater entrance until
her arrival there and kept news
men and photographers outside
Stockholm's town hall while she
visited it.
Aftonbladet, Sweden's biggest
newspaper, called the agents ''go-
xillas." It said they we're uncouth
and intercepted Swedes who want
ed to pass "any place where it
pleases Miss Truman to be at a
aiEan moment"
Then Aftonbladet flung a barb:
s'Miss Truman is not in danger
Of her life in Stockholm. /. We
understand that she is not going
to sing here
Another press item described the
Secret Service men as three tough
guys with their left armpits bulg-
ing with artillery"
The White House bounced back
an unequivocal denial. Joseph
Short, the Presidents press Sec
retary, said:
"Our preliminary reports indi-
cate there is not one word of truth
in any Of the stories alleged to
have been published in the Swe-
dish newspapers."
Short said he had not seen the
Swedish newspapers, only wire
service reports, and the investi-
CATION was continuing. The State
Department, Short said, was ex-
pecting reports from the Swedish
police.
The Swedish foreign Office,
meanwhile, had begun its own in
svestigation. Stockholm dispatches
said it wanted to know by what
right Miss Truman's bodyguard
was armed In Sweden, where even
the police are traditionally un-
armed.
The U. S. Secret Service, also
traditionally, arms its agents when
ever they are on duty--whether
Safeguarding or trailing counter
feiters. AN
The Swedish foreign office
backed up Short. II said in a state
ment that the agent who reported
ly stopped a photographer had
simply said: mo pictures, please" I"
u. S. Ambassador Walton But.
terworth said virtually the same
thing. He cabled the State Depart
ment, quoting the special agent in
charge Of Miss Truman's body
guard as saying about the city
hall incident:
There was no discussion, no ar
gument and no weapon was dis
played at any time"
There was some comment from
Republicans in Congress.
Sen, Bourke Hickenlooper of To-
wa expressed curiosity as to ''why
Miss Truman should be travelling
with bodyguards at government ex-
pense on a private trip abroad"
Short emphasized to reporters
that the Secret Service is required
by law to guard members Of the
Presidents immediate family as
well as the President himself.
Rep. Albert M. Cole of Kansas
said he feared the hubbub could
be "quite damaging to our friend.
ship with Sweden"
Sen. Wallace F. Bennett Of Utah
suggested Communists might have
engineered the whole thing. He
added that he considered Alton
bladet's crack--about Miss Tru-
mans life not being endangered
because she was not going to sing
Ito be .'in pretty bad taste"
That might draw a blast directly
from the President. Truman's az.
lection for his only child--he calls
her Baby" - is as we'll known as
the incident in which he fired a
hot letter at q Washington music
critic who panned Miss Truman's
voice.
The 2s-year.old Miss Truman
meantime has left Sweden for Hell
sinki, Finland. She is due back in
The United States Sept. 2 after q
slx-week visit to nearly a dozen
countries, where she met the lead.
ers Of most Of Europe
----.