Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-04-18
Million Could Have
Done a Better Job,
President Declares
By Joseph A. Fox

By Joseph A. Fox
President Truman will leave Of
fee next January convinced that
he has done his damndest" to
promote the welfare of the coun-
try.
He is satisfied that after nearly
eight years. he has made his max
imum contribution to the presi-
dency. Feels, as matter of fact,
that in two terms, any President
has made-or should have made
AL the contribution he possibly
can to the welfare Of the Nation"
The President whimsically dis
cuSsed his political philosophy at
his news conference late yesterday.
In the course of the questioning.
the President put in a plug for
the blooming presidential aspira-
lions of Mutual Security Director
w. Averell Harriman-but seemed
slightly cool to Senator Kefauver
of Tennessee. first Democrat in
the fight for the nomination He
expressed regret that Gov. Adlai
Stevenson of Illinois had declared
himself out of the race.
The visiting editors got prece-
dence in the questioning and
Alexander F. Jones of the SYRIA
cuse IN. " Herald-Journal
touched off the colloquy by re-
calling the Presidents decision not
to run again. Mr.. Jones asked
IF you would care to comment
on your political philosophy in
retiring, irrespective of any per-
sonal consideration"
The White House. subsequently,
departed from custom and per-
mitted the President to be quoted
directly.
He responded: Before answer
Mr.. Jones question, I am happy
to have you here and I hope you
enjoyed the trip through the re-
habilitated Presidents house, and
that you got to see everything you
wanted to see up there. You will
find out that if you look closely
you have got to inquire where any
changes have taken place. My own
difficulty now is to find my shirts
and socks, which I will probably
be able to do by the time we get
ready to move out. This, by the
way, is the Booth press conference
I have held since I have been
President of the United States.
No One indispensable.
II want to say to Mr.. Jones that
I have been a very close student
of the presidency of the United
States and also of the individual
Presidents who have occupied the
place since WaShington'S time. My
reason for not running again is
based on the fact that I don't
think that any mani don't care
how good he isis indispensable
in any job.
The presidency itself is a con-
tinuing of1ce-the greatest office
in the history of the world, and
that office ought to be continuing
as far as individuals are con-
cerned. And another thing in
connection with it-when a man
has been in this very responsible
position for eight years, which I
will practically have been by the
goth of January. 1853, he has. or
should have by that time, made all
the contribution he possibly can
to the welfare of the Nation. He
has either done it we'll or not we'll.
Il have tried my best to give the
Nation everything I have in me.
There are great many people,
suppose million in the country
who could have done the job bet
ter than I did it, but I had the
job and 1 had to do it. I always
quote an epitaph which is on
tombstone in the cemetery at
Tombstone. Ariz. 1t says: Here
lies Jack Williams. He done his
damnedest.' I think that is the
greatest epitaph that a man can
have-when he gives everything
that is in him to the job that is
before him, that is all you can ask
Of him and that is what I have
tried to do"
Opposes Party Tenure Limit.
When the President commented
on the constitutional limit on
presidential tenure, Mcclellan
Van Der Veer of the Birmingham
News asked if he thought there
was any limitation for one party
to remain continuously in office.
The President said no, he
doesn't, so long as that party
makes it work for the benefit of
most Of the people.
The President quipped, however,
that there might be limitation
on some other terms, a reference
to his argument for maximum
12-year tenure in Senate and
House. This, he has said, would
tend to prevent "fosSilization" in
the leadership.
Mr.. Truman said he expected
the paramount issue of this years
campaign to be (a) defense pro-
gram: (b) maintaining peace, and
(c) keeping the economy on an
even keel.
Robert w. Akers of the Beau
mont (TexD Enterprise asked if