Evening star., 1952-03-30
Truman Announces
His Decision 10 Quit;
Party Rally Stunned
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U N0u OtWslssOu
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hands with well-wishers with no
sign that Mr.. Truman's announce
ment had surprised him.
'"Tihs breaks our hearts, Mr.
McGrath later told reporters.
There had been advance reports
that the President might choose
the Armory setting of the $lOO
per plate dinner to announce what
he planned to do.
Almost 8 Years In Office.
Mr.. Truman will be bOwing out
after almost eight years in the
White House. He took Office on the
night of April IL, 1945, on the
sudden death Of Franklin D.
Roosevelt.
President Truman long has
played a rat-and-mouse game
with regard to seeking reelection
and almost without exception
close friends have professed to be
without information as to what
he might do.
Recently when visitors were
coming away from his Office with
conflicting reports as to his in
tentionS, the President told re-
porters he would, never announce
his decision through third per-
son, but would tell them face to
face what he intended to do.
Lost In New Hampshire.
The Presidents decision afol-
lowed reverse earlier this month
in the New Hampshire Presi-
dental primary, the first in the
Nation, where he was soundly
trounced by Senator Kefauver Of
Tennessee.
The President entered the pri-
mary unwillingly at the behest of
party officials.
The President was in Key West
when that took place and he
refused to comment on the results.
Democratic leaders in tonight's
audience reacted variously.
Before his announcement Of not
being a candidate, the President.
IN his prepared text had forecast
Democratic victory in November
IN slashing speech that lam
pooned the Republican Party.
Recounting the record of the
Democrats since 1888, and ex-
tolling it as proud and "honor-
able" the President concluded:
whoever the Democratic
nominee for President may be
this year. he will have this record
to run on,
Emphasizing his pleasure at
participating in the dinner he said;
This makes seven Jefferson
jackson dinners that I have
spoken to in the City Of Wash
ington."
Prophetic Ad Lib.
Departing from text then, he
ad libbed, Il hope to attend sew
eral more" and as the audience
Uttered. he added. "in one ca
pacity or another"
A few moments later, there was
another touch.
Il have been in politics for
more than 80 years, and I know
that nothing else could have given
me greater satisfaction" he read
from text. And then, again, an
ad lib: I've had a career from
precinct to President, and I'm
very proud of that record"
President Truman had said
earlier that no matter whether
ne was a candidate or not this
year, he proposed to campaign
extensively for the party nominee
and 1t was in typical back-plat-
form style that he tore into the.
COP. in his speech last night for
the desperate" measures he said
they would attempt to bring
victory.
He predicted that the COP
would wage "a campaign of phony
propaganda this year." and said
they would attempt to prove that
white Is black and black is white"
IN what he said would be their
futile attempt to win the election.
Draws Laughter at Jibes.
Frequently departing from text
and drawing laughter and ap-
plause at his jabs at the opposi-
ton, the President said at one
spot that if the public swallowed
the COP promises, you'll have
a garage and no car, crystal set
but no television, and garage or
tent to live in"
The Presidents speech was on
radio and television and a coast
forecast audience, which had
heard and seen him as he swung
away at the Republicans, listening
IN for his remuneration of further
honorS in the Presidency.
At another point he said that
sit has even become popular for
Republican candidates to saw
themselves IN half, so they can
get on both sides of the fence
an apparent reference to Harold
E. Stassen's promise to give half
OF any Wisconsin delegates he wins
to Gen. Eisenhower.
The President also declared
that "for 20 years the Republicans
have been wandering the political
desert like camels looking for
an oaSis"-and then he quipped
"but they don't drink the same
thing as camels."
Pays Respects to Theories
The President paid his respects
to the theories" advanced by
various groups of Republicans in
hopes of winning the election and
he scored the "dinosaur" thinking
by one element that would do
away with the advances" of the
last 20 years of Democratic rule.
He said that there were 60
many ideas of how to win the elec-
tion been advanced from Repub-
lican sources that to accommodate
all of the COP platform this year
uy0lild hove t0 r0vo,. moro Ground