Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-21
Continued From First Page

to make the Speaker of the
House, and not the Secretary Of
State, next in succession after
the Vice President.
Mr.. Truman writes that there
was another consideration
mostly personal" In naming
Mr.. Byrnes as Secretary. He
said the South Carolinian had
felt that he was the logical
choice as President Roosevelt's
running mate in the 1914 cleo
ton.
In fact" Mr.. Truman con-
tinued. "he had asked me to
nominate him and give him my
support before that convention.
AS it turned out. Roosevelt and
the convention willed otherwise,
and Byrnes. undoubtedly, was
deeply disappointed and hurt. I
thought that my calling on him
at this time might help balance
things up"
Faced Vast Problems
Vast problems confronted Mr..
Truman when he became Pres
ident, problems Of war as well as
peace. With many Of them he
had no detailed knowledge. or
no knowledge at all.
He knew nothing of this coun-
try's work on an atomic bomb.
After the first cabinet meeting
on the day he was sworn in, Mr..
Truman received from Secretary
Of War Henry L. Stimson his first
information about the bomb.
Later he received from DR..
Vannevar Bush a scientists YER
sion Of the bomb and what was
expected Of it.
Admiral William D. Leahy, the
presidential Chief of Staff, was
present at the time. MIR. Truman
writes that the admiral sin his
sturdy. salty manner" said:
That is the biggest fool thing
we have ever done. The bomb
will never go OF, and speak as
an expert on explosives"
One Of Mr.. Iruman's first
steps on taking office was to get
abriefing on the military situa@
ton. He writes that the mill
tary leaders told him that Ger
many would hold out for another
six months and Japan for 3
year and a half. Germany sur
rendered a month later. Japan
collapsed in August after the
bomb that Admiral Leahy thought
would never go off had been ex-
ploded. on Mr.. Truman's fate
full decision. over Hiroshima and
Nagasaki.
How He Heard News
Mr.. Truman relates the story
OF how he was called to the
White House to learn that Pres
ident Roosevelt was dead and
that he was now President. He
was visiting in Speaker Rayburn's
office when he received word from
the late Stephen Early, White
House press secretary, to come
to the White House "as quickly
and quietly" as he could.
Mr.. Truman says that he went
through the Capitol basement
corridors to his car, losing his
usual Secret Service guard. This
was the only time in eight years."
he added. that I enjoyed the
luxury Of privacy by escaping the
ever-present vigil Of official pro-
lection"
At the White House he was
taken to Mrs. Roosevelt's study.
Mr.. Truman said that Mrs.
Roosevelt stepped forward and
placed her arms gently about my
shoulder, and said quietly:
Harry, the President is dead"
Stunned for Moment
Mr.. Truman said that for a
moment he could not bring him.
self to speak, and then asked
at last:
els there anything I can do
for you2"
He said he would never forget
cher understanding reply:
us there anything we can do
for you? For you are in trouble
now"
Writing later to his aged
mother and sister, MIR. Truman
said:
at was the only time In my
Life, ] think. that I felt as If
I'd had a real shock. had hur-
ried to the White House to see
the President. and when ! ar
rived. I found was the Presi-
dent ;"
In a ceremony lasting less
than a minute. and over at 1909
pm. on that April u, Mr.. Tru-
man took the oath Of Office. He
then convened cabinet meeting
at which he said he intended to
continue the foreign and domes-
tic policies Of the Roosevelt ad-
ministration.
President In Own Right
II made it clear, however, that
I would be President In my own
right, and that ! would assume
full responsibility for such deci-
sions as had to be made" he
writes"
In the days that followed Mr..
Truman held his first trans
atlantic telephone conversation
with Winston Churchill, then the
British Prime Minister. He
gives q detailed account Of the
conversation in which the two
leaders agreed to reject a Ger
man surrender offer In April |
unless It was unconditional and