Evening star., 1961-08-27

There are still plenty Of
sparks in the fIinty person of
Harry S. Truman, as every
newspaper reader knows. But
what's the former President like
at home? Just like anybody else,
helping with the dishes, teIe-
phOning the grandchildren and
wondering why there's no cold
roast beef in the ice box. Here's
q warm second installment on
Americas living ex-Presidents.
---~-~---~-~---
the ashes or help with the dishes
or, like ordinary citizens of a
great democracy, catch occasional
hell from his wife.
But Harry Truman does all
these things. And in the 77th year
of his remarkable life and the
eighth of his retirement, he con-
tinueS to enjoy life with a zip
and zeSt usually denied more
Olympian figures.
In an age of the protested
personality, when many public
faces have been Sculpted by press
agents and pulSe-takers and other
image makers, Harry Truman re-
mains himself with an outrageous,
enviable spontaneity.
He still can scarcely draw a
hrn0fh without
Judgment in concrete. He still en-
joys overstating a case if only to
stir up the animals. He still loves
to tear into a political opponent
with all the singing joy of a slid
ing base-runner about to take out
the second baseman. And, when
the dust clears, he still shows an
innocent surprise that someone
complained of being spiked.
He still combines a smiling,
folksy cordiality with a genial
chip on his shoulder, as if daring
you to deny who he was. And
behind the bifocals, there still
dances a mischievouS twinkle, as
if the poor boy from independence
had played monumental joke on
history by becoming President, by
then being elected in his own right
when everyone else had written
him off, by reaching up from his
small-town everyman origins and
betting Gen. Douglas Macarthur
right off Mount Olympus.
IT have a good time" Harry
Truman says in the easy sing
song of the Midwest, about things
small and large.
The Weekly Routine
He uses the comment to. de-
scribe the fact that on Wednes-
days and Sundays the Trumans
call their daughter, Mrs. Clifton
Daniel, in New York for news of
their two grandchildren. The
former first lady talks from the
downstairs phone and the 32nd
President of the United States,
from the upstairs extension in the
big. white, Victorian house on
Delaware street.
''I had a good time" Harry Tru-
man says of his days in the White
House, choosing not to recall that
he also has referred to 1900
Pennsylvania avenue as the big
white jail"
II enjoyed myself even there,
I always had a good staff and if
there were any worries, they had
to assume them even after
the '48 campaign, when I shook
hands with a million people and
made 356 set speeches and that
many more extemporaneously, my
staff was exhausted but I had
gained five pounds :"
Here, Mr.. Truman usually in
terrupts his reverie with a funny
imitation of H. v. Kaltenborn,
the radio commentator, predict
ing through the long election
night of 1948 that Thomas E..
Dewey really was winning.
II don't worry about myself" ,"
the former President says of the
secret behind his continued
bounce, his twinkle, his ruddy
glow, the diminished but still re-
markably vigorous pace of his
two-mile daily walk. "I just like
to live and do things for people
and think of the other fellows
troubles instead of my own.
Il just have a good time as
go along. And when responsibility
comes, you make a decision. If it's
wrong, you make another one"
Puenocious Pride
The idea of a good time ap-
pears implicit in almost every
thing Harry Truman does, in his
pugnacious pride, in his contact
with ordinary citizens, in the no.
ton he likes to foster that Mrs.
Truman is the real boss of the
house.
In 1855 he went to San Fran
cisco for the 10th anniversary of
the United Nations, which he
helped found. An aide of Secre-
tary Of State John Foster Dulles
called to say the Secretary wished
to pay his respects. Mr.. Truman
agreed to time but, through
some mixup, Mr.. Dulles failed to
show up.
Next day, the two men met at
a reception.
Mr.. Dulles: How do you do,
Mr.. President?"
Mr.. Truman: Il do as I goddamn
please and I guess you do, too"
Action. Reaction. Harry Tru-
man moves in uncomplicated
rhythms. Why nurse a beef when
you can get rid of it?
He was driving his 1860 Dodge
back from Kansas City when a
tire went flat. The former Presi-
dent pulled over, removed his
coat and began work himself
when two young men, one a sailor,
stopped to help. They obviously
didn't recognize him and Mr.. Tru-
man, enjoying their matter of
factneSS, waited for just the right
moment.
NKyho,, Eloo 4;ro we. F;,,ol L.