Show f MARQUIS CHILDS Truman Voiced Hope to toKe Kei Peace With Wit a GOP Congre Congre- WASHINGTON WASHINGTON-In In preparIng preparing preparing ing his message on the state of the Union President Truman recognized that he was in a spot He would face Ince a congress that was Indifferent If not hostile a Republican congress looking to final victory In 1918 1948 There were two choices He could write a spirited fighting message reaffirming ing the objectives objectives tives of his predecessor Or he could make the best of a difficult difficult difficult cult situation In words of caution caution cau cau- tion and compromise Given the presidents president's tempera tempera- temperament temperament ment and background the latter choice was Inevitable His speech before congress had a no curiously dry academic sound He was saying to the powerful opposition opposition opposition tion In the legislative branch of the government Til 1111 be good if It you'll be good Behind the earnest earnest earnest earn earn- est uninspired phraseology was wasa a wistful hope His speech was academic because because be be- cause ca his recommendations are doomed to be ignored The most detailed section of ot the m message sage dealt with recommendations for improving collective bargaining and for bettering the relationships relationships relationships relation relation- ships between management and labor One recommendation was for a commission to be named jointly by congress and the president which would study these problems and not later than March 15 suggest steps tobe to tobe tobe be taken Taft Plans I But Senator Robert A. A Taft of Ohio the man who will really run the senate during the coming coming coming com com- ing year has already made his labor recommendations through a small mall policy group that In Includes includes in in- Senators Joseph H. H Ball of Minnesota and H H. Alexander Smith of New Jersey After brief hearings a stiffer sUffer version of the Case bill will be passed and sent to the White House When that happens the president president president dent will have a really difficult decision to make The presidents president's recommendations for social and economic legislation were phrased in general general general gen gen- eral terms He is for vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws He Is for broadening the immigration laws to admit more homeless and displaced persons from Europe He is for a bill providing adequate te medical care to all aU who need it it not a qs as charity charIty charity char char- ity but on the basis of payments made by the beneficiaries of the program The lamest section of ot the message deals with housing The president talks about an aggressive aggressive ag program as though he himself had not scuttled the controls controls controls con con- that might have made low- low cost veterans' veterans housing t tIn In reality the situation dent Truman faced a ye yea and the situation he taco arc are not so different r A ear ago he delivered t a message wrapping up- up j budget and the state stat 0 cf Oj tj Union in one package j la In message of January a t made 21 recommendation specific legislation A Aa he he careful to fo point out m those same SaIne reco had been made before Look at Record Now look back at the theof nai of the year Just ended ft minor piecemeal exceptions exception two of the presidents president's r r ret were put into la One was the full employ bill which was enacted la watered-down watered form The d o was the law providing d control for atomic energy had tremendous backing in t lie lIc opinion It was WU pj finally thanks to the zeal of McMahon Vand Milliken and of ot Represent Thomason of Texas In the light of this re with supposedly Democratic a in both houses house it happened on Nov 5 was sep sea seabe be merely a confirmation o of condition that already The Republican victory end fraud and deception f We can see now very d cl that the responsibility In next two years will be ba a l publican responsibility In la words of ot the prayer book i those things left undone ash and those things that ought r t have been done blame wiD n non on the G GO GOP 0 P. P Likewise t credit for constructive steps stepa go to the party in power ia is t legislature We have a Re i ican can government Ii v That is the real meaning the presidents president's message Est the state of ot the Union tote and it may be that history w show that Mr Truman wu wag t tto rI rIto rJ to recognize the reality Copyright 1947 by byU Ua Unite ua Feature Syndicate r |