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Show Page 16-T-HE HERALD, Provo, Utah, Wednesday, December 27, 1972 Great Reporter Reminisces About the Truman He Knew A a group of death ia 1978, Merriman influential publishers and edie I'PI reporter tors, word was relayed back to Smith, and dean of White House Truman that one of his guests in awe on the correspondents, wrote the fol- commented Editor's note: Prior to his stag party for oi long-tim- former President's capacity. The President's eyes crinkled behind his heavy glasses. "You fellows don't give me By MERRIM AN SMITH I nited Press International enough credit," he said. "I haven't had a drink in over One afternoon during the lat three months." 1940 s. President Truman was lowing reminiscence of President Truman. to leave for a scheduled month's stay at his favorite resort. Key West, Fla. Suddenly, the White House rescheduled his departure .for the next morn'ng. No explanation. We found out later what happened. Truman had learned that one news photographer's rotating tour of duty at the White House did not begin until midnight. Truman knew the fellow and knew how much he liked Key West. Had the President left on schedule, the man would have missed the trip. This was Harry S. Truman who some of us assigned 'o the White House were fortunate enough to know. History will judge him as a President. But he had guts and compassion. Certainly, there has not been a man in the White House more considerate of the feelings and lives of ethers. Yet, the real Truman frequently ran quite counter to his public image. For instance, he preferred scotch over bourbon. Gingerale Fooled Them In public, however, he was expected to call for bourbon and he did, often going through an entire evening without so much as a sip of his drink. It was not that he disliked bourbon. Scotch was easier going. Once after a White House Then he explained. "The waiter brought .ne a glass of gingerale which I sipped once or twice. Every time a round of drinks was served, the waiter would put another lump of ice in my gingerale and those fellows thought I was throwing it down right with them." Not a Lightweight Not long a'ter Truman was elevated to the presidency by the death of Franklin D. in Roosevelt it was 1945, popular in some New Deal circles to demean Truman because he lacked FDR's regal air and class. When he heard about old New Dealers making fun of him, he admonished those sharply around him "3t to overreact. "Those fallows don't really mean it," he advised. "They're just heartbroken and you would be, too." Some critics pictured Truman as something of a lightweight. He but a was anything lightweight. He was thrown into an international ring against as some such heavyweights Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin, and Truman more than held his own. Orders Atomic Attack During the 1945 Potsdam Conference, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson rushed across the Atlantic to tell Truman the atomic bomb test at Alamogor- - could not stand the excitement any longer and awakened the President to give him the news. "You should have gotten some sleep like I did," Truman said, sitting up in bed, rumpled, drowsy and reaching for his glasses. He looked up at the exuberant agent and chided softly, "What did you expect? I've been telling you this all do, N M . had been successful. Truman immediately ordered the atomic attack on Hiroshima. Japan, a mission that would take some days to execute. During a ceremonial dinner party at Potsdam, Truman tried to tell Stalin about the bomb. As HST related later. Stalin did not seem interested and shifted the conversation to another topic. It was not until much later-sev- eral spy trials later-t- hat understood Stalin's Truman lack of interest. "Through his spies," Truman said, "Stalin knew all about it then. I wasn't telling him anything new and he did not want me to know this." Because Truman identified so thoroughly with the little man, the little man returned the favor and kept him abreast of many matters which ordinarily escape a President. Finest Hour knew when a stenogra- pher's baby caught a cold: when a White House servant lost a relative. He thought it was hilarious when Leroy, the for White House many years, fobbed himself off as an important official and was shown to a box at Hialeah He his day. He was deeply devout, women were to be held in reverence and I never heard him tell a dirty joke. He told jokes in small male groups, but he kept them well above the beltline. His jokes usually were of the Missouri barnyard variety one mule in trouble with another, a farmer whose outhouse collapsed. pull slowly out of town with Truman still holding the baby. "Stop this damned train," Truman said as panic spread across his face. "I've got somebody's baby." The mother's wail cut the darkness like a knife. Some were roaring with people laughter as the father was running beside the train. along." Deeply Devout Got Somebody's Baby The train eased to a stop and It was dunng the 1948 a Secret Service agent quickly that Truman ex- relieved Truman of his burden, campaign perienced a crisis that truly returning the child to a father. frightened him. It was at night, at a small town in Nebraska Truman told some of us next and a crowd clustered around morning, "You smart alecs his railroad car. think you know everything A man handed up a baby and well, did you know that baby held Truman the was named after me even gingerly infant long enough for the before we got to town?" father-a- nd news photogrFor all his public image as a aphersto snap a picture. At devotee of poker and bourbon, that moment, the train began to Truman was a square even for Ahead of His Time Some of the things racial discrimination was evi- it." he said, leaning heavily on his cane and trying to make out dence. He was the first to propose my face in his fading eyesight But that was a long, long time what is now called Medicare. Many people, however, did ago and this is today." not discover the real Truman until long after he left the Even today, White House. Retiring millions of Americans do not realize how much this man OPELIKA, Ala. (LTD -Saffected anta Claus is retiring, forced from Independence out by pushy mothers. their lives. A'.to T. Maloy, a I mentioned he last time I talked with Truman in In- Santa at a shopping center, dependence during the winter says he's calling it quits after seven years during which he of 1967-6"It is nice of you to recall has held over 25,000 kids on his knee. "It's the mothers who bother me." he said. "If they'd let Canada their kids alone with me, the QUEBEC CITY, UPI) -- The oldest Anglican kids would get along okay. But cathedral in the world outside most mothers rush their child the British Isles is Quebec and end up making them cry. If it, Cathedral, which dates to the they let me handle everything usually goes fine." reip of George III. Santa's he attempted as President were far, far ahead of roughly similar ideas put forth by John now-smili- F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. It was Truman who fired the first tough civil rights legislation at Congress. He proposed cutting off all federal funds for land grant colleges and state highway construction projects where Anglican Cathedral ' leaf-rak- 1 (Ha.) racetrack. From a personal standpoint, his finest hour came in 1948 when he so decisively defeated Republican Thomas E. Dewey for Literally every expert in the field said it could not be done. Truman never agreed. !n fact, he did not wait up for t e election returns, choosing to go to a definitely middle class resort outside Kansas City where he went to bed early. 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