| Show Harry Truman's Life Story Proves Again White to House Road Is Still Open I President Advanced I From County Offices To o Head ea o of Nation By Elliott Pine Pino Released by Western Newspaper Union Forty years ago Harry Truman Truman Truman Tru Tru- man was plowing behind a mule on a Missouri farm Today Today Today To To- day he is in the White House in many ways the most powerful powerful powerful power power- ful man in the world The new president was born In Lamar Mo May 8 1884 1684 Four years Inter later his parents John Anderson Ander Ander- I son and Martha Young Truman reI returned returned re re- re- re I turned to Jackson county miles north which was the ancestral home of both Harry grew up on the acre family farm in Jackson county near Grandview His mother still alive at 92 remarked remInIscently last fall when he was elected to the vice presidency That boy could plow the straIghtest straIght straIght- est cst row of corn coin In the county He could sow wheat so there wouldn't be a bare spot in the whole field He was a farmer farrier who could do anythIng anything anything any any- thing there was to do just do-just just a little bit better than anyone else During his grade and high school schooldays schooldays schooldays days Harry distinguished himself by his scholarship He was an omnivorous reader an earnest student student student stu stu- stu- stu dent of everything When he graduated graduated graduated in 1901 he hoped to go to college college college col col- col- col lege but although his father was known as the best horse and mule trader in the county family finances would not permit any more education for the eager youth routh He Hewon Hewon Hewon won an appointment to West WestPoint WestPoint Point but was rejected for weak eyesight Harry decided to make his fortune fortune for for- tune t In nearby Kansas City After a few years at small jobs drug clerk bundle wrapper on the Kansas Kansas Kansas Kan Kan- sas City Star bank clerk timekeeper er on a railroad gang he went I back to the family farm at his his grandmothers grandmother's invitation I Went Sent to War For the next few years working the big farm took all Harrys Harry's time Then In 1917 he volunteered for the army and soon became a lieutenant lieutenant lieuten lieuten- ant of field artillery While in training training training train train- ing camp he organized a canteen for the men and took care of them in many other ways Later he rose roseto roseto roseto to a captaincy and led his company company company com com- pany In hard fighting in Saint Mihiel and the Argonne campaigns On the boat home Harry was commissioned commissioned commis commis- a major Soon after returning to Missouri he married his childhood sweetheart sweetheart sweetheart sweet sweet- heart Elizabeth Bess Wallace granddaughter of the first mayor of Independence Mo The ceremony took place In the Episcopal church Mrs Truman's sect In 1919 Truman decided to go into business so he entered partnership with a man whom he met in army life ille and established a haberdashery haberdash haberdash- ery store in Kansas City Harry invested his entire fortune amountIng amounting amounting amount- amount Ing to about At first the I business prospered but the sharp I recession of 1921 brought disaster Truman did not go into bank bankruptcy i but chose to pay of off his debts as aswell aswell aswell well as he could In 1934 when elected to the U. U S. S senate he was still meeting old bills Somewhat accidentally he got into politics An army acquaintance who was a nephew of Thomas Pen- Pen then Democratic leader in Kansas City suggested Harry Truman Truman Truman Tru Tru- man for some small position The astute discovering that Truman was well known and liked had the backing of the American Legion and was anxious for a new career appointed him a road super super- visor I In return Harry made occa- occa 0 a y e y G s a Ya PRES HARRY S. S TRUMAN speeches and assisted in party organization work The young oung mans man's Integrity and energy were effective and he was placed on the ticket for tor county judge In Jackson county Truman won and discharged his duties well during his year two-year term 1922 He was defeated In his try for Cor reelection however however how how- ever cr the only political setback in hi his career The office of county judge In Missouri corresponds corresponds corre corre- to county superintendent In other states Truman studied law at night during his term of office and gained admittance to the bar Then In 1926 I he was elected presiding judge of Jackson county which includes KanI Kansas Kansas Kan Kan- I sas City and environs Handled 60 Million 1 Dollars I I had charge of the spending of for highways and public buildings Truman said later Nobody ever found anything wrong with that and it wasn't because th they y didn't look either We built more miles of paved roads in Jackson Jackson Jackson Jack Jack- son county than in any other county in the country with only two ex ex- Truman was repeatedly reelected to this office until 1934 He had sought the nomination for governor In 1930 and for county collector in j t j 1932 but party heads advised him to wait a little longer Then in 1934 I came the big chance put Truman on the ticket for the I U. U S. S senate This was not such a favor as it might seem for Pender Pender- gast did not expect victory in that year By a peculiar stroke of luck however the opposition was divided I between two strong candidates and Truman's own popularity sufficed to win him a seat in the august upper I house During his first term Truman Truman Truman Tru Tru- man remained somewhat obscure making few speeches and In general general general gen gen- eral following the lead of MIssouri's Missouri's Missouri's Mis MIs- souris senior senator Bennett Clark With few exceptions Senator Truman Truman Truman Tru Tru- man supported the party program He voted for the original agrIcultural agricultural agricultural tural adjustment act the Wagner labor act v social security the Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Ten Ten- valley uey authority and the joining of the World court In his second year he voted for the Florida Ship canal and dam project The only measure he opposed opposed opposed op op- op- op posed was the Presidents President's veto of the bonus payments In 1938 and 39 he supported preparedness appropriations and lend He Be was chairman of ofa ofa ofa a subcommittee that Investigated investigated gated railroad finance leading to the Transportation Act of 1940 19 His Bis work In drafting the Civil Aeronautics authority was outstanding for tor thoroughness and practicality In 1940 after squeaking through the Democratic nomination battle F 0 lq ri j r r v I 3 b NYC y Mrs lUrs Bess Truman and her daughter Mary Margaret relax In their Washington apartment C with only votes to spare he hewon won the election by n wide margin Soon after resuming his seat he became became became be be- came Interested In reports of extravagance extravagance extravagance ex ex- ex- ex in construction of army camps Truman requested funds to set up an investigating committee with himself as chairman Within a few months the committee uncovered uncovered uncovered un un- covered widespread waste excessive excessive excessive sive purchasing profiteering and In Inefficiency inefficiency in- in efficiency in military contracts Inthe In Inthe Inthe the first report the committee attacked attacked at attacked at- at tacked needless waste amounting to in hi the army's cantonment cantonment cantonment can can- construction program Plenty to Investigate Complaints poured into the committees committee's committees committee's committees committee's com com- headquarters One concerned concerned concerned con con- Inferior steel plate in naval construction construction-an an Investigation disclosed disclosed disclosed dis dis- dis- dis closed a serious situation which wasI was I corrected The committee brought I about a reversal of ot policy when housewives complained about a shortage of sugar for canning Thirty one reports were issued issued all all unanimous on the part of the six Democratic and four Republican members The committee was instrumental in instrumental instrumental in- in i A M consolidating the various various various vari vari- ous and conflicting war agencies Into the War Production board It helped to end bottlenecks in hi synthetic synthetic synthetic syn syn- rubber and aluminum tion It advocated subcontracting to small war plants The thing to do Is dig this stuff up now and correct It Truman declared If II we run this war program efficiently there wont won't be any opportunity for Cor some one to undertake a lot lotof lotof of or Investigations after the war and cause a wave of oC revulsion that will start this country on the downhill road to unprepared- unprepared ness and put us In another war warIn warIn warIn In 20 years These famous investigations put the Truman committee in the headlines time and again Senator Truman grew into a national figure President Roosevelt took r A S ir r. r tik y The Presidents President's mother Mrs Martha E. E Truman now 92 still lives in Independence Mo 1 Ing lag interest in him So did Robert Hannegan national Democratic chairman who knew Truman in Kansas City When the dust settled at the convention in Chicago last summer Harry S. S Truman found himself nominated as vice president Victory at the polls in November thrust him Into the second highest office in the land As vice president Truman had less opportunity to act independently than while in the senate since as presiding officer of the upper house he could not take sides as often he wished to do Unlike his predecessor predecessor predecessor cessor Wallace he did not travel abroad on any special missions forthe forthe for forthe the President but remained in Washington close to affairs of state Shrewd Practical Man The new Pr President Is considered a shrewd and practical man a mid mid- the road liberal with an ability ability ability abili abili- ty to get along with conflicting factions factions factions fac fac- and to compromise when necessary Capital observers think he will rise to the demands of ot the enormous task ahead as have other vice presidents suddenly called to vast responsibilities Personally the new President is a modest-appearing modest man of almost almost almost al al- al- al most 61 61 He stands 5 feet 10 inches tall weighs about pounds and is trim and well proportioned Until they entered the White House he and Mrs Truman lived in a five- five room apartment They had no house servants as Mrs Truman who has been her husbands husband's secretary secretary secretary secre secre- tary for years also preferred to take care of the apartment herself The Truman's only child Mary Margaret Is studying at George Washington university She is 21 and a junior Her hopes are for a career in music All his life lile President Truman has been a joiner Even as a child he often attended the Presbyterian Sunday school although he is a Baptist In youth he enlisted in hi the National Guard and stayed in service service service ice for a dozen years until 1917 His fraternal connections include the Elks Eks the Masons he was state state- Grand Master for Missouri in 1940 19 41 41 and the Anah |
