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Show iwnngjm NEW WHITE HOUSE TEMPO Harry Truman has now been President of the United States for a little over two months two of the most historic months In the nation's history. These two months are sufficient suf-ficient to get a fairly accurate gauge of how the new President will function func-tion for the rest of his term. On the surface there is a new atmosphere at-mosphere in the White House when you walk into it these days. If, for Instance, you drop in on White House Secretary Charlie Ross, he Is cordial, courteous, but brief. There is no Invitation or inclination to sit down and gossip. This business-like atmosphere prevails throughout the entire White House staff. If you go on in to see Ross's boss, you get in on time. There are few waits. And the little man on the other side of the big, broad, shiny desk listens Intently. He wants to hear what his visitors have to say. These are two definite innovations. Truman gives the impression of having a firm grasp on all domestic problems. He knows them thoroughlyundoubtedly thorough-lyundoubtedly better than Franklin Frank-lin Roosevelt during his latter years, when he was devoting all his time to the war. One of Truman's frequent replies to callers when they urge sanction on some special idea is: "I realize that. But it takes time to do all these things, and seldom have so many important things confronted us all at one time. I'll get around to that just as soon as I can." One thing that worries him most is our foreign affairs. The new President Pres-ident frankly realizes it is his main weakness. He does not have Roosevelt's Roose-velt's international background, therefore has to rely almost wholly on his diplomats. Truman's method of running the government is that of picking pick-ing good men and giving them free rein. This is a good system, sys-tem, and we could have had more of it in the past. Bnt it breaks down when the President a uu. - .j men picked to perform the most important job we now face building up the peace after the war. Truman told Stettinius, for instance, that he was to be his own boss at San Francisco. Bat he found that Stettinius called him on the phone once or twice a day to get his approval of almost al-most every decision. Unlike Roosevelt, Truman does not hesitate to fire a man who doesn't produce. He let Leonard Reinsch go back to his radio job in Atlanta the day after he handled himself badly In a press conference. He transferred Edward D. McKim, his administrative assistant, after it became known that the genial and likeable McKim seemed too engrossed en-grossed in Mrs. "Hope Diamond" McLean's dinner parties and the social so-cial whirl of Washington. MacARTHUR ONCE FIRED EISENHOWER Sometimes it is from quirks ol fate or personal jealousies that heroes are born. Old army friends of General Eisenhower couldn't help but remember re-member this as they gathered to pay him tribute. For, if it had not been for a personal per-sonal row with General MacArthur In the Philippines, Eisenhower probably prob-ably would be in a Jap prison camp today instead of receiving the plaudits plaud-its of millions. When MacArthur retired as chief of staff and began the reorganization reorganiza-tion of the new Philippine army, he took with him to Manila one of the bright, up-and-coming men of the army, Col. Dwight Eisenhower. But, after some time in the Philippines, things didn't go well, and Mac-Arthur Mac-Arthur fired him. Eisenhower went back to the U.S.A. to climb to fame and the top command of the American Ameri-can army. If he had remained with Mac Arthur, he probably would now be .with Gen. "Skinny" Wainwright and the 16 other American generals taken prisoner by the Japs. i BASEBALL AND UNITED NATIONS In San Francisco, a delegation ot Philadelphians called on Australia's External Affairs Minister Herbert Evatt to ask that the city of broth-ly broth-ly love founded by William Penn become the seat of the United Nations Na-tions in the future. Dr. Evatt listened carefully. Then he replied: "I can't vote for Philadelphia un- til the Phillies get out of the cellar. cel-lar. I'm afraid it would give the United Nations a defeatist attitude if both Philadelphia baseball teams were at the bottom of their leagues." . CAPITAL CHAFF ft New Hampshire's one-time isola-tionist isola-tionist Senator Tobey has got religion. reli-gion. He is so anxious to avoid another an-other war that he has become one ol the most ardent advocates of inter-j inter-j national co-operation. Tobcy even ! blasted (indirectly) his old friend and colleague, ex-Senator Danaher of Connecticut, who, while nn executive execu-tive of the Republican national com-mittee. com-mittee. used his position as ex-scna-tor to go on the senate floor and lobby against the reciprocal trade agreements act. |