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Show kQ drew Pearson " " ' ""ii l i i nT FINDING MEN FOB FEDERAL JOBS WASHINGTON. Few people realize real-ize it but President Truman spends a lot of time these days trying to persuade people to take important federal appointments. An illustration was the tussle he had with astute 40-year-old Wilson Wyatt, mayor of Louisville, Ky., just appointed federal housing czar. Wyatt was first offered just about every job in the book. Postmaster General Hannegan tried to get him to serve on the important civil aeronautics aero-nautics board, also to accept the job Jim McGranery wants to resign as issistant to the attorney general, )ne of the key spots in the justice lepartment. The civil aeronautics board job eally tempted Wyatt, and he asked 'or a few days to think it over. Next iay he got a phone call. TRUMAN PLEADS. "This is the President calling," said a voice at the other end of the shone. "Mr. President, I've been thinking," think-ing," Wyatt said, "and I'm afraid j t'm going to have to turn down that civil aeronautics job." "That's swell," replied the President. Presi-dent. "I have a more important job tor you. Please come back here right away." Next day, Wyatt appeared at the White House, where Truman told him about the tough job of coordinating co-ordinating housing. "I consider this housing situation the most important problem confronting con-fronting the country today," explained ex-plained the President. "If we don't solve this one, we'll really be in trouble in a year and a half." "But, Mr. President," said Wyatt. "I'm afraid I can't afford a federal job. I want to go back home and practice law. I need the money." "I know you want to go back to your law practice," Truman said. "I know you want to make some money. But I don't like being President Presi-dent either. However, I feel I have to do it, so I'm doing lt." Then, staring at Wyatt sharply, sharp-ly, he said, "How can I do a good job if fellows like you aren't willing to come up here and help me?" This made a deep impression on Wyatt. Next day he called at the White House for five minutes.. Walking Walk-ing into the exe&Live office, he said, "Mr. President, I've come in to surrender." sur-render." Ordinarily it is the work of a cabinet cabi-net officer to tender a man a job. But now Truman finds he has to phone men personally and beg them to work for the government. The other day, Truman who resents criticism of his numerous Missouri appointments, told one visitor: "People complain about all these Jackson county (Kansas City) appointments. But whenever I try to appoint someone else, they are too busy making money. At least the Jackson county boys are willing to take the jobs." NOTE Actually most top federal fed-eral appointees can get jobs paying twice as much outside the government. Wyatt received only $5,000 a year as mayor of Louisville, could be making $50,- 000 a year practicing law. IKE'S FIRST SENATE SESSION. Gen. Dwight Eisenhower went over big at his first meeting as chief of staff with members of the senate military affairs committee. It was an off-the-record affair, for whicn the senators went across the Potomac Poto-mac to Eisenhower's office in the Pentagon building for luncheon. Sitting over coffee and French brandy which he had just brought back, Eisenhower spoke frankly about Soviet Russia and other matters, mat-ters, including co-operation with congress in running the army. Discussing Dis-cussing his experiences as the chief U. S. representative on the Allied control commission in Germany he declared: "If the American people had a chance to study the Russians at close range, and vice versa, 1 am certain there would be a fine mutual understanding and respect between the two peoples. peo-ples. I rubbed elbows with Marshal Mar-shal Zhukov and others and have a high regard for them. We enjoyed splendid co-operation. I was always able to get along with them. "What most people don't realize real-ize is that the Russians are a good deal like ns. They enjoy life like we Americans, are full of fun and have a fine sense of humor." The general said he held no fears about future amicable relations between be-tween our own country and Soviet Russia. There will have to be some give-and-take In our relations, he said, but eventually things will work out well. Regarding his own relations with :ongress, Eisenhower declared: "This is a people's army and I Intend to run it like one, along dem-Dcratic dem-Dcratic lines and in close accord with congress. I am especially anxious anx-ious to get along with the military affairs committees of both houses." I |
