January 12, 1950
THE PRESIDENT. I have no announcements today. I will try to answer questions, if anybody has any on his mind.
[1.] Q. Mr. President, have you reached any new decision on whether there is an emergency in coal that would warrant use of the Taft-Hartley Act?
THE PRESIDENT. There is no national emergency in coal at the present minute.
[2.] Q. When is your tax program going up?
THE PRESIDENT. Just as soon as we can get it ready.
Q. Have you got anything you can tell us about now?
THE PRESIDENT. No. It will all be contained in the message, and it will be very fairly stated.
Q. Will it go up next week, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT, I hope so.1
1See Item 18.
[3.] Q. Mr. President, the Attorney General is calling a conference on law enforcement, and there has been some talk about getting an antiracketeering law against these "tygoons." Do you have any comment to make on that, sir?
THE PRESIDENT, No comment. I imagine that is what he has called the conference for, to come to a conclusion on it.
[4.] Q. Mr. President, Senator Taft said in the Senate yesterday that Formosa is one place where, quote: "With a small amount of aid and at very small cost, we could prevent the spread of communism."2 Do you agree with that?
THE PRESIDENT. Senator Taft is entitled to his own opinion. I didn't know he was a military expert, though. [Laughter]
2 The remarks of Senator Robert A. Taft are published in the Congressional Record (vol. 96, p 298).
[5.] Q. Mr. President, do you plan to see the Governor of Puerto Rico when he comes here in the near future?
THE PRESIDENT. Whenever the Governor of Puerto Rico is here and wants to see me, the door is always open to him, or the Governor of any other one of the Territories. I saw one this morning.
[6.] Q. Mr. President, do you plan to change the Minister to Ireland?
THE PRESIDENT. Hadn't heard anything about it. I will certainly have to make the appointment if there is a change.
[7.] Q. Mr. President, was that the Governor of Alaska that was here?
THE PRESIDENT. The Governor of Hawaii. The Alaskan Governor was here last week, I think.
[8.] Q. Mr. President, did Mr. Aldrich make any suggestions for implementing point 4?
THE PRESIDENT. We had a discussion on the subject, and there will be an announcement on it some time in the near future. 3
3 Winthrop Aldrich, chairman of the board of the Chase National Bank of New York. In the spring of 1950 Mr. Aldrich, during a trip abroad, made a survey of economic conditions in a number of European countries. On July 6, 1950, he reported his findings in a meeting with President Truman.
[9.] Q. Mr. President, do you expect to have an announcement soon on the new member of the National Labor Relations Board.
THE PRESIDENT. Yes, I hope to.
Q. This week?
THE PRESIDENT. I can't answer it definitely.
[10.] Q. Mr. President, have you noticed the close parallel between your budget and the CED budget--
Q. I didn't get that, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT. Say that again. I didn't hear it, either.
Q. Have you noticed the close parallel between your budget and the CED budget, which on the surface looks like it's a big one but actually figures out very close to your budget?
THE PRESIDENT. I haven't given any study to any budget but my own, and it's all I can do to take care of that. I haven't seen the CED budget.4
4The Committee for Economic Development, a private nonprofit organization, released a report on January 7, entitled "Tax Expenditure Policy for 1950," which called for a reduction in taxes and Federal spending in fiscal year 1951 (Committee for Economic Development, 1950, 54 pp.).
[11.] Q. Mr. President, is there any new policy in the making on Spain? I notice Chairman Kee5 made a speech--
THE PRESIDENT. I have no comment on that.
5 Representative John Kee of West Virginia. His remarks on Spain are published in the Congressional Record (vol. 96, p. 240).
[12.] Q. Mr. President, would you give us your reaction to Mr. Boyle's6 report on Ohio?
THE PRESIDENT. Very satisfactory report from the Democratic standpoint.
6 William M. Boyle, Jr., Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Q. Did he report, Mr. President, that he thinks the Democrats can beat Taft?
THE PRESIDENT. He reported to me he thought the Democrats could win in Ohio. No personalities were gone into. [Laughter]
Q. Do you think he might have meant Senator Taft? [More laughter]
[13.] Q. Mr. President, the House Rules Committee is taking up FEPC tomorrow. Is that being done at your request?
THE PRESIDENT. The House Rules Committee, of course, is running its own business. The chairman of the Rules Committee was in to see me this morning, and told me that they were going to take it up, and I was very highly appreciative that they are.
Q. Thank you.
Q. Do you think you can pass it this session, sir?
THE PRESIDENT. Well, you will have to ask the leaders in the House. I can't answer that question.
Q. Not the House; it's the Senate.
THE PRESIDENT. Well, the Senate, then.
[14.] Q. Mr. President, going back to Mr. Brandt's7 question on Kee's speech, do you know whether that had the approval of the State Department, sir?
THE PRESIDENT. I think the best way to find out is to ask the Secretary of State. I think he has a press conference each week, just like I do.
7 Raymond P. Brandt of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Q. Not this week, he says.
THE PRESIDENT. I think he had his press conference down at the Press Club today.8
8 Secretary Acheson's remarks at the Press Club on January 12 were directed to an examination of U.S. policy in Asia. He did not discuss Spain (see Department of State Bulletin, vol. 22, pp. 111-118). However, on January 18 Secretary Acheson reviewed U.S. policy toward Spain in a letter to Senator Tom Connally, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (ibid., p. 156).
[15.] Q. Mr. President, after Senator Ferguson saw you the other day, he said he had a feeling that the Formosa subject was not closed, that there is a possibility perhaps of allowing them to hire military experts?
THE PRESIDENT. I think that if you will read my statement on Formosa, it is thoroughly and completely covered.9
9 See Item 3 [1].
Q. I did. Does that settle--
THE PRESIDENT. That settles the question, so far as I am concerned.
[16.] Q. Mr. President, is there any new plan of economic aid for southeast Asia in the works--in the making?
THE PRESIDENT. NO new plans, no.
Q. Is there anything you could tell us about economic aid to southeast Asia?
THE PRESIDENT. No, I have no statement to make on it.
Reporter: Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT. You're welcome.
NOTE: President Truman's two hundred and twelfth news conference was held in his office at the White House at 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 12, 1950.
THE PRESIDENT. I have no announcements today. I will try to answer questions, if anybody has any on his mind.
[1.] Q. Mr. President, have you reached any new decision on whether there is an emergency in coal that would warrant use of the Taft-Hartley Act?
THE PRESIDENT. There is no national emergency in coal at the present minute.
[2.] Q. When is your tax program going up?
THE PRESIDENT. Just as soon as we can get it ready.
Q. Have you got anything you can tell us about now?
THE PRESIDENT. No. It will all be contained in the message, and it will be very fairly stated.
Q. Will it go up next week, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT, I hope so.1
1See Item 18.
[3.] Q. Mr. President, the Attorney General is calling a conference on law enforcement, and there has been some talk about getting an antiracketeering law against these "tygoons." Do you have any comment to make on that, sir?
THE PRESIDENT, No comment. I imagine that is what he has called the conference for, to come to a conclusion on it.
[4.] Q. Mr. President, Senator Taft said in the Senate yesterday that Formosa is one place where, quote: "With a small amount of aid and at very small cost, we could prevent the spread of communism."2 Do you agree with that?
THE PRESIDENT. Senator Taft is entitled to his own opinion. I didn't know he was a military expert, though. [Laughter]
2 The remarks of Senator Robert A. Taft are published in the Congressional Record (vol. 96, p 298).
[5.] Q. Mr. President, do you plan to see the Governor of Puerto Rico when he comes here in the near future?
THE PRESIDENT. Whenever the Governor of Puerto Rico is here and wants to see me, the door is always open to him, or the Governor of any other one of the Territories. I saw one this morning.
[6.] Q. Mr. President, do you plan to change the Minister to Ireland?
THE PRESIDENT. Hadn't heard anything about it. I will certainly have to make the appointment if there is a change.
[7.] Q. Mr. President, was that the Governor of Alaska that was here?
THE PRESIDENT. The Governor of Hawaii. The Alaskan Governor was here last week, I think.
[8.] Q. Mr. President, did Mr. Aldrich make any suggestions for implementing point 4?
THE PRESIDENT. We had a discussion on the subject, and there will be an announcement on it some time in the near future. 3
3 Winthrop Aldrich, chairman of the board of the Chase National Bank of New York. In the spring of 1950 Mr. Aldrich, during a trip abroad, made a survey of economic conditions in a number of European countries. On July 6, 1950, he reported his findings in a meeting with President Truman.
[9.] Q. Mr. President, do you expect to have an announcement soon on the new member of the National Labor Relations Board.
THE PRESIDENT. Yes, I hope to.
Q. This week?
THE PRESIDENT. I can't answer it definitely.
[10.] Q. Mr. President, have you noticed the close parallel between your budget and the CED budget--
Q. I didn't get that, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT. Say that again. I didn't hear it, either.
Q. Have you noticed the close parallel between your budget and the CED budget, which on the surface looks like it's a big one but actually figures out very close to your budget?
THE PRESIDENT. I haven't given any study to any budget but my own, and it's all I can do to take care of that. I haven't seen the CED budget.4
4The Committee for Economic Development, a private nonprofit organization, released a report on January 7, entitled "Tax Expenditure Policy for 1950," which called for a reduction in taxes and Federal spending in fiscal year 1951 (Committee for Economic Development, 1950, 54 pp.).
[11.] Q. Mr. President, is there any new policy in the making on Spain? I notice Chairman Kee5 made a speech--
THE PRESIDENT. I have no comment on that.
5 Representative John Kee of West Virginia. His remarks on Spain are published in the Congressional Record (vol. 96, p. 240).
[12.] Q. Mr. President, would you give us your reaction to Mr. Boyle's6 report on Ohio?
THE PRESIDENT. Very satisfactory report from the Democratic standpoint.
6 William M. Boyle, Jr., Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Q. Did he report, Mr. President, that he thinks the Democrats can beat Taft?
THE PRESIDENT. He reported to me he thought the Democrats could win in Ohio. No personalities were gone into. [Laughter]
Q. Do you think he might have meant Senator Taft? [More laughter]
[13.] Q. Mr. President, the House Rules Committee is taking up FEPC tomorrow. Is that being done at your request?
THE PRESIDENT. The House Rules Committee, of course, is running its own business. The chairman of the Rules Committee was in to see me this morning, and told me that they were going to take it up, and I was very highly appreciative that they are.
Q. Thank you.
Q. Do you think you can pass it this session, sir?
THE PRESIDENT. Well, you will have to ask the leaders in the House. I can't answer that question.
Q. Not the House; it's the Senate.
THE PRESIDENT. Well, the Senate, then.
[14.] Q. Mr. President, going back to Mr. Brandt's7 question on Kee's speech, do you know whether that had the approval of the State Department, sir?
THE PRESIDENT. I think the best way to find out is to ask the Secretary of State. I think he has a press conference each week, just like I do.
7 Raymond P. Brandt of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Q. Not this week, he says.
THE PRESIDENT. I think he had his press conference down at the Press Club today.8
8 Secretary Acheson's remarks at the Press Club on January 12 were directed to an examination of U.S. policy in Asia. He did not discuss Spain (see Department of State Bulletin, vol. 22, pp. 111-118). However, on January 18 Secretary Acheson reviewed U.S. policy toward Spain in a letter to Senator Tom Connally, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (ibid., p. 156).
[15.] Q. Mr. President, after Senator Ferguson saw you the other day, he said he had a feeling that the Formosa subject was not closed, that there is a possibility perhaps of allowing them to hire military experts?
THE PRESIDENT. I think that if you will read my statement on Formosa, it is thoroughly and completely covered.9
9 See Item 3 [1].
Q. I did. Does that settle--
THE PRESIDENT. That settles the question, so far as I am concerned.
[16.] Q. Mr. President, is there any new plan of economic aid for southeast Asia in the works--in the making?
THE PRESIDENT. NO new plans, no.
Q. Is there anything you could tell us about economic aid to southeast Asia?
THE PRESIDENT. No, I have no statement to make on it.
Reporter: Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT. You're welcome.
NOTE: President Truman's two hundred and twelfth news conference was held in his office at the White House at 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 12, 1950.