The Public Papers of Harry S. Truman contain most of President Truman's public messages, statements, speeches, and
news conference remarks. Documents such as Proclamations, Executive Orders, and similar documents that are published in the Federal Register
and the Code of Federal Regulations, as required by law, are usually not included. The documents within the Public Papers
are arranged in chronological order. President Truman delivered the remarks or addresses from Washington, D. C., unless
otherwise indicated. The White House in Washington issued statements, messages, and letters unless noted otherwise.
(Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, Harry S. Truman, 1945-1953. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1966)
The Public Papers contain items such as the Statement by the President Announcing the Use of the A-Bomb at Hiroshima
(August 6, 1945), the Special Message to the Congress on Greece and Turkey: The Truman Doctrine (March 12, 1947),
the White House Statement Announcing Recognition of the Government of Israel (January 31, 1949), the Statement and
Order by the President on Relieving General MacArthur of His Commands (April 11, 1951), and The President's Farewell
Address to the American People (January 15, 1953).
September 29, 1952
[1.] BRECKENRIDGE, MINNESOTA (Rear platform, 7:30 a.m.)
I suppose that you good people, this early in the morning, understand that there isn't any secret about the purpose of my trip out here. I am out campaigning for…
October 22, 1951
ON September 13, 1951, I nominated 10 persons to represent this Nation in the sixth General Assembly of the United Nations which will convene in Paris on November 6 of this year.
A subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Foreign…
October 11, 1950
Worthy Grand Matron, Worthy Grand Patron, distinguished guests and visitors, brothers and sisters:
It is a pleasure, of course, for me to be here tonight to see my sister installed as Worthy Grand Matron of the great State of Missouri…
October 22, 1951
IT IS a pleasure to welcome you here this morning. I hope you have had and will have a successful visit here, and get all the information you are anxious to have.
We are more than happy over the relationship between your great…
December 15, 1949
[The Official Reporter states that the President attempted a surprise visit to the press room but that everyone seemed to know he would come.]
Q. My God!--this is on the record!
THE PRESIDENT. What's that, Joe?
Joseph A…
October 13, 1950
Governor Stainback, Admiral Radford, gentlemen of this great Territory of Hawaii:
It is certainly a pleasure to have this short visit in Honolulu. I sincerely wish I could stay longer. In fact, I made a suggestion to my advisers this…
October 30, 1948
[1.] BELLEFONTAINE, OHIO (12:15 p.m.)
Thank you very much. I appreciate very much and very highly this wonderful turnout here this morning. I have had quite a trip around over the country visiting the various sections of…
December 19, 1946
DURING the Christmas season a year ago, on December 22, 1945, I issued a directive to a number of Executive agencies designed to facilitate the immigration of refugees and displaced persons up to the full limit provided by the…
September 29, 1952
[ Broadcast from Grand Forks, North Dakota, at 9:15 p.m. ]
INTERVIEWER. Mr. President, in an election year, there are always many questions that the American people would like to ask in order to clarify their thinking about basic…
October 23, 1951
IT GIVES ME a great deal of pleasure to make this presentation this morning to Colonel Schilling.
I have the honor to hand you the certificate and the medal. The trophy is a little too big to carry, but we will go around and uncover…
October 15, 1950
I HAVE met with General of the Army Douglas MacArthur for the purpose of getting firsthand information and ideas from him. I did not wish to take him away from the scene of action in Korea any longer than necessary and, therefore, I…
December 20, 1946
I AM VERY MUCH interested in this Commission, because I am very much interested in the coming generation. We found, through the records of the draft boards, that almost 30 percent of our young people who were called up for military…
September 30, 1952
[1.] WOLF POINT, MONTANA (Rear platform, 7 a.m.)
I am more than happy to see that so many people in Montana get up before breakfast. Now back East we have an awful time getting people up in time to eat breakfast, let…
October 30, 1948
THANK YOU my friends. I appreciate most highly this reception in St. Louis, but bear in mind that I have got to talk to the whole United States tonight, and you can cheer in between times, too.
I can't tell you how very much I…
December 21, 1949
HERE in Arlington National Cemetery, in the presence of our war dead, we have come to consecrate a carillon.
In their nightly hymn, the bells of the carillon will sing of our faith in the kinship of man and God. Each time they sing…
October 17, 1950
Mayor Robinson, fellow citizens:
I have just returned from Wake Island, where I had a very satisfactory conference with Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
I understand that there has been speculation about why I made this trip.…
October 24, 1951
I HAVE today signed H.J. Res. 341, the Flood Rehabilitation Act, 1952. This act provides $113 million for the purpose of providing further Federal assistance in rehabilitating disaster and flood-stricken areas--particularly the flood-…
December 22, 1949
THE PRESIDENT. First, I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous and Happy New Year.
And I want to say to you that I think the vast majority of you have been as kind to me as I deserve--[laughter]--and I…
November 1, 1948
My fellow citizens:
I want to thank Senator Barkley for his generous introduction, and to say what I have said before--that no candidate for President ever had a finer running mate. The people of this country are…
December 23, 1946
Dear Eddie:
It is inevitable in government service that there must be withdrawals and separations and the breaking of official ties which also, in many instances, involve friendships and delightful personal associations.…
September 30, 1952
THANK YOU, Governor. I appreciate that introduction. I appreciate very much the privilege of being here and taking part in these ceremonies. I am glad to see work start on Tiber Dam. I have high hopes for the good that it will do in…
February 8, 1947
AT THE President's Highway Safety Conference in Washington last May, an "Action Program" was formulated to unite all States and communities in a campaign for safe and efficient highway transportation. Three national committees were…
February 3, 1949
YOU ARE a fine-looking group, and we are glad to have you in this country--glad to have you take a look at it. I think you have been spending too much time in New York. New York is just the door of the United States. It is both the…
January 31, 1950
SINCE June of 1949 work has been performed by the members of the United Mine Workers of America, and bituminous coal mines have been operated by their owners and operators, only intermittently and without the stabilizing advantages of…
January 31, 1951
IT IS a very great privilege for me to be invited here tonight. I appreciate it most highly. I want to say that your chairman of the committee, who carried on the campaign for the organization, did a remarkable job, and I will say also…