National Affairs: Party Line

Once, in the midst of his crowded week, the President took time to fulfill a routine political obligation. He wrote to James M. Pendergast, of Kansas City: “Dear Jim, I am enclosing a check for $6 in payment of my Jackson Democratic Club dues. I hope the outfit is still going good. Sincerely yours—Harry.”*

Several times in the course of the week the President was the subject of political talk and speculation.

Michigan’s Political Action Committee, which helped elect Franklin Roosevelt in 1944, came close to an open break with the White House. Beefy R. J. Thomas, PACster and president of the C.I.O. Auto Workers, cried: “Truman is a weak and small-time politician. . . . We can’t say definitely that we will not support Truman. We certainly don’t want to if a better man appears.”

Chicago’s Democratic Boss Ed Kelly, discussing the controversy raised by the Pauley appointment, defended the President in oddly pragmatic terms: “These are minor things compared to the big things and if we have prosperity they’ll all be ironed out. These are chaotic times, and Mr. Truman is a good chaotic governor in that he’s matched to the times. He’s trying to let water find its level. When it does, everything will be fine.”

The Chicago Sun’s Tom Reynolds reported that Harry Truman had told Democratic leaders that he did not want to run in 1948. The President laughed off the story. Democratic National Chairman Robert E. Hannegan denied it categorically.

* The “outfit” to which the President paid his dues was once the notorious and corrupt machine of old Boss Tom Pendergast; James M. Pendergast is Tom’s nephew and political heir.