Harry S. Truman photo

The President's News Conference

August 07, 1947

THE PRESIDENT. [1.] I have a few announcements to make. I appointed Roy W. Harper of Missouri to be United States District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri today, in the place of Caskie Collet.

I appointed as Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, Cyrus S. Ching of New York, who is widely recognized as an authority on labor relations.

The Housing Reorganization Plan No. 3 Administrator, Housing and Home Finance Agency: Raymond M. Foley of Michigan. Commissioner of Federal Housing Administration: Franklin D. Richards of Utah. Commissioner of Public Housing Administration: Dillon S. Myer of Ohio.

Chairman of the Home Loan Bank Board, term ending June 30, 1949: John H. Fahey of Massachusetts.

Member of the Home Loan Bank Board, term ending June 30, 1951: Nathaniel Dyke, Jr., of Arkansas, Democrat.

Member of the Home Loan Bank Board, term ending June 30, 1950: J. Alston Adams of New Jersey, Republican.

Q. I hope all those are mimeographed!

THE PRESIDENT. It's all mimeographed and tells the life history of each one of them, and a statement on the whole situation, which will be handed to you as you go out, and will answer all your questions in regard to the Home Loan Bank situation.

[2.] Q. Mr. President, what is your estimate of the savings effected by the last Congress ?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, I asked the Budget Director for--to prepare me an outline of the situation, and here is the situation as it is now. I will read you it, then you will get the mimeographed copies too:

"In fairness to all concerned, I do not intend to make any hasty predictions on the amount of so-called 'savings' effected by the Congress in the 1948 budget until all the facts are in.

"A great many complex factors have to be taken into consideration before a complete, accurate, and understandable report can be made. In some cases, Congress has substituted contract authority for direct appropriations; in others, appropriations originally requested for the fiscal year 1947 were not enacted until 1948 and so must be considered as part of this fiscal year.

"In addition, Congress has provided funds for certain agencies, such as the Post Office and the National Labor Relations Board, on a 'part year' basis and instructed agencies to request deficiencies, if necessary, to complete the fiscal year.

"Among the other facts to be determined is the actual effect of rescissions upon expenditures during this fiscal year, since a large part of the rescissions made by Congress were in funds which would not have been spent anyway.

"What is most important, however, is the fact that none of the predictions I have seen have properly related congressional changes in appropriations to estimated expenditures for 1948. In the last analysis, the American people are more interested in how much their Government will actually spend during this fiscal year than they are in shifts and changes in the appropriation structure.

"For these reasons, I have ordered a detailed and exhaustive study of all the facts. When this is completed, I shall issue a review and analysis, supported by detailed tables and summaries, which will bring up to date revised estimates of receipts and expenditures for this fiscal year."

And I will have no further comment to make on the budget until I have all the facts before me so I can understand them, and so you can understand them.

[3.] Q. Mr. President, what happens to Judge Collet?

THE PRESIDENT. Judge Collet is on the Court of Appeals.

Q. He is going to stay there then?

THE PRESIDENT. He was appointed. He was appointed to that job. That is the reason for the vacancy.

Q. He was confirmed, wasn't he?

THE PRESIDENT. He was confirmed.

Q. Eighth Circuit

Q. Mr. President, isn't Ching director of labor relations for U. S. Rubber?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes.

Q. Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT. You'll have all the facts on it when you get to your mimeographed copies.

[4.] Q. Mr. President, do you have any more details on the Rio trip?

THE PRESIDENT. NO. I have said all I had to say when that statement was given out. When further details are out, I will keep you informed.

[5.] Q. Mr. President, will the nomination of Harper be sent to the Senate again?

THE PRESIDENT. It will.

Q. That is an interim appointment, isn't it?

Q. Will he serve until--

THE PRESIDENT. Interim appointment. I beg your pardon?

Q. The Harper nomination again, will he serve until confirmed? Is it a recess appointment?

THE PRESIDENT. It is a recess appointment. He will serve until he is confirmed.

Q. That is a roving judgeship isn't it-commonly known--serve the big

THE PRESIDENT. He can serve in either end of the State, in either one of the Eastern or Western Districts of the State of Missouri.

[6.] Q. Mr. President, what comment do you have on the British financial and political crisis?

THE PRESIDENT. None whatever.

[7.] Q. Mr. President, in connection with this Rio trip, are you considering any trip here in the United States--by train-across the

THE PRESIDENT. NO, I am not. None has ever been under consideration.

Q. This year or next year?

THE PRESIDENT. This year. [Laughter]

Q. Do you have any weekend travel plans ?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, they will come up as is necessary. Whenever I feel like going anywhere over a weekend I shall go, and when I go I will let you know so some of you fellows can go along, if you want to. [Laughter]

Q. Mr. President, can you--can you say at this time whether or not the plan is for you to address the conference at Rio on your trip there?

THE PRESIDENT. No I can't. I am--just as soon as I know all the details I will inform you right away.

Q. Do you expect your family to go with you?

THE PRESIDENT. I hope they will go. They have been asked to go.

[8.] Q. Mr. President, do you have any comment on what your old committee is doing up on Capitol Hill ?

THE PRESIDENT. NO comment whatever.

Q. What was that question, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. He wanted to know if I have had any--heard anything from my old committee.

[9.] Q. What did Mayor O'Dwyer have on his mind this morning, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. He wanted to discuss with me that--the tunnel situation between the Battery and Brooklyn. There is some financial situation in which the Reconstruction Finance Corporation is interested, and he is talking to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation this afternoon.

[10.] Q. Mr. President, the British foreign minister--the Egyptian foreign minister said last week, after he spoke to you, that you had been rather sympathetic to his conference with you, concerning his plea before the United Nations to withdraw the British from Egypt.

THE PRESIDENT. I have no comment. No comment.

Reporter: Thank you, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT. You're welcome.

Note: President Truman's one hundred and fifteenth news conference was held in his office at the White House at 4:02 p.m. on Thursday, August 7, 1947.

Harry S Truman, The President's News Conference Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/232194

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