The President's News Conference

THE President. [1.] I have no particular announcements to make today, except that we found some interesting receipts and documents signed by President Lincoln and Mrs. Lincoln in reference to some of the White House furniture about which there had been controversy. So anybody who is interested in those controversies will be welcome to take a look at these papers.

All I am open to now is questions.

[2.] Q. Mr. President, this statement was made today--and we would like your comment-it was made by Secretary of Agriculture Anderson in a press conference

THE PRESIDENT. I have no comment.

Q. You know what the statement was ?

THE PRESIDENT. No, I do not. I have heard about it, but I have no comment on it because I haven't read the statement, so I can't possibly make a comment on it. If you want to ask me any specific questions on it, I might answer from my own viewpoint, but I can't • comment on Anderson.

[3.] Q. Mr. President, do you consider meatless days of no importance in themselves but merely reminders?

THE PRESIDENT. The meatless days and the eggless days are for the purpose of saving grain, which is of vital importance, because it is expensive to feed grain to poultry and livestock; and when you save meat and save poultry products you save grain, and grain is what is necessary to meet the hunger situation in Europe. It is the most economical way to meet it.

[4.] Q. Mr. President, did you and Mr. Blythe1 discuss the next year's election today ?

THE PRESIDENT. We did not. He just paid me a courtesy call.

1 Joe Blythe, National Democratic Committeeman from North Carolina.

[5.] Q. Is it correct, sir, that General Spaatz is being considered for Chief of Staff to succeed General Eisenhower?

THE PRESIDENT. I have no comment to make on that. I never comment on people I am considering for a job. I will let you know when I make the appointment.

Q. Does that mean you are considering it?

THE PRESIDENT. I have no comment. I don't like questions like that, either.

Q. I'm sorry.

[6.] Q. Mr. President, since your return from South America, have you had a chance to do anything about the fight among the California Democrats?

THE PRESIDENT. No, I have not. That fight was going on before I left, and I have never taken any part in it. I am not interested in Democrats fighting. I want harmony in the Democratic Party.

[7.] Q. Mr. President, would you say what importance you attach to the rebirth of the Comintern?

THE PRESIDENT. I think that was amply commented on yesterday by Secretary Lovett. And I want to reiterate again my viewpoint, that all this country has ever wanted is a lasting peace in the world, and prosperity in the world for the benefit of all the countries in the world. We have no--we have never asked for territory. We are not interested in the economic control of any country or any continent.

Q. Mr. President, how do you feel about the recent Russian propaganda, like in the newspapers.--

THE PRESIDENT. That is just like the propaganda here at home. I am used to it. [Laughter] They got most of their information out of the papers here at home that have been in the political campaigns.

[8.] Q. Mr. President, the Housing Administrator today approved a 5-percent rent increase in Louisville, the first in the country. Have you any comment on that?

THE PRESIDENT. The only information I have on that is that the law provides--and I think I sent out a statement when it was signed--that these rent committees are locally appointed by the Governor of the State in which they operate, and that the Housing Expediter has no discretion except to accept their recommendations.

[9.] Q. Mr. President, it has been reported that the White House has issued orders for a resurvey of possible stopgap aid--sources of money--

THE PRESIDENT. Well, that--it's a resurvey that has been going on ever since this proposition came up. We are still making an effort to find every dollar we can to meet the situation. My viewpoint on the subject hasn't changed a bit from that last answer I gave you on the subject, that I didn't think it would last beyond December 1st.

Q. Has that search met with any great success so far?

THE PRESIDENT. I can't answer the question. I am in the same frame of mind when I talked to you before.

[10.] Q. Mr. President, some fear has been expressed by labor unions that this action of the Louisville rent advisory board is going to set a pattern for rent increases all over the country.

THE PRESIDENT. I can't comment. I can't comment on that. I am telling you what the law provides. If you get out the law and read it, you will see exactly where the Expediter stands and where the administration stands. I would advise you to read my comment on the law when it was signed.¹

¹ See Item 131.

[11. ] Q. Mr. President, do you approve the wearing of these new Truman buttons we see around?

THE PRESIDENT. I haven't seen any of them.

Q. We understood that some of the guests at the broadcast yesterday were wearing them ?

THE PRESIDENT. I don't remember whether they were or not.

Q. We can't hear you.

THE PRESIDENT. I don't remember whether there were or not. There may have been. I saw the picture in the News this afternoon.

Q. What about the Truman earrings?

THE PRESIDENT. I saw that picture in the paper this afternoon. I have no comment to make on it.

Q. You don't disapprove of those earrings, do you?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, I don't think it's my province to disapprove of any sort of wearing apparel that anybody chooses to wear, as long as they want to. [Laughter]

Q. You mean you don't take a position on long skirts?

THE PRESIDENT. I don't think it's necessary for me to take that position.

[12.] Q. Mr. President, on that stuff you referred to there, about the Lincoln furniture, what is there to that? Are there now any historic pieces or any authentic pieces?

THE PRESIDENT. Oh yes. There is a rosewood bed over there, known as the Lincoln bed, and two dressers and a desk, and four Cabinet chairs, which are authentic, and are proven to be authentic by these bills which I have just run across in the file of the General Accounting Office. They are right interesting to anyone who is interested in that.

Q. Is there anything else you can tell us about them of an interesting nature?

THE PRESIDENT. There are a lot of dishes over in the showroom over there that are marked as Lincoln pieces, and they are all specifically described in here, and it makes them all authentic.

Q. What are those bills ?

THE PRESIDENT. Bills approved by President Lincoln and Mrs. Lincoln for those purchases.

Q. What did the Lincoln bed cost, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. Three hundred and seventy-five dollars. About the fourth item from the top.

Q. Had you been searching for these documents, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT, NO, no. I am interested in everything of that sort, if it has anything to do with the White House, of course; and we accidentally ran across these Cabinet chairs which we had reupholstered and brought over to the House. And they are just exactly like the ones in the Brady picture of the Lincoln Cabinet, so I am sure that they are authentic.

Q. Mr. President, was there any indication that Mr. Lincoln said that $375 was too much for a bed ?

THE PRESIDENT. No. He OK'd a bill for some $2600 there. Paid for a lot of other things, including draperies and things of that sort--curtains for the bed, and one thing and another.

[13.] Q. Mr. President, have you taken any steps to aid France in this present situation, in which they are asking for help between now and the stopgap aid ?

THE PRESIDENT. We have been taking steps on that ever since the matter came up, of course. Done everything we possibly can.

Q. Is there any way in which you can get money now?

THE PRESIDENT. I can't answer the question. We haven't found any way as yet.

[14.] Q. Mr. President, someone has claimed that about 100,000 people would be put out of jobs by a shutdown of the distilling industry for 60 days, claiming another 30,000 would be out of work-

THE PRESIDENT. I can't answer the question. I don't know. What I am after is 10 million bushels of grain, to feed hungry people, from the distilleries.

[15.] Q. Mr. President, do you feel, on the basis of the recent Russian revival of the Comintern, that American aid to Western Europe assumes that much more of the character of urgency?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, it has always been urgent. I don't think it's any more urgent, no matter what anybody did. It's just as urgent now as it was in the beginning.

[16.] Q. Mr. President, do you have any comment on Representative Thomas'¹ idea of a federation of Western nations to oppose the new Comintern?

THE PRESIDENT. No, I haven't any comment on it.

¹ Representative J. Parnell Thomas of New Jersey.

[17.] Q. Mr. President, if we might get back on this rent control subject just a moment, your statement at the time pointed out the shortcomings of that rent bill.

THE PRESIDENT. That's right.

Q. And it seems to me you said that there should be public hearings before these local boards recommending rent increases.

THE PRESIDENT. I think that is correct. I can't quote that statement exactly, but I am sure that was in it, and that the local people themselves would have to be careful to look after their recommendations and see that people went on that board that were not prejudiced one way or the other.

Q. Yes sir. Well, in the Louisville case there was no public gathering, and Mr. Creedon OK'd that rent increase.

THE PRESIDENT. I don't think Mr. Creedon had any discretion in the matter, if you read the law.

Q. Well, one of the reports said Mr. Creedon has decided to not permit any publicity on the recommendations--for the recommendations from the rent control board, which seems to me would interfere with the people making their

THE PRESIDENT. You will have to question Mr. Creedon on that. I am not making recommendations for him.

[18.] Q. Mr. President, should the distillers as a whole refuse to cut down, is there any means that the Government might use

THE PRESIDENT. I don't think they will refuse.

[19.] Q. Mr. President, back to the importance of meatless and poultry less days, do you mind if we quote two words "vital importance" ?

`THE PRESIDENT. NO. Vital importance.

Q. May we quote them, sir?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes, you can quote that.

Q. Just those two words, sir, is that correct? Vitally important.

THE PRESIDENT. The answer to the question I think you can quote, if you feel like it. It's a statement of the facts.

Reporter: Thank you, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT. You're welcome.