The President's News Conference

THE PRESIDENT. At the last press conference, in the grand rush, somebody lost his streetcar pass--[laughter]--and a transfer. I don't know if the transfer is any good now. [More laughter]

[1.] The following nominations are made of persons to be representatives of the United States of America to the second part of the first session of the General Assembly of the United Nations to be held in New York City, September 1946:

Warren R. Austin, United States Senator from the State of Vermont.

Tom Connally, United States Senator from the State of Texas.

Arthur H. Vandenberg, United States Senator from the State of Michigan.

Mrs. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, of New York.

Sol Bloom, a Member of the United States House of Representatives from the State of New York.

In the absence of the President or the Secretary of State, Mr. Austin will be the senior representative of the United States of America to the second part of the first session of the General Assembly.

And I will nominate the following persons to be alternate representatives of the United States of America to the second part of the first session of the General Assembly:

Charles A. Eaton, a Member of the United States House of Representatives from the State of New Jersey.

Helen Gahagen Douglas, a Member of the United States House of Representatives from the State of California.

John Foster Dulles, of New York.

Adlai E. Stevenson, of Illinois.

That's all the announcements I have. Any questions?

Q. Mr. President, which ones of those will receive salaries, do you know?

THE PRESIDENT. I don't know whether any of them will or not, except Austin-and he will not receive a salary until he resigns from the Senate.

Q. Mr. President, do the President and Secretary of State intend to be at the meeting for any period?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes, I think the Secretary of State will be there. The President will not.

[2.] Q. Mr. President, when do you expect to name the American delegates to the Paris peace conference?

THE PRESIDENT. I have not had a chance to consult with the Secretary of State yet to see. As soon as I have had the opportunity, they will be named.

[3.] Q. Mr. President, have you selected the members of the economic council yet, sir?

THE PRESIDENT. No. I thought I was going to be able to announce them this morning, but didn't quite get ready. As quickly as I can, I will announce them.

[4.] Q. Mr. President, have you made your choice of the Puerto Rico governorship?

THE PRESIDENT. No, I haven't. I hoped to be able to announce that this morning, but didn't quite get it. As soon as I can, I will make that announcement.

[5.] Q. Any comment on the Montana elections, sir?

THE PRESIDENT. No comment. [Laughter]

[6.] Q. Mr. President, you said several times that you will take part in the Missouri primary. Just what will you do in the Missouri primary?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, I am going to be home to vote in the primary. That is about as much a part as I can possibly take.

Q. Will you take any part in the Slaughter primary?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes, I am interested in that.

Q. For or against Mr. Slaughter, Mr. President ?

THE PRESIDENT. I am against Mr. Slaughter. If Mr. Slaughter is right, I am wrong.

[7.] Q. Mr. President, would you care to comment, sir, on the results of the foreign ministers conference? Have you considered--

THE PRESIDENT. I think that the best comment would be to read Mr. Byrnes' speech the other night. He commented very fully. And Senator Vandenberg also commented very fully in the Senate on the subject. I think that covers it thoroughly.

[8.] Q. Mr. President, have you conferred with Mr. Pendergast on Slaughter?

THE PRESIDENT. I have.

Q. What was the conclusion? Is Mr. Pendergast going to break on the 50-50 agreement--

THE PRESIDENT. I don't know. I don't think Mr. Pendergast is going to be for Mr. Slaughter.

Q. That adds up to something in that direction, doesn't it?

THE PRESIDENT. That is for you to answer.

Q. He has already endorsed the other man?

THE PRESIDENT. I think he has endorsed Axtell.

Q. Axtell, yes.

Q. Mr. President, did you encourage Mr. Pendergast to endorse Mr. Axtell?

THE PRESIDENT. I Certainly did. [Laughter]

Q. Mr. President, are you planning to make several speeches during the campaign period ?

THE PRESIDENT. I don't know. It depends on what--on how the situation develops. If it becomes necessary, I shall do whatever is necessary to--to help the Democratic Party.

Q. Mr. President, for some of us who aren't too familiar with this Slaughter-Axtell case, could you tell us on what issues you and Mr. Pendergast will oppose Mr. Slaughter ?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, we just are going to nominate somebody else for the job. [Laughter] That's the only issue there is. As a member of the Rules Committee, Mr. Slaughter has been opposed to everything that I have asked the Congress to do. That is the principal reason.

[9.] Q. Mr. President, anything you can tell us about possible vacation plans, at this time?

THE PRESIDENT. No, I have no plans. I will probably go home on the 3d of August, instead of the 6th, for the election primary.

Q. Have you any choice in your own district-the fourth--in that--Bell's, isn't it?

THE PRESIDENT. I don't think Bell has any opposition. If he has, I haven't heard it.

Q. May be nominal, but he does have opposition.

THE PRESIDENT. I don't think he has anything to worry about.

Q. Same as Slaughter, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, we shall see.

Q. Mr. President, are you going home by train or plane?

THE PRESIDENT. I am going to fly home. I will fly back on the 6th. Mrs. Truman is going with me.

Q. Is she going by plane?

THE PRESIDENT. She is going with me on the plane.

[10.] Q. Do you have any plans for asking Congress for more funds for loan--

THE PRESIDENT. I didn't understand that question. I was interrupted. Please ask it again.

Q. I wondered whether you plan to ask Congress for any additional authorizations or appropriations for loan--

THE PRESIDENT. No--

Q.-- foreign loans

THE PRESIDENT. I have no such intention.

Q. Mr. President, do you favor Judge Bells bill for a hundred-million-dollar loan to the Philippines?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes.

Q. Mr. President, in saying you have no such intention for asking for more money for loans, does that mean you do not intend to ask for the one and a quarter billion more capital for that Export-Import Bank, that has been mentioned in the past?

THE PRESIDENT. No. I think that will come up in the next Congress automatically.

Q. Specifically there is no plan at all for an early request for a loan to Russia?

THE PRESIDENT. Not that I know of. I haven't heard about it.

[11.] Q. Mr. President, are you planning to name a successor to Chester Bowles ?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes, when we get a law that requires that office to be filled, it will be filled.

Q. Do you think we will get such a law ?

THE PRESIDENT. Your guess is as good as mine, Tony.¹ [Laughter]

¹Ernest B. Vaccaro of the Associated Press.

Q. Do you care to tell us who that successor will be?

THE PRESIDENT. No, I will announce it at the time.

[12.] Q. Mr. President, going back to the possible campaign speeches, is it likely you will make one of these in New York State?

THE PRESIDENT. I have made no plans whatever. I have made no plans whatever.

Q. The situation is that--to repeat--that you will, as it were, take the stump if it becomes necessary, in behalf of the party?

THE PRESIDENT. That's right.

[13.] Q. Mr. President, do you think that the figures of rising prices since July 1st are--pretty well bear out your predictions you made in your speech, after the veto on the first OPA bill ?

THE PRESIDENT. I think they do, very substantially. According to the New York Journal of Commerce, I think it is very conclusively proven.

Q. Do you think they are going still higher?

THE PRESIDENT. I am sure of it, unless we get an OPA bill.

[14.] Q. Mr. President, do you expect Mr. Hannegan to stay on as chairman through this campaign?

THE PRESIDENT. Why certainly. I have no reason to doubt that Mr. Hannegan will continue to be chairman of the Democratic National Committee. I think he is a good chairman.

Q. Well, I heard--there has been talk about his illness--

THE PRESIDENT. Well, I think Hannegan is a good chairman. I have no successor in mind for him. I want him to stay. That is about as strong as I can put it.

[15.] Q. Mr. President, Bishop Sheil of Chicago is in Rome. There has been some suggestion that he is there on a mission for you or for the Government.

THE PRESIDENT. I didn't know he was there. I knew he went there when he was made a cardinal, but I didn't know he had come back. The last time I saw him was in this office, on the way to Chicago, on his way back from Rome, but--

Q. This is Bishop Sheil.

THE PRESIDENT. Oh, I am speaking of a different party. No, I didn't know anything about Bishop Sheil being in Rome, either. I was thinking of the new cardinal of Chicago.

[16.] Q. Mr. President, recently a delegation came to see you asking--requesting the recall of Mr. Myron Taylor; and at that time they came out and told us--going through the lobby--that you said he would come back when his mission was completed. Is there any--

THE PRESIDENT. I said that he would come back when peace had been consummated. That was the statement that I made, and that is true.

Q. You mean subsequent to the Paris--the impending Paris conference the--

THE PRESIDENT. No. I said when the world had reached a peace settlement, then that situation would not be necessary to continue.

[17.] Q. Mr. President, Jim Patton, who is one of the outstanding advocates of seizure in the farm implement labor situation, is coming in to see you today. Have you made any further decisions in the strikes against Case and International Harvester?

THE PRESIDENT. No. Those matters are being considered by the Secretary of Labor.

Q. No question of seizure at this point?

THE PRESIDENT. No.

[18.] Q. Mr. President, another local question.--

THE PRESIDENT. Fire away.

Q. -- have you ever met Mr. Axtell? Are you endorsing him--

THE PRESIDENT. I know him very well. I have known his family. I have known him all his life. He is a neighbor of mine. He lives down home.

Q. What's his first name?

THE PRESIDENT. Ed--or En--or something of that sort. [Laughter] What's his first name? [More laughter] What's his first name ?

Q. Enos--E-n-o-s.

THE PRESIDENT. Enos--E-n-o-s. That's right. [Continued laughter]

Q. Any plans for the weekend?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes, just--I am going to stay in the White House.

Reporter: Thank you, Mr. President.