THE PRESIDENT. I have one announcement a couple of announcements to make for you
[1.] I am going to appoint Governor M. C. Wallgren to be Chairman of the National Security Resources Board, succeeding John R. Steelman, who has been acting--to succeed Mr. Arthur Hill who resigned Mr. Wallgren is particularly fitted for this job because he had a great deal of experience in that line on a certain Senate committee on which he served, of which I was the chairman.1 I have had him under consideration for this job for quite some time, ever since Mr. Hill resigned.
1 Special Senate Committee to Investigate Contracts under the National Defense Program.
Q. Mr. President, how much does that--
THE PRESIDENT. Wait a minute--I have got another announcement to make--then you can ask your question.
[2.] The situation in the West with regard to this storm program, I am informed by General Fleming, is well in hand. Every part of the Government that had any help to offer has been at work on the situation, and General Fleming says it is well on the road to being solved, if we don't get any more storms in the immediate future.
Now, what is your question back there?
[3.] Q. Sir, how much does this job pay?
THE PRESIDENT. I don't know--I think it's $10,000 a year?
Dr. Steelman: $14,000.
THE PRESIDENT. $14,000 a year. I didn't know what the salary was. Mr. Steelman says it's 14,000 a year.
[4.] Q. Mr. President, may I ask a question about the West? Do you know whether that storm and the consequent loss of life in cattle will have any appreciable or immediate or any effect on the economy--on the market--on beef--and so forth and so on?
THE PRESIDENT. I can't answer that question intelligently until I know what the losses add up to, and we can't tell exactly what the losses are until the snow goes away, and I don't know what effect it will have on the market. It will depend on just how bad the grass-fed cattle are injured-and sheep, too.
[5.] Q. Mr. President, there apparently is some confusion as to whether, in the new labor bill, the administration intended to reserve for itself the right of injunction in national emergency strikes, either in the bill itself or through statutory report to the President?
THE PRESIDENT. I don't understand the question. Will you repeat it?
Q. The question is whether you intend to reserve for the administration the right of injunction in national emergency strikes?
THE PRESIDENT. The powers of the President, so I am informed, are sufficient to meet emergencies of that sort, and that is the basis on which we are working.
Q. Mr. President, what would be the objection to spelling out those powers in that law?
THE PRESIDENT. There isn't any that I know of, but we didn't do it because we didn't think it was necessary.
Q. Do you think that you don't have to spell out--
THE PRESIDENT. That is my opinion.
Q. Taft hasn't this idea--
THE PRESIDENT. I never have been in agreement with Taft on labor.
Q. The powers of the President that you speak of are the constitutional powers, is that what you mean?
THE PRESIDENT. Yes, the Constitution and the implied powers of the President, so I am informed by the Attorney General, and I think he ought to know.
Q. Could you tell us where we could find them elsewhere than the Constitution?
THE PRESIDENT. No, I can't. If you closely read the history of the country, you will find that Washington used them, and Jackson used them. They have been used by several Presidents. Lincoln used them all the time while he was President. Whenever there is an emergency, the President has immense powers to do what is right for the country.
Q. Does it require injunctive process?
THE PRESIDENT. I will answer that question if we ever have to cross that bridge.
Q. Mr. President, on that point, is that as President or as Commander in Chief-dual office?
THE PRESIDENT. A combination of both.
[6.] Q. Mr. President, do you plan to reappoint Mr. Garland Ferguson to the Federal Trade Commission?
THE PRESIDENT. I have the matter under consideration. I will let you know about it when I get ready to act on it.
[7.] Q. Mr. President, may I make a comment on a report from Manila with regard to the appointment or resignation of Ambassador Cowen to succeed O'Neal?
THE PRESIDENT. I have no comment to make on that, and when I am ready to appoint an Ambassador to the Philippines, you will know about it--I will let you know about it.2
2Emmet O'Neal served as U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines from June In, 1947, through January 20, 1949. On March 1, 1949, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Myron Cowen as U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines.
[8.] Q. Mr. President, is Mr. Bruce resigning as Ambassador to Argentina?
THE PRESIDENT. Nearly every Ambassador in the employ of the United States has resigned. I have got a book full of them. I can't form any decision because there are so many of them.
Q. Are you going to persuade him to return, or persuade him to stay?
THE PRESIDENT. When I take any action again, I will let you know about it. I don't know what is going to be done.
[9.] Q. Mr. President, do you contemplate transferring the military government in Germany to the State Department?
THE PRESIDENT. I do not.
Q. And General Clay, will he continue--
THE PRESIDENT. General Clay will continue in control of the military government in Germany.
[10.] Q. Mr. President, does this Government intend to take any special cognizance of the Stalin overtures?
THE PRESIDENT. That was completely and fairly answered by the Secretary of State yesterday, after consultation with me.3
3 The "Stalin overtures" consisted of replies to four questions submitted to Premier Stalin on January 27, 1949, by Kingsbury Smith, European General Manager of the International News Service. Premier Stalin's replies, together with extended comments by Secretary Acheson at his press conference of February 2, are published in the Department of State Bulletin (vol. 20, p. 192).
Secretary Acheson concluded his remarks on the so-called Stalin overtures with the following words: "As I say, all of the normal channels are open. I hope you will not take it amiss if I point out that if I on my part were seeking to give assurance of seriousness of purpose I would choose some other channel than the channel of a press interview."
[11.] Q. Mr. President, the President of Chile yesterday announced that his government accepted your point 4 in your inaugural speech, about the development of undeveloped countries and areas.
THE PRESIDENT. I am glad he did. That pleases me immensely.
4 The proposed Reorganization Act of 1949 which the President signed on June 20, 1949 (see Item 127).
[12.] Q. Mr. President, in connection with the Hoover reorganization report, there is a report up on the Hill this week that you have agreed to exempt the ICC, the FDC, the SEC, and the Federal Reserve Board from reorganization?
THE PRESIDENT. Don't you think you had better wait until that bill 4 comes up here for me to sign and see what's in it? I don't think you know what's going in it, and neither do I.
Q. I don't.
THE PRESIDENT. It has to go through two committees before we can tell what's in the bill. I hope there will be no exemptions.
[13.] Q. Mr. President, yesterday the Secretary of State told us that this Government would not enter into any bilateral talks on the broad world situation with Russia. There is still another question that I would like to ask. Would this Government with other powers, not just a single power but other powers concerned, would it outside of the United Nations enter into any such talks?
THE PRESIDENT. It would not. I think Dean Acheson made that perfectly clear.5
5 See Department of State Bulletin (vol. 20, p. 192).
[14.] Q. Mr. President, do you have any comment on Norway's reply to Russia, that she definitely intends to look into the North Atlantic--
THE PRESIDENT. I have no comment to make on it.6
6 According to newspaper reports the Norwegian Government informed the Soviet Union on February 1 that, while it would investigate the conditions under which Norway could participate in a North Atlantic defense alliance, it would never grant bases for foreign powers unless attacked or subjected to threats of attack.
The information was contained in a note delivered by Foreign Minister Halyard Lange to the Soviet Ambassador at the Foreign Office. The note was a reply to the Kremlin's request that Norway clarify her attitude toward the proposed North Atlantic pact.
The note informed the Soviet Union that Norway's desire to seek "increased security" had prompted her to consider joining a North Atlantic defense grouping.
[15.] Q. I would like just to say a word of greeting from the National Committee for Christian Leadership--[inaudible]-Abraham Vereide--if I may, sir. Would you think the setting aside of a day as a day of prayer--I mean a national day of prayer like we did during the last days of the war, to pray especially for the world's dilemma and the situation in China, would be advisable?
THE PRESIDENT. I think that that should be done every day, not necessarily on any special day.
[16.] Q. Mr. President, Woodrow Wilson died 25 years ago. Does the occasion suggest any comment from you?
THE PRESIDENT. Yes. I was a very great admirer of Woodrow Wilson. I think he will go down in history as one of the great Presidents of the United States. He was the father of the League of Nations, and of course that resulted finally in the United Nations. I am sending the military aide out there because today is the anniversary of his death, with a wreath to be placed on his tomb.
[17.] Q. Mr. President, the tone of what you have said, and what Mr. Acheson has said regarding these Stalin interchanges--whatever you might call them-has been that if Russia--as I understood the exchange--if Russia wanted to show its good will it could do so by specific actions inside the United Nations.
THE PRESIDENT. I think it was fully covered in Acheson's statement.
Q. I was wondering whether you would-you might mention one or two ways--
THE PRESIDENT. I have no further comment to make on it.
[18.] Q. Mr. President, from the words you used and the tone of your voice on that reorganization answer, I take it that you are in favor of a good, strict hundred percent reorganization?
THE PRESIDENT. I hope that will be the case, because if the President's hands tied, from experience I know that there will be no reorganization. I am hoping that this time we will get something constructive and effective, so we can make things more efficiently--work more efficiently in the executive branch of the Government. I think everybody's interested in that.
I have said once before here at a press conference that everybody has their pet that I am afraid is going to get to work around it somewhere. I hope that won't interfere with what Congress is going to do, and I don't think it will.
[19.] Q. Mr. President, on this purported conviction of Cardinal Mindszenty, are you convinced that that conviction was obtained without duress?
THE PRESIDENT. I can make no comment on it, because I know nothing about it, only what I have seen in the papers.
[20.] Q. Mr. President, you are on record as saying you will meet Stalin here in Washington?
THE PRESIDENT. I invited Mr. Stalin here to Washington, in Potsdam when I was there, add I have restated that I will be glad to see him here any time he wants to come.
I think if you will look around into it, you will find that is as far as it is necessary for me to go.
Q. Yes, sir. May I just put one further question? If Stalin, for example, were to be willing to come to, say Alaska, would you be-- [Laughter]
THE PRESIDENT. I answered your question.
[21.] Q. Mr. President, did your--did your daughter ask your advice on her career before she went up to New York?
THE PRESIDENT. Of course she did.
Q. Did you give it?
THE PRESIDENT. Certainly. What father wouldn't advise his daughter on what is best for her career?
Q. We didn't hear the question, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT. The question was whether my daughter had consulted with me as to her career before she went to New York, and of course she did.
Q. Are you going to tell Frank 7 what advice you gave her?
THE PRESIDENT. What? That's none of his business. [Laughter]
7 Frank Bourgholtzer of the National Broadcasting Company.
Q. No, no--I didn't ask that.
THE PRESIDENT. That was a perfectly good question of yours--don't worry about it. [Laughter]
[22.] Q, When you were asked that question about Alaska, did I understand you to say Nome? [Laughter]
THE PRESIDENT. I didn't answer.
[23.] Q. Mr. President, have you asked Mrs. Truman to get the guest room ready at the Blair House for Mr. Stalin?
THE PRESIDENT. I haven't any notification that he is coming. If I get that notification, of course the guest room will be gotten ready.
Reporter: Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT. You're welcome.
Note: President Truman's one hundred and sixtyseventh news conference was held in his office at the White House at 4:02 p.m. on Thursday, February 3, 1949.
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/229865
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