The President's News Conference

THE PRESIDENT. [1.] I signed an important bill this morning, and it is usual to give the pen to those who contributed most to the passage, so I am going to make Joe Fox a present of the pillar bill pen--[laughter].

Joseph A. Fox, Washington Star: I knew my work would be recognized! Thank you, Mr. President! [More laughter]

Q. What was the bill ?

THE PRESIDENT. Bill that took these pillars out of Executive Avenue--the pillar bill.

Q. The pillar bill.

THE PRESIDENT. Executive Avenue pillar bill .¹

¹ The so-called pillar bill authorized the removal of stone piers in West Executive Avenue between the White House grounds and the Department of State building (61 Stat. 95).

[2.] I also see that my good friend Tony ² has turned columnist. He starts off by complaining that the reporters don't get sleep enough on their trips with me. Quite an interesting article, in some out-of-town papers. I don't think Tony knew I was going to get hold of that. [Laughter] I will try to give you a real merry-go-round next time. We really haven't had a strenuous trip yet, Tony. [More laughter]

2 Ernest B. Vaccaro of the Associated Press.

Q. Mr. President, you are not solely responsible for that loss of sleep, are you, sir?

THE PRESIDENT. NO sir. No sir, I get plenty. I didn't know why Tony didn't.

Q. Can we have that in quotes, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. Better not. That might embarrass Tony at home. [Laughter]

Q. Do you think there will be any trips in 1948, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, I imagine that there will be. Be a trip home, at any rate.

Q. Lot of prophecy there, isn't it, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. Whether you want to hire a plane on that occasion and follow me or not remains to be seen.

Q. That would be 1949, wouldn't it?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, we will discuss that when it comes up. I never want to discuss it or think about it.

Now I am ready for questions, if you have any you think I can answer.

[3.] Q. Mr. President, do you believe some further labor legislation, in addition to the portal act, should be enacted this session?

THE PRESIDENT. I expressed my views on that in the message I sent to the Congress on the State of the Union.

Q. Do you stand on what you said then?

THE PRESIDENT. I do.

[4.] Q. Mr. President, French papers claim that you are going to send a new Ambassador to France?

THE PRESIDENT. I hadn't heard about it. Maybe they know my mind better than I do.

[5.] Q. Mr. President, do you intend to keep Mr. Messersmith in the Argentine indefinitely?

THE PRESIDENT. When Mr. Messersmith went to the Argentine, he made it a condition of his going that he was only going temporarily, but I don't know when that time will end. That is a matter that we will have to work out at the proper time. Mr. Messersmith has not been in good health, and he explained to me that when he was down there he was doing it as a favor to Mr. Byrnes and myself.

[6.] Q. Mr. President, could you tell us who is going to head the mission to Greece?

THE PRESIDENT. NO, I can't.

Q. When will that appointment be made, sir?

THE PRESIDENT. Just as quickly as I can get the man I am interested in to take the job.

Q. Have you got such a man in mind?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes, I have.

Q. Is he reluctant to take the job, sir?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes sir. People are always reluctant to take a hard job. There's a difference, you know, between doing a patriotic duty in peacetime and doing a patriotic duty when the country is in a shooting war, when there is some sort of incentive that makes people more cooperative, more anxious to make sacrifices--and I can't blame them.

But the present period is just as important for the welfare of the country as actual shooting warfare would be. And I hope the patriots will bear that in mind: it is necessary to do things that you don't want to do-some good--for the welfare and benefit of your country.

I didn't intend to give you a lecture.

[7.] Q. Is there any change in sight regarding the ambassadorship in Chile?

THE PRESIDENT. NO.

[8.] Q. Mr. President, I see Governor Wallgren here. Are you in complete accord with the mission that he came on?

THE PRESIDENT. I don't know what his mission is. He hasn't talked to me about it. He came to see me socially!

[9.] Q. Mr. President, have you ever lifted that freeze order on reclamation of funds that went out about January 10?

THE PRESIDENT. No, I have not. That freeze order was worked out on the basis of what we thought the Interior Department could spend, and I think you can get--I know you can get all the details in regard to it from the Budget. It is a complicated proposition, and I would advise you to talk to the Budget about it.

[10.] Q. Mr. President, are you preparing to ask Congress again to grant powers and supply armaments in Latin America, as advanced last year?

THE PRESIDENT. We have that matter under consideration in the State Department. I will answer it when it has reached the completion of it.

[11.] Q. Mr. president, is there any chance that there will be more than one administrator for the Greek-Turkey program?

THE PRESIDENT. I haven't gone into any detail.

[12.] Q. Mr. President, has Chester Bowles's group presented a price reduction plan to you?

THE PRESIDENT. I understand that there is one in the mails for me. I haven't read it yet--I haven't seen it, in fact.

[13.] Q. Mr. President, have you reached any decision yet on the Korean aid program ?

THE PRESIDENT. NO, I have not.

[14.] Q. Mr. President, there are some reports that you are being urged by various branches of the Government to visit Latin American countries next year. Is that correct ?

THE PRESIDENT. NO, it is not.

Q. I beg your pardon ?

THE PRESIDENT. I said no, that I am not being urged by any branches of the Government.

[15.] Q. Mr. President, returning to Mr. Messersmith, would it be correct to say that Mr. Messersmith will return to this country when he has completed his mission ?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes, that is perfectly correct.

Q. Would that go for Mr. Caffery too, Mr. President ?

THE PRESIDENT. I have no comment on that. Mr. Caffery is not on the same sort of mission that Mr. Messersmith is.

[16.] Q. Mr. President, all of the "dopesters" around you are saying that this is just the first step, the Greek-Turkey plan, and that there will soon be other countries that will have to be bolstered against communism. Can you comment on that?

THE PRESIDENT. We will meet that situation should it arise.

[17.] Q. Mr. President, the Mexican Ambassador said this morning that he brought a personal message for you from President Aleman. Can you tell us anything about that?

THE PRESIDENT. It was a very cordial and friendly message about the treatment which the President received in the United States. A beautiful letter, one that I am going to frame and keep for my daughter.

[18.] Q. Mr. President, I understand the Army will soon deliver a new--make delivery of the new plane to succeed the Sacred Cow. Do you have any idea of what you might like to name the new plane?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, when that event takes place, I shall name the plane.

[19.] Q. Mr. President, would you comment on Senator Taft's giving every priority to the Taft-Ellender-Wagner housing bill?

THE PRESIDENT. I would like to see that bill have all the priority it could get.

[20.] Q. Mr. President, will you comment on a report published in Manila newspapers, that you would name Emmet O'Neal Ambassador to the Philippines this week?

THE PRESIDENT. I do not care to comment on that at this time.

[21.] Q. Mr. President, getting back to Chester Bowles--those recommendations he is sending over. He predicts quite a bust in 3 to 5 months. Have you any comment ?

THE PRESIDENT. NO comment. I haven't read Mr. Bowles's article yet. I don't like to comment on a piece of paper that I haven't seen or haven't read. I had better know what's in it before I make any comment.

[22.] Q. Mr. President, the subject of displaced persons is coming up again, it seems to be becoming more acute. I thought last year you urged admission of more people up to the limit of the laws-

THE PRESIDENT, That is true.

Q. and I wondered if you had any rough estimate of how many you thought we might be able to absorb now?

THE PRESIDENT. I have no estimate on the subject. I went into it in some detail at that time, and instructions have been given to the State Department. For myself, I have suggested using the unused quota of northern Europe for displaced persons. They have been working on that. The results have not been very satisfactory.

[23.] Q. Mr. President, with regard to Mr. Bowles's belief--that other people have and that you do not have yet, sir--do you think there is going to be a bust in 3 to 5 months?

THE PRESIDENT. I think I have told you time and again that I do not believe so. I think I made that statement categorically to you at least half-a-dozen times.

[24.] Q. Returning to the question of displaced persons for a moment, there is a bill in Congress which would admit, I think, 400,000 persons in the next 4 years. Do you have any plan to send a message to Congress on the general question of admission?

THE PRESIDENT. Not at the present time. Doing everything we possibly can to get the displaced persons situation worked out. It is an international problem, and it will have to be worked out on an international basis. We should do our share toward alleviating that situation, and I have said that from the beginning.

Q. Would legislation be required, sir?

THE PRESIDENT. I think it would.

[25.] Q. Mr. President, do you have any plans to ask for new funds, or additional funds, for the Export-Import Bank?

THE PRESIDENT. If it is necessary for the Export-Import Bank to have additional funds, of course they will be asked for.

Q. Have you had any indication that it is likely that they will have need for them?

THE PRESIDENT. No, I have not.

Q. Mr. President, I would like to know--

[26.] Q. Mr. President, has the GREEK TURKISH bill come down to you yet?

THE PRESIDENT. No, it has not. What was your question?

[27.] Q. On this question of "bust," you said you don't think that it will be in 5 months--I mean, what is your affirmative attitude on the economic outlook for the future?

THE PRESIDENT. I don't think there is any necessity for ever having a bust. If we use good sense and follow just common--the rules of commonsense, don't let the greedy people get control of the country, we won't have any bust. We shouldn't have any boom. That is what we have been trying to prevent. Would like to keep a ceiling on prices, and things of that sort, so there wouldn't be any boom or bust. We have had not much cooperation either legislatively or publicly on that, except that there are a large number of people who have made every effort they can to cooperate with us in this price situation.

Q. Mr. President, do you think this pending tax bill would accentuate the boom?

THE PRESIDENT. I can't answer that because I don't know what's in it. I will tell you that when it comes up here.

Q. Mr. President, you had an "if" in your statement, that if we use commonsense, and it gave me the impression that you might think we are a trifle off the beam somewhere. Could you indicate that?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, I think prices are too high, particularly commodity prices.

Q. Is that the main--

THE PRESIDENT. That is the main ill.

[28.] Q. Mr. President, are you hopeful that the cuts made by the House Appropriations Committee in western reclamational and power projects will be restored by the Congress--

THE PRESIDENT. My Budget Message covered that situation completely. I set down in the budget exactly what I thought should be done, and I am sticking by that budget.

Reporter: Thank you, Mr. President.