THE PRESIDENT. [1.] I have one announcement to make. Adm. Louis E. Denfeld will be Chief of Naval Operations--I have two announcements to make. The other one is the appointment by Executive order 1 of the National Security Resources Board, which is made up as follows: of the Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Interior--Agriculture--Commerce-and Labor; and you will receive a mimeographed sheet on that as you go out.
1Executive Order 9905 "Designating the membership of the National Security Resources Board and defining the functions, duties, and authority of the Chairman of the Board" (Nov. 13, 1947; 3 CFR, 1943-1948 Comp., p. 673).
That's all the announcements I have, gentlemen.
Q. What's Admiral Denfeld's present assignment?
THE PRESIDENT. He is the Commanding Officer in command of the Pacific Fleet, and I don't know when he will take office. I think Admiral Nimitz wants to get away as soon as possible.
[2.] Q. Mr. President, eggs and eggless Thursdays. What about eggs for eggnogs at Christmas ? That is not a facetious question at all
THE PRESIDENT. IS that so ? Well, I think you will have to have eggs for eggnogs at Christmas. [Laughter]
[3.] Q. Mr. President, has Budget Director Webb said he is resigning?
THE PRESIDENT. The Budget Director has never said anything about resigning and has never discussed it, and he is not going to resign; and that's positive and final.
[4.] Q. Mr. President, do you think there is any possibility you may go down to the Bogota conference 2 next January?
THE PRESIDENT. NO, there is not. I do not have that under consideration at all.
2 Ninth International Conference of American States.
[5.] Q. Mr. President, have you discussed with Senator Lucas the possibility of his running for Governor of Illinois ?
THE PRESIDENT. No, I haven't. I would be glad to discuss it with him if he decided he wanted to talk to me about it.
Q. What would you say?
THE PRESIDENT. I will say that to him. [Laughter]
[6.] Q. Mr. President, are you preparing to announce your nominations to the labor-management advisory committee to the Mediation Service?
THE PRESIDENT. NO I am not. Whenever we are ready I will make that announcement.
[7.] Q. How about the Chief of Staff for the Army, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT. I will make that announcement at a later date.
[8.] Q. Mr. President, do you think of recommending lowering the tax on margarine because of the high price of butter?
THE PRESIDENT. I hadn't thought about it, but we may think about it at a later date. Not now.
[9.] Q. Mr. President, your former Ambassador to Greece, Paul Porter,1 thinks that several men who happen to be his clients have gotten something of a raw deal in the State Department because they were fired without being told what the charges were against them. Do you have any comment, sir?
THE PRESIDENT. No comment.
1 In December 1946 the President sent Paul A. Porter to Greece as head of an economic mission. At the time Mr. Porter was Price Administrator.
[10.] Q. Mr. President, people down in Florida are rather upset about the--are you or do you think there is any chance of your going to the Everglades for the dedication
THE PRESIDENT. I would like to go, but I can make no firm appointments now, because of this special session coming on next Monday.
Q. It isn't entirely out of the picture then?
THE PRESIDENT. I say I wish I could go, but I can make no appointments.
[11.] Q. Mr. President, are you planning to do anything about the lapse in title VI of the National Housing Act? That is the act under which they are insured up to 90 percent of private housing--the loans in private housing. It's expired.
THE PRESIDENT. Well, that undoubtedly will be put up to me when we begin preparing the Message on the State of the Union. I haven't given it any consideration. All I know is what I read in the paper.
[12.] Q. Mr. President, is a loan to Argentina under consideration ?
THE PRESIDENT. I hadn't heard about it. But they are good. They have got plenty of money.
Q. Do you regard them as a good risk?
THE PRESIDENT. I do. I didn't think they would need to borrow any money. I remember one time they had 600 million in gold on deposit in the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. I don't know whether they have still got it or not.
Q. It's supposed to be running out rapidly.
[13.] Q. Mr. President, have you picked a new Marine com--
THE PRESIDENT. NO. It's under consideration. No decision has been arrived at as yet.
[14.] Q. Mr. President, the Harriman committee recommended taking all expenses for the Marshall plan out of taxes. Do you favor that?
THE PRESIDENT. Of course. That's what you have to do.
[15.] Q. Mr. President, do you favor reimposition of the excess profits tax?
THE PRESIDENT. I will answer that question in the Message on the State of the Union. I am not ready to answer it at the present time.
[16.] Q. Mr. President, are you planning a new policy statement regarding China ?
THE PRESIDENT. Not immediately, no.
Q. Mr. President, Senator Taft said that sending the amount of aid to Europe as Secretary Marshall proposed, would be backing up Russia's charges that it is American imperialism. Have you any comment on that?
THE PRESIDENT. No comment. I think the Evening Star has a cartoon that comments very favorably on that.
Reporter: Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT. You're welcome.
Note: President Truman's one hundred and twenty-seventh news conference was held in his office at the White House at 4 o'clock on Thursday afternoon, November 13, 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/232525
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