The President's News Conference

THE PRESIDENT. [1.] I have a couple of announcements to make. I requested the Congress for an additional million dollars for disaster relief, to be used in part to meet critical conditions caused by snowstorms in Western States.

The supplemental estimate for the fiscal year 1949 would supplement an appropriation of $500,000 for disaster relief enacted last spring. Only $50,000 of the original amount still remains. Last spring 150,000 of the total was allocated to alleviate damage caused by floods in the Columbia River Basin. Within the last few days, an additional $300,000 has been provided to meet the current storm emergency.¹

Did you all get that?

Then I want to announce--

¹On January 29 the President wrote to Secretary Forrestal directing him to utilize such resources of the National Military Establishment as were appropriate to the relief of the disaster area, based on requests by the Federal Works Administrator. The letter continued as follows:

"The Departments of the National Military Establishment are authorized and directed to expend such sums as are required for this purpose from any funds now available to those departments, including funds available for river and harbor and flood control works of the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, without regard for existing apportionments. I will transmit to the Congress a request for such appropriations as may be considered necessary to replace such funds of the Departments of the National Military Establishment as may be used for this purpose."

Q. That's writing with both hands at once. [Laughter]

THE PRESIDENT. Writing with both hands at once! Well, I'll go slow on this.

Mr. Ross: We'll have that all mimeographed for you.

[2.] THE PRESIDENT. I have invited the Prime Minister of Canada to visit Washington on February 12. He has accepted the invitation, and it is expected that he will arrive in Washington on the evening of February 11, and will remain probably for a days.

The Prime Minister's acceptance of the invitation will permit us to renew his acquaintance--I became very well acquainted with him November 15, 1948--after having served first as Minister of Justice and then as Secretary of State for External Affairs since 1941. This will be the Prime Minister's first trip to the United States since he assumed his duties as Prime Minister. I meant to say that I am acquainted with him on my trip up--my visit to Canada. That was the first time I had met him, and I am inviting him down here for the purpose of becoming better acquainted with the Prime Minister of our neighbor.

Q. For bulletin purposes, what's his name? [Laughter]

THE PRESIDENT. I very carefully was trying to avoid it, because I don't know how to pronounce it: Louis St. Laurent-L-a-u-r-e-n-t--I don't know how to pronounce it--that's a French pronunciation. I wouldn't attempt to pronounce it. [Laughter] Tony,² you put me on the spot.

² Ernest B. Vaccaro of the Associated Press.

Q. I was myself on the spot.

Q. Mr. President, are there any specific questions you wish to take up with the Prime Minister of Canada?

THE PRESIDENT. No.

Q. Anything to do with the North Atlantic Security Pact, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. None--nothing whatever. Just a friendly visit of the Prime Minister of Canada to the President of the United States.

[3.] Q. Mr. President, can you give us any background on the origin of point four?

THE PRESIDENT. The origin of point four has been in my mind, and in the minds of members of the Government, for the past 2 or 3 years, ever since the Marshall plan was inaugurated. It originated with the Greece and Turkey proposition. Been studying it ever since. I spend most of my time going over to that globe back there, trying to figure out ways to make peace in the world.

Q. Can you tell us how you are going to implement it?

THE PRESIDENT. It's a policy of the administration over the next 4 years, and it's something that will have to be implemented gradually. I have asked the Secretary of State to get together with the heads of the departments of the Government, and try to work out preliminary plans for an approach to it. I can't tell you just what is going to take place, where it is going to take place, or how it is going to take place. I know what I want to do.

Q. Can you tell us what agencies, besides the Secretary of State--

THE PRESIDENT. Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of Agriculture--all the departments of Government will be interested in it.

Q. What about ECA?

THE PRESIDENT. ECA is doing it right now. That's what their job is. That's what their job is.

[4.] Q. Mr. President, does the United States plan to give recognition to the State of Israel any time soon?

THE PRESIDENT. I will answer that question when I am ready to do it.

[5.] Q. Mr. President, the property owners of St. Louis, and the landlords in other cities, have called meetings to consider mass eviction of tenants as a protest against rent control. What do you have to say about that?

THE PRESIDENT. I think it's a rather poor approach on their part. I don't think they are going to be able to do it. The Rent Control Administrator is working on that situation now. It originated in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, that great oil center down there. [Laughter]

[6.] Q. Mr. President, not for bulletin purposes, but for lead purposes, is there any other title we could give to point four?

THE PRESIDENT. I think it speaks for itself. All you need do is read the speech; it is perfectly plain. Doesn't seem to have confused any foreign government. The only people who seem to be confused about it are our own newspapers here at home. [Laughter]

[7.] Q. Mr. President, a recent Gallup poll indicated that 69 percent of the voters now approve of your acts--[ laughter ]--

THE PRESIDENT. Let the man ask his question.

Q.--and in view of your distrust of public opinion polls, would you care to comment?

THE PRESIDENT. I have no more confidence in polls than I had before the election. I never did have--I never did have any confidence in polls, and I haven't got any confidence in them now. I make my decision on whether it's right or wrong from my point of view, after I have all the information and all the facts I can get to go on. Polls have no effect on me whatever.

Q. Mr. President, do you think that 69 percent is an underestimate?

THE PRESIDENT. I can't answer the question because I don't agree with polls under any circumstances.

[8.] Q. Mr. President, do you have any comment on those reports out of London on the sale of 150 American B-29's to the British?

THE PRESIDENT. The only time I heard about it was the rumor that was going around here. I never heard of it. I never heard of it.

[9.] Q. Mr. President, there are still reports that the President of the Philippines may come here. A couple of weeks ago you didn't know about it. Has anything happened since then?

THE PRESIDENT. No.

[10.] Q. Mr. President, the United States Steel Corporation this week issued a dollar extra dividend, besides the regular quarterly dividend and three-to-one proposed stock split on the basis of 1948 earnings. Have you any comment whether that will affect your attitude toward excess profits?

THE PRESIDENT. My only comment would be on the price of steel, which I have always thought was too high.

[11.] Q. Mr. President, can you tell us the status of your labor legislation proposal?

THE PRESIDENT. I have had some conferences with the chairmen of the two labor committees, and that situation is progressing. And I am sure that the labor committees will promptly proceed with the labor legislation.

Q. We understood that there was some draft that was about to go up?

THE PRESIDENT. We are cooperating with the committees, as we always do.

[12.] Q. Mr. President, has the--is the message in preparation now on the social security--health insurance--

THE PRESIDENT. We are not working on it, at the present time, but we are going to work on it some time soon.

Q. The intention, sir, is to have that all in one bundle?

THE PRESIDENT. I can't answer that right now. We are considering the situation. When the thing is ready, I will furnish you with it.

[13.] Q. Mr. President, what is your opinion of the drop in the wholesale food index?

THE PRESIDENT. I am not ready to comment on that.

Q. Generally, all along the line, in the past couple of weeks, there have been indications of a decrease in the inflationary--

THE PRESIDENT. The Economic Advisers are getting up a report on that situation now, and when I have heard from them, then I will be able to comment. I want all the facts before I comment.

[14.] Q. Mr. President, have you got any comment on the charge that you didn't speak to a couple of Governors in the parade last week?

THE PRESIDENT. The only comment I can make on that is that they passed through the receiving line and were very cordially received. That's the best comment I can make.

[15.] Q. Mr. President, it was announced in London, officially I think, that this Government is going to recognize the Government of Transjordan. Is there anything you could say on that?

THE PRESIDENT. No comment.

Q. It hasn't been announced here?

THE PRESIDENT. No comment.

[16.] Q. Mr. President, do you know what you are going to do with Mon Wallgren,³ what sort of job he might take?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes, I know what I am going to do with him. I will let you know at the proper time.

³Mon C. Wallgren served as United States Senator from the State of Washington from November 1940 to January 1945, and as Governor from January 1945 to January 1949. He was defeated for reelection as Governor in November 1948.

Q. This isn't the proper time?

THE PRESIDENT. No--[laughter]--it isn't the proper time.

Q. Will the proper time be soon, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, I will let you know whenever I am ready. I always do. You are never kept in the dark on things of that sort.

Reporter: Thank you, Mr. President.