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apartment 15-A
29 WASHINGTON square, WEST
NEW YORK 11, NEW YORK
HARRY
TRUMAN
February 20, 1948
U.S
ARGHIVES AND SERVICE.
AIRRANY
GOVERNMENT
Dear Mr. President:
I was interested in your comment on the defeat of Ed. Flynn's
candidate in Bronx County. I think Ed. Flynn has proved
the point which he has been trying to make for a long time,
namely, that in large urban areas there are great groups
of people who are extremely radical and very much opposed
to what they feel is Military and Wall Street domination
in our present Administration.
These people in the Bronx followed my husband because they
felt he understood their needs and they were getting, dom-
estically, protection which they had never had before. There
has always been a strong element of communism in this section
of the Bronx. I can remember it specifically among the
youth groups back in 1933 and 1934. I noticed the night I
spoke that every time Mr. Wallace's name was mentioned, it
was cheered.
I was not very much surprised by the results of the vote
because in the big, urban centers, even those who are
Democrats just do not come out to vote because they are
still radical enough to be unhappy about what they feel
are certain tendencies they observe in our Administration.
Ed. Flynn has told you this, I think, on a number of occasions.
It is important because if the Democrats are going to win
in a State like New York, they have to carry by a great maj-
ority, the big urban centers. I am sure you are well aware
of this, but I feel it my duty to re-enforce what already has
been said, disagreeable as it is.
I never thought this district was a good one to hail as a
pilot light of what would happen in the national election,
but naturally it would be one which Mr. Wallace and the
American Labor Party would pick to make much of, since they
were almost sure of success.
Ed. Flynn, I think, felt that his organization would do
much better than it did, but he did not count on the fact
that even Democrats in areas such as this are unenthusias-
tic at the moment.
I wrote in my column the other day, as a result of the
indications I find in my mail, that the two things bothering
APARTMENT 15-A
29 WASHINGTON square, west
NEW YORK 11, NEW YORK
the average man most at present are inflation and the fear
of another war. Congress is doing all it can to help us,
I think, because certainly they are showing a complete dis-
regard for the high cost of living as it affects the average
human being, but you never know how many people realize this.
I know that in order to obtain what we need in the way of
Military strength for defense, it would seem almost essential
to whip up fear of communism and to do certain things which
hurt us with the very element which we need in the election.
How wencan be firm and strong and yet friendly in our atti-
tude toward Russia, and obtain from Congress what we need to
keep us strong, is one of our most difficult problems. I
have often thought if you could explain the whole situation
over the radio in a series of talks to the people of our
country, it might clear up some of our difficulties, because
I find great confusion in the minds of the average citizens.
Very sincerely yours,
TRUMAN
.
HARRY ARCHIVESAND RECORDS
LIBRARY
GOVERNMENT
Marrin Prosent
U.S.
P.S. James told me of Mr. Forrestal's feeling that no
American should be allowed to volunteer in an International
Police Force. I think Mr. Forrestal is entirely wrong.
I was shocked at the suggestion that any American volunteer-
ing to fight in Palestine would lose his citizenship, and
1 could not understand why that was not invoked when
Americans went to Canada and enlisted in the Canadian
forces before we were in the war. It seems to me that
if the UN calls for an International Police Force, it
might very well say that the quotas should be equal from
all nations, big and little, and then we should call for
volunteers within our nation. To say that just because
Russia might have some soldiers in Palestine on an equal
basis with us and all the other nations involved, we would
have to mobilize fifty percent for war, seems to me
complete nonsense and I think it would seem so to most of
the people of the United States.
M.M.
4681729
romel3,
CA
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"ocrText": "apartment 15-A\n29 WASHINGTON square, WEST\nNEW YORK 11, NEW YORK\nHARRY\nTRUMAN\nFebruary 20, 1948\nU.S\nARGHIVES AND SERVICE.\nAIRRANY\nGOVERNMENT\nDear Mr. President:\nI was interested in your comment on the defeat of Ed. Flynn's\ncandidate in Bronx County. I think Ed. Flynn has proved\nthe point which he has been trying to make for a long time,\nnamely, that in large urban areas there are great groups\nof people who are extremely radical and very much opposed\nto what they feel is Military and Wall Street domination\nin our present Administration.\nThese people in the Bronx followed my husband because they\nfelt he understood their needs and they were getting, dom-\nestically, protection which they had never had before. There\nhas always been a strong element of communism in this section\nof the Bronx. I can remember it specifically among the\nyouth groups back in 1933 and 1934. I noticed the night I\nspoke that every time Mr. Wallace's name was mentioned, it\nwas cheered.\nI was not very much surprised by the results of the vote\nbecause in the big, urban centers, even those who are\nDemocrats just do not come out to vote because they are\nstill radical enough to be unhappy about what they feel\nare certain tendencies they observe in our Administration.\nEd. Flynn has told you this, I think, on a number of occasions.\nIt is important because if the Democrats are going to win\nin a State like New York, they have to carry by a great maj-\nority, the big urban centers. I am sure you are well aware\nof this, but I feel it my duty to re-enforce what already has\nbeen said, disagreeable as it is.\nI never thought this district was a good one to hail as a\npilot light of what would happen in the national election,\nbut naturally it would be one which Mr. Wallace and the\nAmerican Labor Party would pick to make much of, since they\nwere almost sure of success.\nEd. Flynn, I think, felt that his organization would do\nmuch better than it did, but he did not count on the fact\nthat even Democrats in areas such as this are unenthusias-\ntic at the moment.\nI wrote in my column the other day, as a result of the\nindications I find in my mail, that the two things bothering\nAPARTMENT 15-A\n29 WASHINGTON square, west\nNEW YORK 11, NEW YORK\nthe average man most at present are inflation and the fear\nof another war. Congress is doing all it can to help us,\nI think, because certainly they are showing a complete dis-\nregard for the high cost of living as it affects the average\nhuman being, but you never know how many people realize this.\nI know that in order to obtain what we need in the way of\nMilitary strength for defense, it would seem almost essential\nto whip up fear of communism and to do certain things which\nhurt us with the very element which we need in the election.\nHow wencan be firm and strong and yet friendly in our atti-\ntude toward Russia, and obtain from Congress what we need to\nkeep us strong, is one of our most difficult problems. I\nhave often thought if you could explain the whole situation\nover the radio in a series of talks to the people of our\ncountry, it might clear up some of our difficulties, because\nI find great confusion in the minds of the average citizens.\nVery sincerely yours,\nTRUMAN\n.\nHARRY ARCHIVESAND RECORDS\nLIBRARY\nGOVERNMENT\nMarrin Prosent\nU.S.\nP.S. James told me of Mr. Forrestal's feeling that no\nAmerican should be allowed to volunteer in an International\nPolice Force. I think Mr. Forrestal is entirely wrong.\nI was shocked at the suggestion that any American volunteer-\ning to fight in Palestine would lose his citizenship, and\n1 could not understand why that was not invoked when\nAmericans went to Canada and enlisted in the Canadian\nforces before we were in the war. It seems to me that\nif the UN calls for an International Police Force, it\nmight very well say that the quotas should be equal from\nall nations, big and little, and then we should call for\nvolunteers within our nation. To say that just because\nRussia might have some soldiers in Palestine on an equal\nbasis with us and all the other nations involved, we would\nhave to mobilize fifty percent for war, seems to me\ncomplete nonsense and I think it would seem so to most of\nthe people of the United States.\nM.M.\n4681729\nromel3,\nCA"
}