Letter from Judge Lewis Schwellenbach to Senator Harry S. Truman

Chanbers of Lowis B. Schwollenbach United States District Judge Spokane, Washington COPY January, 23, 1942 Honorable Harry Truman Senate Office Building Washington, D. C. Dour Marry: Marold MeGrath sent ne the mineographed copy of your apeech which I have atudiad carsfully. I think it 1a oplen- did. I was particularly pleased with the fnet that you used such siraple and understendable language. I think you covered the field very well. I am glad that the War De- partment found you too feeble to command an artillery battery. You are worth more than half a dozen Oenerals in the conduct of the war. Last night I enjoyed reading the Congressional Record and noting the nurber of Senators who praised you end the committee. I am sure that esch member of the committee feels proud of his connection with it. Having said that, I wonder if you would permit me to make a few suggestions. I realize that I am far away and that there are many angles of your problems with which I am unfaniliar. On the other hand, I have atudied your report carefully and I have the advantage of a far-away perspective without all of the confusion of the Washington, D. C., scene. I also have the advantage of a purely local renction to your activities. Generally speaking, that reaction has been highly favorable. You are given the credit for having forced the acceptance by the Prosident of the one-man control and the appointment of Donald Nalson. On the other hand, there is the criticiam that your report was too general and that it pointed the finger of suspicion towarda overyone without dif- farentiating between those who had been derelict and those who had not. A comparison has been made between your report and the report of the Naval Affairs Committee of the House along this line. I am satiafied that such a comparison and criti- cism is antirely unfounded. It seems to me it is an expres- sion, generally, of the same point of view as was evidenced on the Senate floor by a number of the Senators, particularly Senator Vandenburg. I refor to the quostions aaked by him and others as to when those to blame were to be brought to prosecution or as to what specific pieces of legislation are to grow out of your committee investigations. Such questions indicate a complete lack of understanding of the fundanental purposes of your committee. of course, there has always