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321496199
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Memorandum from Roger Tubby to Joseph Short
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321496199
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document
title
Memorandum from Roger Tubby to Joseph Short
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collections
Official Files (Truman Administration)
Official Files
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Presidential campaign, 1952
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321496199
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25
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1952-09-25
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9
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1952
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MEMORANDUM FOR MR. SHORT
299-E
Ma 9-25-52 R
FROM ROGER TUBBY
Rut
RE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN
#
About a year ago Senator McCarthy initiated his irresponsible smear campaign x
419-7
against the State Department and the Administration Although his charges one
after another were proved false , it is apparently the feeling of the GOP that
the McCarthy technique was so successful that it will be used from now on
The important thing , they feel, is to make charges over and over again no
matter how fanciful In addition , of course, there will continue to be
attacks on the Administration based on more legitimate grounds -- the ordinary
democratic grounds of dissent
It seems to me that the Administration is not meeting these attacks as effective-
ly as it should, or can Although the Administration record in foreign and dom-
estic affairs is as sound as in '48 , and though there have been great accomplish-
mments since then , a great many voters apparently have been led astray and
confused by the violence of the Republican attacks launched from right, left and
center
There surely seems to be a need for an effective, hard-hitting Democratic
counter-campaign It cannot wait , it seems to me , until '52 to get started
I realize, of course , that the Democratic National Committee is fully aware
of the nature of the conflict and accordingly is taking many appropriate measures.
However it seems painfully evident that not enough is being done Too many
attacks around the country are not being answered The Republicans too seldom
are put on the defensive
A full-time staff is needed it seems to me , to marshall facts quickly for
use by the Democratic Committee in its work with Congressmen, the press ,etc.
This staff would supplement the work of the Committee, and work under it
It would be charged with meeting the smear-brush attack with the truth.
TRUMAN
(I understand that such a staff has already been proposed to the Committee
NATIONAL
Invent
AND
RECORDS
it needs your backing, too)
will
GOVERNMENT
In addition to such research , there should be , it seems to me , more speeches
around the country by the President, members of the Cabinet, Democratic Congress-
men and Governors, as well as labor leaders, farmers and businessmen . They
should be furnished adequate, up-to-date information by the Democratic Committee.
The Big Lies should be nailed promptly -- over and over and over again It is
not enough ** to knock them down just once in a while o
To get the campaign going properly it does seem that the President should take
X136-A
the lead soon in a series of talks, giving courage to those faint hearts who are
afraid to fight , many of whom will surely be defeated if they don't Such talks
would, I think, not only rally Democrats, but the country at large and our allies
People everywhere in these perilous times need to see and hear Mr. Truman, to share
his strong feeling of faith in our country and in western civilization and to
partake of his evident courage and determination to resist aggression. They need to
know again and again that he believes that we all can have a great future if we
work for it o He surely will inspire, as he has in the past, others to talk in
the same way and, more important, to think in the same way I recommend that
x299-A
a 2 staff meeting be held with the President, Mr. Boyle and Mr. Van Devender to
discuss Democratic public relations