Letter from William R. C. Baker to President Harry S. Truman

8/11/21/45 Community Church Mirst Methodist Church BUFFALO, MINN. W. R.C. baker. MINISTER MONTICELLO. MINN. BOX 251. BUFFALO, MINN. PHONE 154. BUFFALO, MINN. October 11.45 The Honorable Harry S. Truman P.P.F. The White House Washington, D.C. Dear Mr. President: B The following quotations are from an article written Sept.29 145 in the daily Minneapolis Star Journal--circulation more than 250.000:- "On Saturday night, Truman sat down at poker with his secretary of the treasury, Judge Fred Vinson, who won heavily. Truman was reported to have lost $310. Afterward he had a good time kidding Secretary Vinson. "I'm going to have his income-tax return checked to make sure he reports his winnings," the President wise-cracked. Next night, (unquote--this would be Sunday night) the President won his money back again-and then some Presidential luck was with Truman when it came to hat pool. Chip Robert, ex-secretary of the Democratic national committee, and George Allen, got up a couple of hat pools on the day's races. Truman participated, but sold half of his ticket to fellow Missourian Breckenridge Long, ex-assistant secretary of state. Truman won the pool and split $40 with Long." End quote. I sincerely hope, Mr. President, these statements are false. Ruin stalks any gambler. A nation needs a leader unfettered at least by such a habit. My wife, daughter and I must live in an old parsonage, this winter, heated by four small heating units, due to inability to borrow slightly more than the amounts totalled in these gambling episodes. We have ordered a. heating plant which is not forthcoming,due to restrictions of production. We shall be in a predicament if and when it comes, due to the financial status quo of our small church membership at Buffalo. Our church needs repairs also. How I wish I could persuade someone with financial resources, having the gambling habit, to legtimately put their money to a better purpose. If we could borrow $500 at 5% interest, we would desperately endeavor to raise a similar sum with which to repair our church and heat the parsonage. Personally, Mr. President, I wish you would either affirm or deny these Drew Pearson criticisms. I cannot accept them as true. You have much too extensive program, to waste time and money gambling. The fate of a nation merits more than a gambler's chance among the other national leaders of the world. Humbly and sincerely, in your interests, Mr. President, I beg to remain. TRUMAN IT Co. Wm. R.C.Baker. HARRY ARCHIVES ANDS "NATIONALD SERVICE" U.S. GOVER