Ask the Scholar

Page 3 of 3
I can add historical knowledge about this page.

Page image

Page 3

OCR

-2- Honorable Harry S. Truman March 4, 1948 Why can't we come right out and say what we mean instead of hedging the thing around with such phraseology that even the trained newsmen and commentators can't seem to penetrate the fog? If I'm wrong and if we are in truth ducking on this issue, then the American people should be told in simple and direct language what we are doing and why. The facts should be put on the table. Those of us who support you and have supported you and who want to continue fighting in behalf of your program, are at a terrible dis- advantage in this Palestine incident because we just can't put our finger on the facts. It isn't fair to you and it isn't fair to us for us to be in such a position of complete bafflement that we hesitate to open our mouths. Foreign affairs and the United Nations are things which are now real and personal to nearly all Americans. We want them to stay that way. The quickest way to dissipate this interest and revive isolation- ism and unconcern is, I think, to feed the public vague generalities and legalistic double-talk which the public can't understand. I don't think you could lend yourself to any "sell-out" such as has been charged in regard to Palestine. And yet, Mr. President, it is so terribly difficult to find solid facts and plain, understandable information on just where we do stand that I am most disturbed. I do not ask that you answer my letter. I just thought I owed it to you to pass my thoughts along. Sincerely and most respectfully yours, James FRANCIS J. MYERS Mayuro FJM:rz

Page data

Page
3
Source index
0
Type
photo
Media ID
f7d8e651305bbc87
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
290016813
Core
doc
Type
document
DTO data
{
    "id": "290016813",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290016813",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Senator Francis J. Myers",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290016813",
    "collections": [
        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
        "Subject Files"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750343/750343-03-001.tif",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750343/750343-03-001.tif",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750343/750343-03-001.tif",
    "imageCount": 3,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

Context sent to Scholar

Document identity
{
    "localId": "290016813",
    "label": "Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Senator Francis J. Myers",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290016813"
}
Document source metadata
{
    "id": "290016813",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290016813",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Senator Francis J. Myers",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290016813",
    "collections": [
        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
        "Subject Files"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750343/750343-03-001.tif",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750343/750343-03-001.tif",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750343/750343-03-001.tif",
    "imageCount": 3,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290016813",
    "naId": 290016813,
    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "productionDates": [
        {
            "logicalDate": "1948-03-01",
            "month": 3,
            "year": 1948
        }
    ],
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
    "seq": 3,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750343/750343-03-003.tif",
    "mediaId": "f7d8e651305bbc87",
    "ocrText": "-2-\nHonorable Harry S. Truman\nMarch 4, 1948\nWhy can't we come right out and say what we mean instead of\nhedging the thing around with such phraseology that even the trained\nnewsmen and commentators can't seem to penetrate the fog?\nIf I'm wrong and if we are in truth ducking on this issue, then\nthe American people should be told in simple and direct language what\nwe are doing and why. The facts should be put on the table.\nThose of us who support you and have supported you and who want\nto continue fighting in behalf of your program, are at a terrible dis-\nadvantage in this Palestine incident because we just can't put our\nfinger on the facts. It isn't fair to you and it isn't fair to us for\nus to be in such a position of complete bafflement that we hesitate to\nopen our mouths.\nForeign affairs and the United Nations are things which are now\nreal and personal to nearly all Americans. We want them to stay that\nway. The quickest way to dissipate this interest and revive isolation-\nism and unconcern is, I think, to feed the public vague generalities\nand legalistic double-talk which the public can't understand.\nI don't think you could lend yourself to any \"sell-out\" such as\nhas been charged in regard to Palestine. And yet, Mr. President, it\nis so terribly difficult to find solid facts and plain, understandable\ninformation on just where we do stand that I am most disturbed.\nI do not ask that you answer my letter. I just thought I owed\nit to you to pass my thoughts along.\nSincerely and most respectfully yours,\nJames\nFRANCIS J. MYERS Mayuro\nFJM:rz"
}