Friendly Exchange

During the long, lazy days at Key West, Fla. the formalities of the White House had quickly given way to a friendly atmosphere of sport-shirted ease. Harry Truman pitched horseshoes with his staff, bobbed placidly in the blue-green Atlantic waters, sometimes dropped in to chat with reporters on a companionable first-name basis. It was during one such informal visit--at a party for White House Secretary Matt Connelly--that one newsman casually observed that General Dwight D. Eisenhower seemed to be acting oddly like a presidential candidate. As casually, Harry Truman amiably agreed.

Ordinarily the incident might have been forgotten, but to correspondents becalmed at Key West, it seemed like a ruffling little breeze of news. Next day the nation's press (attributing its information to unnamed presidential "intimates" ) breathlessly reported that Harry Truman had spotted Ike as the Republican to beat in 1952. Considering Ike's series of anti-Fair Deal speeches (TIME, Dec. 12-19), the assumption did not seem too farfetched.

At a press conference in Fort Worth, Texas, Ike promptly denied all. "Frankly," he said, "I have no political angle, and I'm not going to let any sort of talk by others make me a candidate." Asked if he had seen the Key West stories, he replied: "I wouldn't comment on anything [Harry Truman] said, even if he said it." Then, voicing the "highest respect and admiration" for the President, he added: "Back in 1948, he never wavered in believing that I meant what I said in declining to be a candidate, and I don't believe he is wavering now."

The Truman camp responded to this bluff and soldierly statement with alacrity. Speaking with some warmth, Press Secretary Charles G. Ross announced: "Apparently General Eisenhower is being heckled and embarrassed by stories [from] Key West. I cannot imagine what foundation there is for [them]. The President wants it to go on the record--he and General Eisenhower are good friends, and always have been. I'll say now, the President has not discussed with 'intimates' the possibility of General Eisenhower's becoming a candidate."

Of course Spokesman Ross was sidestepping the issue, as his press conference well knew. Whether newsmen qualified as "intimates" or not, Harry Truman had obviously gotten the same impression as many another politico: as long as Ike looked like a candidate, talked like a candidate and acted like a candidate he might as well be tagged as one.

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