The Nome Nugget

Stassen's Charge of "Worst President"

WASHINGTON. (AP)—President Truman said yesterday he doesn't feel the cold war is close to turning into a shooting war with Russia. In fact, he said, he thinks the international situation is much better now than it was in 1946.

Mr. Truman voiced his optimism for world peace at a news conference. He spoke out after a reporter told him Senator Tydings (D.-Md.) had said this country is close to a shooting war with Russia.

The President said he thinks Tydings was unduly alarmed if he said that. He said he thinks the situation is improving. He said he may be an optimist in saying that, and added that one has to be an optimist to be President of the United States.

Mr. Truman said that he disagrees with former President Hoover on Hoover's proposal to reorganize the United Nations without Russia. But, he said, he feels Hoover is right in suggesting that moral forces be strengthened for world peace.

The President said the nation's defense budget will be smaller for the 1951-52 fiscal year (beginning July 1, 1951) and he is not alarmed in any sense of the word. This was in answer to a question whether recently proposed increases in the 1950-51 defense budget were based on alarming world conditions.

Informed of arguments that because of the present deficit the nation could no longer afford the Marshall Plan, the President replied that is the old argument which its opponents have made ever since the plan was started.

He contended the deficit exists because Congress refused to levy sufficient taxes to support the government's need. The Marshall Plan, he asserted, is much cheaper than a shooting war.

He said there is nothing to (Continued on Page Four)
Truman Laughs At Stassen's Charge of "Worst President"
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claims that every time there is a Stalin scare this country spends another billion. The present budget, he went on, is a good one and as tight as it can be made. Defense outlays are budgeted at $13,911,000,000 in the pending appropriation bill, with an amendment calling for an additional $350,000,000 mainly for air power.
Asked whether White House mail shows a growing concern among the American people over communism and whether communism will be a factor in the coming elections, Mr. Truman replied the people are always uneasy about an organization that believes in overthrow of the United States government by violence.
He said he does not believe there is any unusual trend in the direction mentioned by the reporter.
In response to questions about the Florida primary. Mr. Truman said he does not regard the defeat of Senator Pepper as a defeat for the Fair Deal or the Administration. He said there were certain issues in the campaign that had no bearing on the national picture.
Asked if he had invited Senator Taylor (D.-Idaho), vice presidential candidate on Henry Wallace's Progressive Party ticket in 1948, to ride his special train as it crosses Idaho on his coming tour. Mr. Truman said he had not.
He added that he would be happy to shake hands with Taylor when the Presidential train goes through Idaho.
On other subjects:
The President took another dig at Senator McCarthy (R.-Wis.) for his charges that the state department is a haven for communists.
Asked about McCarthy's recent attack on former Secretary of State Marshall, he said anything
McCarthy said is not worth commenting on.
Mr. Truman laughed when he was asked to comment on a statement by Harold E. Stassen, president of the University of Pennsylvania, calling his the "cleverest politician and the worst President" in the nation's history. Mr. Truman said that was quite a statement but he had no comment.