U.S. At War: Precedents Up & Down

The time-honored precedent of making a top party politician the Postmaster General of the U.S. got its bow from President Truman. To replace Postmaster General Frank C. Walker, the President appointed jut-chinned, 42-year-old Bob Hannegan, who had risen to the top of the Democratic National Committee in twelve years from a start as a Committeeman in St. Louis' 21st Ward.

But the precedent of appointing professional Army & Navy officers as Presidential aides was broken. President Truman had already replaced Colonel Richard Park Jr. of the regular Army with Colonel Harry H. Vaughan, emergency officer and World War I comrade of Captain Harry S. Truman, Battery D, 129th Field Artillery. Last week the President announced that his new Naval aide (replacing Vice Admiral Wilson Brown) was Captain James K. Vardaman.

Reserve Officer Vardaman, 50-year-old son of the late rabble-rousing Senator James K. Vardaman of Mississippi, is a St. Louis lawyer, banker and shoe manufacturer (Vardaman Shoe Co.). He was also commander of Battery A, 335th Field Artillery, A.E.F. For onetime Artilleryman Harry Truman, that was a recommendation too.