National Affairs: Lies, Chestnuts & Absurdities

The message sounded just like the Harry Truman of campaign time. Instead of sitting back petulantly while his congressional lieutenants lost fight after fight for his program, Harry Truman got into the ring himself last week. To Speaker Sam Rayburn, he sent a ripsnorting attack on his old enemy, the real-estate lobby, just in time to help along the Administration's housing bill.

In language that any Congressman could understand, Harry Truman lit into the "little group of ruthless men . . . who spend their time attempting to block progressive housing legislation ... I do not recall ever having witnessed a more deliberate campaign of misrepresentation and distortion against legislation of such crucial importance to the public welfare. The propaganda of the real-estate lobby consistently misstates the explicit provision of the bill, consistently misrepresents what will be the actual effect of the bill, and consistently distorts the facts of the housing situation in this country."

Then, in 4,000 words, Harry Truman gave the lobbyists the lie, point by point. Some of the misstatements, misrepresentations and distortions, as he saw them: ¶That the bill will cost $20 billion. ("This is an exaggeration of approximately 100% ... a shocking example of an attempt to deceive the public and to stampede members of Congress.")¶ That each low-rent housing unit will cost more than $15,000. ("Utterly absurd ... an average cost, at the most, of $8,465.")

¶That low-rent housing will not actually benefit the poor. ("A plain falsehood.") ¶That low-rent housing encourages "indolence and shiftlessness." ("This is the hoary old chestnut that has been used as an argument against proposals to advance the public welfare ever since the nation was founded.")

Next day real-estate and construction men shouted back, and in just as impolite language accused the President of misstatements, misrepresentations and distortions. Harry Truman wasn't around to listen. He was off on the air-conditioned yacht Williamsburg for a weekend of good food, good drink and good poker.