Public Papers
The Public Papers of Harry S. Truman contain most of President Truman's public messages, statements, speeches, and news conference remarks. Documents such as Proclamations, Executive Orders, and similar documents that are published in the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations, as required by law, are usually not included. The documents within the Public Papers are arranged in chronological order. President Truman delivered the remarks or addresses from Washington, D. C., unless otherwise indicated. The White House in Washington issued statements, messages, and letters unless noted otherwise. (Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, Harry S. Truman, 1945-1953. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1966)
The Public Papers contain items such as the Statement by the President Announcing the Use of the A-Bomb at Hiroshima (August 6, 1945), the Special Message to the Congress on Greece and Turkey: The Truman Doctrine (March 12, 1947), the White House Statement Announcing Recognition of the Government of Israel (January 31, 1949), the Statement and Order by the President on Relieving General MacArthur of His Commands (April 11, 1951), and The President's Farewell Address to the American People (January 15, 1953).
September 19, 1945
EVERY AMERICAN has an interest in when our soldiers and sailors will return to civilian life. With many of us, this is a personal
interest. We all want to feel sure that no one is going to be held in the service a day longer than is…
May 19, 1950
THANK YOU very much, Mr. Secretary. It has been a wonderful evening. I want to compliment the Secretary of Defense on that address he has just delivered. It covered the situation very adequately. But really, I wish you could really have…
June 24, 1949
To the Congress of the United States:
In order to enable the United States, in cooperation with other countries, to assist the peoples of economically under-developed areas to raise their standards of living, I recommend the…
June 18, 1946
[Released June 18, 1946. Dated June 17, 1946]
Dear Harold:
Enclosed is a copy of a report prepared by my Committee on the Integration of the Medical Services of the Government. Please distribute the pertinent parts of this…
July 5, 1947
THE CABINET Committee on World Food Programs, which I appointed last September to coordinate the activities of the United States in shipping food abroad, has submitted a report that should gratify every American.
To meet urgent human…
September 20, 1945
[ Released September 20, 1945. Dated September 19, 1945 ]
Dear Mr. Secretary:
The time has come when a grateful Nation must recognize your right to enter into the retirement which you have earned through forty years of…
May 23, 1952
MEMORIAL DAY has been traditionally a day of prayer for those Americans who have died in the defense of their country. On May 23, 1950, pursuant to a joint resolution of the Congress, I proclaimed each succeeding Memorial Day as a day of…
June 18, 1948
[1.] ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA (6:10 a.m.)
Good morning! It certainly is a pleasure to see you this early in the morning. Some of you must have gotten up just as early as I did! We have had a wonderful trip across the country,…
May 20, 1950
THANK YOU very much. It has been a grand evening, one of the most pleasant I have spent in many a day.
I am instructing the staff to employ the chairman and toastmaster as a professional introducer to go along on the train next time.
Mrs…
June 27, 1951
IT IS a pleasure to have you. I understand you are in Washington studying the Government and its operation. I hope you will find out all about it. I have been trying to find out all about it for 60 years--and I still have a lot to learn…
January 29, 1948
To the Congress of the United States:
Section 6(a) of Public Law 395, Eightieth Congress, first session, provides that whenever the President shall determine that there is or threatens to be a critical shortage of any raw…
April 27, 1945
I WISH, also, to announce that I have asked Dr. Isador Lubin, Commissioner of Labor
Statistics, to serve with and accompany Mr. Pauley as his associate.
Dr. Lubin will be given the personal rank of Minister. I am very grateful to Dr.…
January 23, 1947
THE PRESIDENT. Well, gentlemen, I have no announcements to make, so I am open for questions.
[1.] Q. Mr. President, in the light of changing economic conditions, do you think you will favor any change in rent controls in the near…
January 18, 1949
My dear Governor Dewey:
I deeply appreciate your message of congratulations. Good wishes such as yours strengthen me for the tasks that lie ahead. My warmest thanks go to you for this renewed evidence of the firmness of…
January 16, 1952
TODAY is the 69th birthday of the competitive civil service in our Nation. We have come a long way since 1883; 93 percent of all Federal workers are now under civil service. They hold their jobs by virtue of having won them in open…
January 15, 1951
To the Congress of the United States:
On January sixth, I approved H.R. 9893, 81st Congress, an Act "To authorize certain construction at military and naval installations, and for other purposes".
The installations which…
January 15, 1946
CITATION FOR LEGION OF MERIT
CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER Frank G. Stoner, W2139797, Army of the United States, as Cryptographic Maintenance Technician; and later, Assistant Signal Officer, White House Signal Detachment, during the period…
January 16, 1950
Mr. Chairman, gentlemen:
I haven't any business to be discussing things financial with the financial brains that are before me tonight. I am just a farmer from Missouri who had bad luck and got kicked into a big job. I was…
June 18, 1948
To the Congress of the United States:
Pursuant to the Labor Management Relations Act, 1947, it is my duty to report to the Congress concerning the labor dispute which recently existed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.…
June 28, 1951
THE PRESIDENT, Please be seated.
[1.] I have an announcement to make, that Francis P. Matthews will be Ambassador to Ireland and Dan Kimball will be Secretary of the Navy.
[2.] And I have a very important…
May 22, 1950
To the Congress of the United States:
I have approved H.R. 5472, an Act "Authorizing the construction, repair and 'preservation of certain public works on rivers and harbors for navigation, flood control and for other purposes…
September 20, 1945
My dear General Donovan:
I appreciate very much the work which you and your staff undertook, beginning prior to the Japanese surrender, to liquidate those wartime activities of the Office of Strategic Services which will…
May 23, 1952
To all Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies:
Subject: S.J. Res. 122--"to impose limitations with regard to executive agreements"--and S.J. Res. 130--"proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to the…
July 7, 1947
To the Congress of the United States:
On several occasions I have advocated legislation to enable a substantial number of displaced persons to enter the United States as immigrants. I stated this view in opening the Second…
June 19, 1946
Dear Harold:
With very deep regret I accept your resignation as Director of the Bureau of the Budget, effective at the close of business today.
My regret, in thus complying with your request for immediate release from your…