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).
June 11, 1952
Dear Dick:
I appreciated very much your letter of the tenth as the result of our conversation yesterday on the situation in Korea. I hope we can get a concrete result.
I am enclosing for you a copy of a memorandum which I…
June 11, 1952
I AM very much pleased to have you here today. I hope we can accomplish the purposes set forth in the message in the proposed bill that is now before the two committees in the House and the Senate, and continue to help those refugees who…
October 8, 1945
[1.] Q. Mr. President, you made a statement, as near as I can remember, in your speech at the fair, that when the nations of the world learn to put total world progress ahead of individual gain at the expense of other states, then we…
June 14, 1950
THE PRESIDENT announced today that, in accordance with his recommendations, the Federal Inter-Agency Basin Committee has established an Arkansas-White-Red River Basins Inter-Agency Committee. The purpose of the new Committee is to…
August 1, 1947
THE PRESIDENT. I merely wanted to make a few remarks to you this morning. I couldn't hold a press conference this week, but I wanted to say to you personally a thing or two that I couldn't very well say any other way, so I asked Charlie…
July 24, 1948
TODAY the Fourth Semiannual Report of the Atomic Energy Commission is made public, almost on the eve of the second anniversary of the Atomic Energy Act of 1946. Every thoughtful person should become familiar with this report. Atomic…
July 11, 1946
IT IS a good thing, from time to time, for all of us to take stock of the progress we have made toward our peacetime domestic goal of sustained full production and full employment.
John R. Steelman's report on reconversion1 sets forth…
July 19, 1951
Dear Mrs. Guyer:
Thank you for your thoughtful letter about the need for price controls. It means a great deal to me to get letters like yours. And I have been getting many of them-letters from places like Houston, Texas and…
July 25, 1949
My dear Mr. Speaker:
On May 31, 1949, the Senate passed, without a dissenting vote, S. 1527, a bill to give home rule to the people of the District of Columbia. A subcommittee of the House Committee on the District of…
June 11, 1952
THANK YOU, Mr. Attorney General. I know very well that the people here do actually represent the welfare of the United States as a whole.
Now I have been in elective public office for 30 years. I have been in politics for 40 or 45 years…
July 12, 1946
EVERY AMERICAN can take pride in the record of accomplishment in shipping food for relief as shown in the attached report which I have received from Secretary of Agriculture Clinton P. Anderson.
Only by cooperation and determined effort…
June 15, 1950
General Shepherd, General Cates, distinguished guests, members of the Marine Corps, and the Navy, and the Army, and the Air Force--we have unification now:
It is a very great pleasure for me to be here today. I notice that General…
August 5, 1947
[Released August 5, 1947. Dated August 4, 1947]
I AM withholding my approval from H. R. 2471, an act "To provide for periodical reimbursement of the general fund of the District of Columbia for certain expenditures made for the…
July 19, 1951
THE PRESIDENT. Please be seated.
I have no announcements to make this morning. I will try to answer questions.
[1.] Q. Mr. President, does this Government have any evidence that Russia has achieved an atomic explosion since…
July 27, 1948
[ As delivered in person before a joint session ]
Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, and Members of the 80th Congress:
The urgent needs of the American people require our presence here today.
Our people demand legislative action…
July 26, 1949
I UNDERSTAND that you have been taking a look at the press of the United States. We are glad to have you in the country, and hope that you will get some satisfaction out of your visit.
There are a great many wonderful newspapers in this…
October 10, 1945
Ladies and gentlemen:
Nine years ago the first dam of the Tennessee Valley Authority-the Norris Dam on the Clinch River--was dedicated by my illustrious predecessor--Franklin D. Roosevelt. At the very start of his…
October 10, 1945
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE today join the people of all free nations in saluting the people of China upon this thirty-fourth anniversary of China's national revolution. For the first time in fourteen years China is able to celebrate the…
July 13, 1946
Dear___________:
As veterans return to college by the hundreds of thousands, the institutions of higher education face a period of trial which is taxing their resources and their resourcefulness to the utmost. The Federal…
July 29, 1948
THE PRESIDENT. Ladies and gentlemen, I have no announcements to make. If you have any questions, I will try to answer them.
[1.] Q. Mr. President, General Bradley said he favored segregation in the lower echelons of the Army. Is that…
June 16, 1950
To the Senate of the United States:
I am returning herewith, without my approval, S. 1008, a bill "To define the application of the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Clayton Act to certain pricing practices".
It is the…
August 5, 1947
My dear Governor Pinero:
I have today signed the bill which will make the governorship of Puerto Rico an elected office, beginning in 1948. I consider it a great step toward complete self-government and I sincerely hope that…
July 28, 1949
THE PRESIDENT. [1.] I have a statement I would like to read to you on a thing that has been taking place recently.
Q. Will it be available after, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT. It will be available. It's all set up for you…
June 12, 1952
THE PRESIDENT. I have no announcements to make. I will try to answer questions.
[1.] Q. Mr. President, I wonder if you could tell us now whether you plan to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act in view of the congressional votes?1
THE PRESIDENT…
July 19, 1951
IT IS a pleasure to have you here. I hope you are all enjoying yourselves at the camp. I am sure you are, because by the looks of you, you are getting plenty to eat.
I hope that when you go back home you will carry with you an impression…