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).
October 25, 1945
THE PRESIDENT. [1.] The first announcement is the appointment of John R. Steelman as Special Assistant to the President.
Q. S-t-e-e--
THE PRESIDENT. John R. S-t-e-e-l-m-a-n.
Q. Executive Assistant…
August 9, 1949
To the House of Representatives:
I am returning herewith, without my approval, H.R. 142, amending section 18 of the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the fifteenth and subsequent decennial censuses and to provide for…
August 15, 1948
INTRODUCTION
I am issuing today my regular midyear review of the Budget of the United States. The Federal Budget expresses in dollar terms the policies and programs of our Government. This review sets forth the changes which have taken…
July 31, 1951
Dear Senator:
I have read with considerable interest your letter of July tenth with respect to S. 1134. As for the provisions of the bill dealing with the organization of the Executive Office of the President, I agree…
June 19, 1952
THE PRESIDENT. Please be seated.
I have no particular announcements to make, but I will try to answer questions.
[1.] Q. Mr. President, I wonder if you would give us your reaction to the Senate action on your reorganization plans…
June 19, 1952
THIS HAS become an annual affair, and one to which I look forward.
There is only one thing I overlooked this morning. I forgot to put on my 4-H button, for which I apologize.
I think you young people, as I told you last year…
August 8, 1947
I HAVE today approved the joint resolution of Congress (S.J. Res. 148) authorizing continuation of regulation of consumer installment credit until November 1, 1947. I regret that the Congress did not see fit to follow the recommendation…
July 31, 1951
I HAVE reluctantly signed S. 1717, the Defense Production Act Amendments of 1951, which was passed by the Congress yesterday. Unless this measure had become law, the powers necessary for carrying out our defense program would have expired…
June 28, 1950
I APPRECIATE most highly the remarks of the Secretary of Defense. I think he gave the Commander in Chief a little more credit than he deserves, but then I like that, too.
You gentlemen represent one of the principal components of the…
October 26, 1945
[ Released October 26, 1945. Dated October 25, 1945 ]
To the High Commissioner to the Philippines:
My dear Mr. High Commissioner:
In the provinces near Manila thousands of share croppers organized some years ago to demand…
July 24, 1946
I HAVE TODAY approved two bills, H.R. 6407 and H.R. 6597, authorizing the construction of river and harbor improvements. One of these bills is what is generally known as a River and Harbor Bill and authorizes projects primarily for the…
August 16, 1948
I HAVE signed Senate Joint Resolution 157.
I have done so even though it is clear that the Congress in passing this law failed to meet its responsibility to the American people.
This bill represents the feeble response of…
August 9, 1949
MR. PRESIDENT, I am extremely happy that you are not going home emptyhearted, and I am very sure you won't go home empty-handed, either.
I appreciate most highly this presentation, and I shall treasure it all my life, and give it to my…
August 10, 1949
I HAVE today signed H.R. 5632, the National Security Act Amendments of 1949.
This legislation represents a major step toward more responsible and efficient administration of the military affairs of the Nation. It converts the National…
August 18, 1948
DURING the past few days we have seen the beginnings of fruition of many months of hard work on plans for a new shipbuilding program in the United States. With the end of the recent war, our vital shipbuilding industry began to dwindle…
October 27, 1945
Admiral Daubin, Captain Soucek, Mrs. Roosevelt, ladies and gentlemen:
One of the pleasant duties in the exacting life of a President is to award honors to our fighting men for courage and valor in war. In the commissioning…
June 20, 1952
My dear Mr. Attorney General:
You are perhaps aware of the problems surrounding the sale by the Government of the superliner, the SS United States, to the United States Lines Company. As you may know, the amount of subsidy…
June 28, 1950
MR. PRESIDENT, it is a pleasure to be with you today.
I was just explaining to your president out in the hall that I had a conversation with our former Ambassador at Large just a short time ago, and he was telling me what a…
August 1, 1951
THE FEDERAL Government's programs for purchasing and increasing the supply of critical and strategic materials are vital to the security of this Nation. It is essential that we have ample supplies of basic and rare materials if we are to…
August 14, 1947
THE PRESIDENT. I have no announcements to make this morning, but I thought maybe you might have some questions you might want to ask me, and I would let you come in and do it.
[1.] Q. Mr. President, have you expressed yourself to the…
July 25, 1946
THE PRESIDENT. [1.] I have just signed the OPA bill, and I am sending a message to Congress which will reach there this evening. I will have that message ready for distribution within the next hour.
[2.] And I am going to announce the…
July 25, 1946
Dear Sam:
Representatives of groups have waited upon me and members of my staff endorsing and urging the early passage of S. 1592, the General Housing Act of 1946, which is essential to provide houses at costs and rentals…
August 11, 1949
THE PRESIDENT of the Republic of the Philippines and the President of the United States of America have met in Washington and have discussed at length problems of common interest to the two nations. The spirit of these conversations has…
August 15, 1947
AT MY REQUEST the Honorable Myron C. Taylor is proceeding to Rome as my personal representative for further exchanges of views with His Holiness Pope Pius XII, on problems relative to the establishment of peace under a moral world order…
June 23, 1952
Dear Mr. Chairman:
I have heard reports to the effect that the Senate Armed Services Committee is considering a fifty percent cut in H.R. 8120, the military construction bill which the House of Representatives passed a short…