The Evening Star (February 12, 1946)
Report that Truman shuns race in 1948 denied by Hannegan
President too busy to consider re-election, party chairman says
Chairman Robert E. Hannegan of the Democratic National Committee today declared there is “no truth” in a published report that President Truman had told White House advisers that he would not – or did not wish to – seek re-election in 1948.
The news story, which first was carried on the wires of the Chicago Sun, said the Truman declaration was made several weeks ago at a meeting in the White House.
Mr. Hannegan issued the following statement: “There is no truth in the report that President Truman told a group of White House advisers that he would not be a candidate for the presidency in 1948.
“The president has been so busy with foreign and domestic problems of overshadowing importance that he has had no time to consider the 1948 election.
“I do not know the origin of the story appearing in newspapers today. To my knowledge, no such meeting as was described was ever held.”
White House Secretary Charles G. Ross refused to comment on the story.
Earlier, one Democratic lieutenant, who refused to be quoted by name, said he and others regarded Mr. Truman’s reported statement as only a reiteration of the view the president has entertained since he succeeded to the office last April.
Mr. Truman has told friends in the past that he would much prefer to have remained on Capitol Hill. He has said to them he did not seek the presidency in any way but would do his best to do credit to the office.
‘Prisoner of party’
Party chieftains were inclined to class the latest reported declaration as another indication of his personal modesty. But they said that they have little doubt Mr. Truman can be convinced that he is likely to be the only Democratic candidate who has a chance of winning for the party in 1948.
Some of these Democratic leaders reportedly have been telling Mr. Truman that, in effect, he is a “prisoner of his party.”
The Washington dispatch to the Chicago Sun last night said Mr. Truman’s reported assertion “came without warning one night several weeks ago at a routine White House conference in which administration legislation was being discussed.”
Hannegan reported shocked
Written by Thomas F. Reynolds of the Sun’s Washington staff, the dispatch referred to the incident as “a virtual renunciation of Democratic party leadership.”
Saying the account came from “high administration sources,” Mr. Reynolds added: “The private presidential declaration was said to have shocked Robert E. Hannegan, Democratic national chairman and postmaster general, to the extent that he imposed complete silence on the handful of close White House advisers who overheard Mr. Truman’s statement.
“Since the incident occurred, several weeks ago, Hannegan has been striving at every opportunity to strengthen the impression that Mr. Truman is a candidate to succeed himself for a second term.”
Mr. Reynolds said “the details of Mr. Truman’s statement vary in different accounts. One account says that he declared that he has no wish to run for re-election. Another account says that he said he does not intend to run. But all accounts agree that Hannegan was shocked and startled.”