Dear Bess: September 23, 1947
Transcript
Welcome to the 219 North Delaware Street podcast, a service of Harry S Truman National Historic Site and the National Park Service.
Today we would like to share with you a letter that President Harry Truman sent to his wife Bess Wallace Truman on September 23, 1947. You immediately understand that the President is very much missing his family. You also begin hearing how his administration is planning post World War II aid for the people of Europe, a program unlike anything America had ever done before.
[The White House] September 23, 1947 Dear Bess: Well you and Margie have been gone three days. It seems like three months. The old place is like a deserted village and the ghosts still walk. I leave my doors open so I can tell which way they are going. Been sleeping so soundly however I haven't heard them only when I wake up at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning. It's still an old barn in the form of a jail for me. Marshall and Lovett were in yesterday morning and went over the European situation from soup to nuts with me. It's pretty bad but not quite as bad as I thought it would be. If it works out as planned it will cost us about sixteen billions over a four year period. I cancelled 42 billions in appropriations for the last half of 1945 so if we can buy peace and quiet for about 2/5 of half year's war cost it will be cheap at the price. But I don't know what squirrel heads like Taber, Herter, Bridges and Byrd will think of it. All of 'em are living in 1890 when a billion dollar Congress beat the Republicans in 1892. That was for the two years too. This amount of 16 Billions is just the amount of the national debt when Franklin took over. He ran it up to 40 odd and then the war came along and it is 257 but we can't understand those figures anyway. The sixteen countries seem to have done an honest job at Paris. Our difficulty is corn crop shortage, price inflation and the consenting of South and Central American countries to help us. But it is not so bad as two wars 3 and 7 thousand miles away. And that's what it was April 12, '45. It's a most beautiful day and cold. It was 42? this morning. But sunshine gives a better outlook and I need that. Have some very grave decisions to make between now and Saturday. Hope you are having a nice time. Kiss my girl. Lots of love, Harry.
A letter from President Truman to his First Lady, September 23, 1947.
The original can be seen here: https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/library/truman-papers/correspondence-harry-s-truman-bess-wallace-truman-1921-1959/september-23-1947