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June. 194S
The future will have to answer those questions. But part of the answer is to be found now — not only in Truman's personal character, but also in the heritage that Roosevelt passed on to his successor and to the American people.
That heritage is so rich — that fears about the future are unbecoming, even shameful.
THE LATE COMPARED WITH THE NEW
President Truman now reaps all the benefits — and all the deficiencies — of Mr. Roosevelt's policies in directing the war, in directing foreign affairs, and in the domestic program.
As for the prosecution of the war, everyone knows that nothing is going to interfere with all'Out victory.
President Truman is not a military strategist in the sense that Roosevelt was. But he knows that, and his first move today was to confer with mili' tary chiefs on the conduct of the war. That is not going to be changed. It is, as you know, carrying us to fast approaching victory over Germany.
As for the Pacific, it may be that the final strategy against Japan has not yet been mapped out. In any event, if Russia enters the war against Japan — then it will be President Truman's job to sit down with Churchill and Stalin, as Roosevelt did at Teheran and at Yalta.
As of now, it's evident that the Japanese have no way out, except unconditional surrender or to go on with their empty strategy of committing suicide. That has been their practice, for the very good reason that they have no weapons or strategy
to turn back the tide that is sweeping over them.
Roosevelt helped create that tide: Truman takes over to see that the tide continues.
All the fruits of Roosevelt's unceasing work to build a structure for peace, are now put in the hands of President Truman.
He has two outstanding advantages: He enters the White House with the United Nations a genuine thing, not just a dream. And also at a moment when the American people are overwhelmingly in favor of cooperation with other nations.
Roosevelt, against great opposition and by gradual stages, ripped open the cocoon of American isolationism. It was anything but a small job, and few men could have done it. But it has been done. That is one battle Truman will not have to fight, but it is a bat' tie that will take continuing effort to stay won.
Truman is on the side of international cooperation. He has the friendship of Congress, and the technique of working with Congress. He does not have Roosevelt's mastery of the art of government, nor his grasp of foreign affairs. Roosevelt was his own Secretary of State for the most part. Truman is expected to depend much more on Secretary Stettinius.
Roosevelt had a detailed understanding of foreign affairs. He understood far in advance what was coming, even though at times he was uncertain about how to meet the inevitable. But on the big issue of facing up to the war, he was daring and