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Sale 2
Lot 179
HISTORY CHASES FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMAN. Truman's humorous, bantering letter, which reveals the warm confidentiality enjoyed between these two men, carefully skirts a more serious matter, which Acheson has broched on behalf of a bemused historian, a Dr. Noble of the Historical Division of the State Department, who is anxious to gain access to the Potsdam papers, the documents which instrumented the ending of World War II, and whom Truman has evidently been avioding. Acheson alludes to Truman's preoccupation with the Presidential Library, and the former President's recently published Memoirs (Part 1, "Year of Decisions"), and goes on to urge Truman to allow history to run its course: "…A few days ago I had a call from a man suffering badly from frustration--Dr. Noble of the Historical Division of the State Department, a good man. You were the cause of the frustration. He showed me a letter from you last spring saying that you would take up his request to look at some of the Potsdam papers when the book was out of the way; then a recent one saying that you would get to it when the library was finished and the papers installed. Poor Dr. Noble!I think this is fair and right. Noble is trying to do a shcolarly [sic] job. He doubts whether the Potsdam volume will be out for years as the British do not propose to be treated again as they were on the Yalta papers--a trick of our friend Foster's [John Foster Dulles] which bounced back on him. Noble will give me a new list of documents before I come out and I hope you can find a few minutes to talk with me about it."
The two letters provide an odd glimpse the yapping dog of history chasing the former President, who is busy writing a version of these same events himself. The second volume of Truman's Memoirs (Part II,"Years of Trial & Hope", 1956) would be published the following year.
Exceptional content. Beautifully framed with the Acheson transcript and Truman's manuscript on either side of a handsome photograph portrait of the President, with a bronze Presidential Medallion centered below. Overall size is 20 x 33." 33rd President of the United States,1945-1953.
Autograph Letter Signed, One page, Quarto, on imprinted personal letterhead, Kansas City, Missouri, December 10, 1955, to Dean Acheson (1893-1971), Truman's Secretary of State (served 1949-53), a transcript of whose letter of Dec. 8, 1955 is included, and framed opposite Truman's letter. This wry, personal missive topically concerns a recent bout of ex-presidential intestinal rumbling. Truman writes, in full:
"Dear Dean: Just as I'd put an air mail letter down the shoot in answer to yours, here comes this hand written letter telling me you are an expert on upset insides! Well you are an expert on many things including politics, foreign affairs and shoes and sealing wax and whether the sea is boiling hot and pigs have wings -- but I didn't know that you are familiar with the ramifications of 5000 feet of -- should I say guts or intestines? If I show your letter to the Boss [Mrs Truman] she'bottom left say of course, tell him to bring the baseball bat with the spikes in the business end. Maybe I won't tell her but of course I will. It's too good to keep. I'm looking forward to a most pleasant session with you -- bring Alice. Sincerely Harry." .
Very Fine.
Estimated Value $3,500-UP.
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