Dear Bess: October 18, 1939
Transcript
Hello and welcome to the Dear Bess/ Dear Harry podcast, a service of Harry S Truman National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service. Today we present a Dear Bess letter that Senator Harry S Truman wrote to Mrs. Truman on October 18, 1939. Early in the letter he discusses the upcoming wedding of his nephew John C. Truman. John C. Truman was a son of Senator Truman’s brother, John Vivian Truman, and served in the US Navy during World War II on the USS Missouri, and later served as clerk for the US District Court of Western Missouri for 20 years. In this letter, too, you sense that the Jimmy Stewart film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” hits a nerve…Senator Truman thinks the portrayal of the Senate is sort of unfair. What do you think? Washington, D.C. October 18, 1939 Dear Bess: Was most happy to get your Monday letter enclosing J. C.'s invitation. Well, if he wants to become a Catholic I have no objection, of course. Now don't pass the buck to me on the wedding present - you know more about what is correct than I ever will. I'm very fond of those nephews. You ought to appreciate how I feel toward them by your own feeling for Fred's children. You put the amount into the present that you'd want to put into it for your own nephew. Get 'em something they can use and can't break up. Here's another one, too, who'll have to have a present. She's a tough egg, but Lester Jordon would cut a throat for me and we'll have to come across with something. Five dollars is enough for this one. This is her second venture. The first one resulted in a cross-eyed son, so cross-eyed it makes your head ache to look at him. Just as bad as the crazy movie actor, Roscoe Ates, or whatever his name is. Hope you got your hat all right and that the bridge game was a success. Went to see Mr. Smith Goes to Washington last night with Minton. Sat in a box with J. Monroe Johnson and Mrs. Johnson, with Louis Johnson next to us in another box. Jim Farley, old man Norris, Wheeler, Guffey and a lot of other Senators were present. It makes asses out of all Senators who are not crooks. But it also shows up the correspondents in their true drunken light too. And that reminds me that the chief correspondent for the Post-Dispatch came by and told me the P.D. had decided to give me a fair break in their news columns for the coming campaign. May see you Friday night at 8:47 K.C. time at the airport; will call if it happens. Is Margie's hand paralyzed? Love to you both, Harry
In this letter to Mrs. Truman, Senator Harry Truman writes about family weddings, and his unhappiness about the movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."
A digital copy of the original letter can be seen here: Washington, D.C. October 18, 1939
https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/library/truman-papers/correspondence-harry-s-truman-bess-wallace-truman-1921-1959/october-18-1939