Truman Denies Angrily Press Report That He Said New York Jews Were Disloyal to U.s

President Truman opened his press conference today with an emphatic and angry denial of what he termed a vicious statement by a columnist in a New York paper that the President had said the Jews of New York were disloyal.

The President, flushed and with extraordinary vigor, said he had thought he would not have to add another liar’s star to the crown of the fellow who made the statement, but found it necessary to do so. He reiterated that it was Just a lie out of whole cloth.

(The President’s denial apparently refers to the story carried by Drew Pearson which read as follows: “President Truman was talking to a New York publisher about Palestine. Pounding his desk, he made remarks about the New York Jews. They’re disloyal to their country. Disloyal! ‘he cried. ‘Would you explain that further, Mr. President?’ interrupted the publisher, whose wife happens to be Jewish. ‘When you speak of New York Jews are you referring to such people as Bernard Baruch? Or are you referring to such New York Jews as my wife? Truman glared, assured his visitor he did not mean to include Baruch or the publisher’s wife, then abruptly changed the subject.”)