Truman's Thanksgiving Day proclamation

Title

Language

English

Source

The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XXIV (No. 12) December 1948

Year

1948

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

Editorial

Fulltext

Editorials “... to promote the general welfare” Truman’s Thanksgiving Day Procla mation It would be instructive and inspiring to read through a collection of the Thanksgiving Day pro clamations issued in America, first by some of the early colonial gover nors and in later years by the Pres idents of the United States and the Governors of the different States, be ginning with that first proclamation of the wise Gov ernor William Bradford in Plymouth Colony after the first harvest in 1621. Taken together they would afford us a general ized and spiritualized and deeply solemn review of the vicissitudes through which the people of the United States have passed, covering periods of peace and war, of want and plenty, of ease and distress, of confidence and hesitation, of toil and strife and per il, and glorious vindication. And through all these documents we would discern that there runs, like a golden thread, that accent of faith,—faith in God, in destiny, in life, faith in man. President Truman’s proclamation of last month was one such as the head of no other nation could have issued. But only briefly he referred to the richness of the country’s blessings, and then not only to its bountiful harvests and abundant production of goods, but to its undiminished spiritual endowments, and he immediately went on to say that these re sources have permitted America to aid the needy and helpless of other lands. He also declared that America was privileged to participate in international efforts to advance human welfare, and that it is profoundly grateful for the existence of an international forum (the United Na tions) where differences among nations may be sub mitted to world opinion with a view to harmonious adjustment (not with a view to self-justifieation). • He prayed for^wisdom in the nation’s jpiw" to the problems which confront it, coupling i supplication the statement that it believt i iu T.\_/dignity of man and his right to guard nu h £_.its himself and for other peo-i- the e* . That was for Stalin and Company. In closing he called upon the American people to continue to render generous assistance to the hun gry and homeless of other lands, “thus renewing our devotion to the cause of good-will among men.” ^That is the spirit of a people who today are burdened with a public debt which in 1946 reached a level equal to over $7,000 for every family in the country, now reduced to $6,303, but still about twice the whole annual income of a typical family. But they do not despair and do not tire of well-doing be cause they believe in God, in themselves, and in their fellow men. It was rumored last month in business circles that President Quirino would issue an executive or der on or about November 15, to beImport come effective January 1 of next Control? year, instituting the so-called luxury import control system which he is authorized to establish under Republic Act No. 330. The fact that at this writing,—early December, sucl^an order has not yet been issued, is giving rise to speculation and to a hope that the Presiderirmay be hesitating as to the wisdom of the step and that he may finally decide against taking'it at all. Though so short a delay*-if a dblay*it;is, would by itself hardly justify this hope, there is otherwise plenty of reason to think that a chief executive who has the kn^-dge of economics which the President has, migjZX^J-^i' to such a decision. And if, apart M't uuZess of the decision, technical grounds je these could easily be found in the highly ■tful v .stitutionality of Act' No. 330. ^Tity granted the President under the ;erm’n._-cs^ in any event, at the end of next year, ? Although this period uf what is now practically 'tone year cohid of course be extended by Con J’s, there is no certainty that it would do st. The

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