All of the people he dealt with he knew personally. He knew people of integrity, he knew the ones to watch out for. They were neighbors. Bing crosby, for the rest of his life, treated people like neighbors. That is why the neighborhood is so important to understanding the rest of his life. Our cities tour staffers at we travel to spokane, washington, to learn about its history. Learn more about spokane and other stops at our tour on cspan. Org tour. Cspan. Org citi. Americane watching history tv, all weekend, every weekend, on cspan3. We continue with our look at spokane. Cspan, where history unfolds daily. In 1979, cspan was created as a Public Service by americas Cable Television companies, and is brought to you today by your satellite or cable provider. Up next, on American History tv, lisa ocean of Des Moines Area Community college uses photographs and diary entries to describe the enduring friendship between republican Herbert Hoover and democrat harry truman. Part of theas Herbert Hoover president ial library and museums daylong conference. It is 45 minutes. Welcome back. For the second half of our conference, starting off this by dr. Lisa a paper payne ocean. She is a professor of history at Des Moines Area Community college. She received her masters degree in womens studies from Eastern Michigan University and a doctorate from iowa state in agricultural history and rural studies. Uthor of three books ocean has now direct did her Research Interests in exploring postwar foodvers relief efforts. Ocean serves on the board of war and culture, and is the editor of a fourth coming forthcoming volume. Her dog a talk today is entitled a kind and understanding heart, the politics and friendship between harry truman and Herbert Hoover. These welcome lisa ocean. [applause] lisa i changed my title a little bit. They changed my slides. I have the after lunch crowd. I hope you did not eat too much in that warm weather. What qualities should a president possess . A reporter asked Eleanor Roosevelt in the spring of 1946. She quickly responded a kind and understanding heart. And perhaps this was the quality that Herbert Hoover and harry had throughout their friendship which began in this ping of 1945, a little over 72 years ago. Hoover and truman were, on paper and on surface, very different men. Hoover was a republican. He was the depression era president. He was an engineer. And he was also a humanitarian. Truman was a democrat. He was the postworld war ii president. He was a politician. And he also had been a captain in the First World War. But as the joint project of the truman and Hoover Library so states, it is easy to overlook the fact that they both have roots in farming communities. They had known Economic Hardship and selfreliance. There were transformed by the conflagration of world war i. And they lived in the shadow of franklin d. Roosevelt. But i also add that both men were quite similar in their hearts. Both were ethical men in their respective religions. A quicker, and treatment as a baptist. Both were practical leaders who build strong camaraderie and loyalty from their men, man who trumanfor hoover and were loyal to them forever. They were both loving husbands. Baystate absolutely true to their first and only wives. Both fell in love once. And that was it. Fell in love once and that was it. They were committed fathers who protected and nurtured their two sons or their daughter, and also their grandchildren. April 12, 1945, the first communication between the 31st and 33rd president. Herbert hoover sent a telegram offering condolences and assistance after the death of fdr. All americans will wish you strength for your gigantic task. You have the right to. Ask for the aid of the country truman would responded with later. Please accept my thanks. I need not assure you that your good wishes are deeply appreciated. Very sincerely yours, areas truman harry estimate. Harry s truman. Say to his staff later at the end of april that he would do something they would not like. He was going to invite Herbert Hoover to the white house. Between handwritten letters and communication between their aides, letters and phone calls and that, the two president s would arrange the very first meeting. Quotepresentation, i will a lot from these two if youre to look at the relationship, the words matter. And the words that they used with each other were off and carefully chosen and very well mannered, and that would give them a very strong basis for their friendship. 1945, morning of may 28, this would end Herbert Hoovers isolation of the white house. It would less 55 minutes, but would last until hoovers death in 1964. Hoover was asked to write, and he live and he loved to write memoranda, but this was just a couple of sentences. This morning. He asked me what i thought about the food situation. I replied that it was degenerating all over the world, partly due to the war and partly due to mismanagement. But he had to take it as it is and there was no time to be bothered with recrimination as to what might have in. Have been. Meant hungernce and hunger my communism. Truman would always be brief and pithy. He would write, dear hoover, thanks a lot for your memorandum where it will be useful to me. Then he added aps i appreciated your bear match coming to see me. And gave me a lift i appreciate you very much coming to see me. It gave me a left. We discussed our prima donnas and what makes them. So this would be their second meeting. And of may of 1945 and all the decisions that needed to be made in the war in the pacific and in the fall and all of that. The two would not meet again until march 1, 1946. Hoover was interested in a fishing trip. He dropped the fishing and florida and came in immediately to the white house and agreed to serve as honorary chairman of the famine emergency committee. Afternoon, the secretary of agriculture and secretary of commerce would join them. Truman would comment in his memoirs later about this joint meeting. I told the group that i thought this was the most important meeting we had held in the white house since i had become president. Thats quite something considering all the major decisions truman had to make following that. Hoover would also write about the event. So he talked about this responsibility being. Thrust upon the American People hoover would state responsibility being thrust upon the market people. Hoover would state emphatically we cannot fail. Within hours and a couple of days, the other trip the entire trip would be planned. Hoover was back. As you notice in this picture, he is smiling. I think he could also be skipping out of the white house. He was so thrilled, when, to be called back to the white house, but also to be of use again, to be working for a cause he was really good at. So he would make two radio addresses to the American Public before the departure of this global famine survey. He would note that 800 Million People were at threat of starvation. More people are dying after world war ii than during it. This is the crisis situation. Nobody knew more about food and about saving lives than hoover. And he needed him. So as hoover would say at the end of the radio addresses him a i know that the American People would respond with kindliness to suffering. Will you not take to your table an invisible guest . Salmon the famine survey that truman asked hoover to make. They need information. Theres only four countries in the world that have enough food the United States, canada, australia and argentina. And theres only a few countries that are at subsistence level. The rest are in dire, dire straits. Nicknamed thene faithful cow, because it makes a noise when it lands, and that is their right in hurry. They go to 20 their itinerary. They go to 22 countries. They circle the globe. There is sunshine throughout the trip, except for wendy in athens. They had been having a drought. So that was welcomed. They were never late. This is a fantastic travelogue. Hoover is getting much better with pr. The photographs taken of him and all the articles being written and that. If you will notice on this one, this little boy has a knife to into his belt tucked into his belt. [laughter] that is not the security we live in. This was a cherished photo of hoovers work and his care for children and that. Originally, the trip was only supposed to go through europe and back. Hoover really felt the need that to india, toon china, to korea and japan. The Asian Countries were at greater starvation levels and greater risk for communism as well and that. So hoover and truman will have less than threeminute phone call in cairo, egypt. Hoover received a telegram that he was supposed to cut the trip short and come home and talk to the American Public. Truman wanted hoover to return and promote the cause for food conservation. He was also personally a little worried about hoovers stamina. He was, after all, a 71yearold man and this was a brutal schedule in that. But hoover wanted to continue the trip through asia. So they talked for a little over a minute and a half. In that time, hoover persuaded him to let him continue the trip. One of his colleagues noted the phone rang shortly after hoover hung up and it was the operator saying that he had paid for a threeminute longdistance phone call, would they like to finish it . And use it and hoover said, no, they were done. [laughter] they were practical men, even when he came to longdistance phone calls. 1946, a day before the anniversary of dday, truman would write to hoover he greatly appreciated his most recent letter and he would praise him for the work that was being done. Hoovers was now in honolulu. Hey had circled the globe they were just about ready to come home and would spend the day at the site of the harbor of pearl harbor. Truman would tell hoover i recognize the sacrifice and risk you are taking with such a hazardous journey. But the excellent results you have obtained will be of inestimable valuable value to this country. The day after they get back to washington is the meeting. This is the big meeting on may 13, 1946. It is in the oval office at trumans desk again. If you are at the truman library, there are hundreds of photos of people seated by truman at his desk. He loved that pose. Its funny, too. You can only till the time differences because the photos in the background will change. I dont know somebody is dusting and they would rearrange the family photos. But this would be hoovers report. He would say to him, dear mr. President , we have completed your instructions. We have traveled some 35,000 miles, visited 22 countries, which have a deficiency of food, and informed ourselves the situation and several others. So this would be the letter that was attached to the final report. Trim would respond in kind. I know the people of this country will do their part as you have done yours. We have never failed and we will not fail now. But that wasnt enough. [laughter] so truman needed hoover to go to south america. Forhey would meet again their fourth time on may 16, 1946, to discuss the russians and their obstinate spirit, as hoover would say. Truman would ask hoover to go to south america. So the following day, hoover would address and make a radio announcement along the 35,000 miles we have traveled, i have seen with my own eyes the grimmest specter of famine in all of the world. I was asked by the president to undertake this work in a purely advisory capacity. And with our journey now to latin america, my service will then end. So former president hoover would travel on may 25 until june and would visit 11 countries in south america in those 25 days. He returns on june 19, meets immediately with the president , and discuss day argentina, im particular, because it does have some food resources, and what to do about wheat shipments. Only six months later would hoover admit to a friend of his how exhausted he really was. And he would tell him in a letter every molecule in my body yells at me that it is tired. At the end of the year in 1946, a few weeks before christmas, truman would send hoover the following note , and it must have been such a wonderful gift of hoover to finally be recognized for all of his hard work. As you heard from before, that is all hoover wanted to do, was to work and to serve. And truman would write you int know how greatly appreciated your letter of the third and i think your suggestions are sound with regard to americas participation in the distribution of food. I am more than happy to have your views on any subject which you would care to write me about. And hoover would state, again, i want to say that i think you did a magnificent job last year for the welfare of the world. And those are the words that everyone loves to hear, no matter the age or experience. We sell them say that out loud or put them to paper. I am proud of you, thank you. So this would be where their relationship deepened and solidified, due to their common interest, respect, and trust. As we would say in contemporary circles, they had bonded. So truman meets hoover again the following year. It is the germanyaustria trip in 1947. At the end of february. Theres more and more things going on in germany. What are we going to do in the postwar era . We have the four zones and they are not cooperating well. There was a lot of question about what to do with the british zone and a lot of hunger. A lot of people saying should we is, they are only going to be added again, and hoover said it would be the humane thing to do. But he was also concerned about the Economic Strategy as well. Europe. Eart of in germany went down, everybody else would go down as well. Hoover very much knew that. He would write about this trip to germany and austria. Entirely aside from any humanitarian feelings for this mass of people, if we want peace, if we want to preserve the safety and health of our occupation, if we want to save the expense of even larger military forces to preserve order, if we want to reduce the size and expense of our army of occupation, i can see no other course but to me to the burdens i have outlined. Our determination is to establish such a regime in germany as well present forever again the rise and tortures him of aggression within these people. Those who believe in vengeance and the punishment of the great mass of germans, have no misgivings for all of them. They need food and warmth and shelter. They have been sunk to the lowest level known in western history. If western civilization is to survive in europe, it must also survive in germany. So this would be the beginning of what is initially called the hoover clan in march and april of 1947. We now know it as the Marshall Plan. What hoover was recommending is that we actually spend more than the Marshall Plan what, and that we spend it not only in europe, but in asia as well. If we truly want to to fight communism and save the taxpayers money, we needed to do this. This is hoovers argument. Both hoover entryman knew that their names could be attached to anything. There was a Republican Congress in 1946 he was listening to hoover but not to truman. To hoover listening but not to truman. There were all certain things going on. So these matters were going on. Then we have a time that is difficult in their relationship. Other matters and issues will come about. The Republican Congress in the fall of 1946 has been very difficult for truman. He needs hoover for appropriation bills. But some would argue did he manipulate hoover stressed that this time and other things . So there was a lot of contentiousness about the formation of the Marshall Plan, and the role the hoover played. So their friendship had really peaked for a while and then it would plummet and then it would start to go back up. So we would see throughout the years this building again. Jim and would ask hoover to come and reform of the government and make it much more efficient. Thats another aspect of the different social call the make up on each other. When truman is no longer president in 1953, this is where the two men can really be as it was with each other. So this is where their relationship can really deepen into more of a friendship. Lets fastforward to the dedication of the Hoover Library to ust 10, 19 tuesday august 10th, 1962. It was such an exciting day. Truman decided to not be too prepared, so there were extraneous remarks that he made to the crowd. My good friend, president hoover, who did a job for me as president of the United States that nobody else could do, and for which i am and always will be grateful to him. I feel that i am one of his closest friends and he is one of my closest friends. And that is the reason i am here. I wanted to give you a little perspective of time. Early 1963. N as i have to remind my millennial students, it really isnt that long ago. And those are my two grandfathers. It is so nice to see hoovers grandson here. There is a special relationship. And though my grandfathers were very different men come i think hoover was one of the few things a things they agreed on politically. December 19, 19 62, 8 days before my own birth, hoover would write from the waldorf astoria towers in new york where he lived, he would write to truman about the book that truman had written, his memoirs. For hoover, this is more of a personal letter. It wasnt one of his engineering formulas or some of that pessimism he has been known for. He really kind of opened up. You can tell he is 20 end of his life, so he can do that. He writes to truman this is an occasion when i should like to add something more. Because yours has been a friendship that has reached deeper into my life than you know. I gave up a successful profession in 1914 to accept Public Service. I served in the First World War and after for a total of 18 years. When you came to the white house, within a month, you open the door to me you