In the winter of 1947, Joseph W.

Martin??? Jr.??? a portly man of Republican affiliations??? dour appearance???

and publicly phlegmatic disposition from southeastern Massa-

chusetts??? at the age of sixty-two commenced his eleventh term of

membership in the House of Representatives of the Congress of the

United States. He ascended notably in rank as he did so??? succeeding

Sam Rayburn??? sixty-five??? a Texan as well as a man of formidable bulk???

magnetic personality??? and entering his eighteenth term; the previous

three he had spent majestically--some said tyrannically--as Speaker

elected by the Houses controlled by his fellow Democrats. President

Harry S Truman was reported little soothed by reminders that his

fellow Americans had proven no more ungrateful for their successful

wartime leadership than had the British voters who had seemed to

repudiate the party coalition under Churchill that had inspired their

nation to persevere to victory over Germany; the President??? rumored to

express himself privately in language even stronger than the blunt

words he favored in his public utterances (he had not yet issued public

reactions to newspaper music critics displeased by his daughter Mar-

garet s art at the piano)??? was reported plainly unappeased.

Speaker Martin seemed to move as cautiously in his new position as

he had argued??? as a minority member??? in his unsuccessful efforts to

urge fiscal restraint upon preceding Democratic majorities.