Harry S. Truman Quotes

224 Sourced Quotes

Religious and racial persecution is moronic at all times, perhaps the most idiotic of human stupidities.

Harry S. Truman
I don't give a damn about The Missouri Waltz but I can't say it out loud because it's the song of Missouri. It's as bad as The Star-Spangled Banner so far as music is concerned.

Harry S. Truman
What we are doing in Korea is this: we are trying to prevent a third world war.
After the recall of macarthur

Harry S. Truman
The Committee is authorized on behalf of the President to examine into the rules, procedures and practices of the Armed Services in order to determine in what respect such rules, procedures and practices may be altered or improved with a view to carrying out the policy of this order. The Committee shall confer and advise the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force, and shall make such recommendations to the President and to said Secretaries as in the judgment of the Committee will effectuate the policy hereof.

Harry S. Truman
Almost 3 years have elapsed since the end of the greatest of all wars, but peace and stability have not returned to the world. We were well aware that the end of the fighting would not automatically settle the problems arising out of the war. The establishment of peace after the fighting is over has always been a difficult task. And even if all the Allies of World War II were united in their desire to establish a just and honorable peace, there would still be great difficulties in the way of achieving that peace.

Harry S. Truman
Re the vice presidency: Here is one instance in which it is the man who makes the office, not the office the man.

Harry S. Truman
The seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want.

Harry S. Truman
I am not worried about the Communist Party taking over the Government of the United States, but I am against a person, whose loyalty is not to the Government of the United States, holding a Government job. They are entirely different things. I am not worried about this country ever going Communist. We have too much sense for that.

Harry S. Truman
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. This policy shall be put into effect as rapidly as possible, having due regard to the time required to effectuate any necessary changes without impairing efficiency or morale.

Harry S. Truman
The Russians are liars – you can't trust them. At Potsdam they agreed to everything and broke their word. It's too bad the second world power is like this, but that's the way it is, and we must keep our strength.

Harry S. Truman
The fundamental basis of this Nation's law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings which we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul.

Harry S. Truman
Some of my best friends never agree with me politically.

Harry S. Truman
Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.

Harry S. Truman
Student: Some people suggest that you are getting mellowed and less militant. Is that so?
Truman: Not in the slightest degree. They are trying to make an elder statesmen of me, but they will never succeed.

Harry S. Truman
It isn't important who is ahead at one time or another in either an election or horse race. It's the horse that comes in first at the finish line that counts.

Harry S. Truman
I do not understand a mind which sees a gracious beneficence in spending money to slay and maim human beings in almost unimaginable numbers and deprecates the expenditure of a smaller sum to patch up the ills of mankind.

Harry S. Truman
If we do not want to die together in war, we must learn to live together in peace.

Harry S. Truman
The world has experienced a revival of an old faith in the everlasting moral force of justice. At no time in history has there been a more important Conference, or a more necessary meeting, than this one in San Francisco, which you are opening today.

Harry S. Truman
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were political enemies, but they became fast friends. And when they passed away on the same day, the last words of one of them was, The country is safe. Jefferson still lives. And the last words of the other was, John Adams will see that things go forward.

Harry S. Truman
We must face the fact that peace must be built on power, as well as upon good will and good deeds.

Harry S. Truman
For reasons of national security and out of consideration for some people still alive I have omitted certain material. Some of this material cannot be made available for many years, perhaps for many generations.

Harry S. Truman
First of all, it is clear that our efforts in Korea can blunt the will of the Chinese Communists to continue the struggle. The United Nations forces have put up a tremendous fight in Korea and have inflicted very heavy casualties on the enemy. Our forces are stronger now than they have been before. These are plain facts which may discourage the Chinese Communists from continuing their attack.

Harry S. Truman
The attack upon Korea was an outright breach of the peace and a violation of the Charter of the United Nations. By their actions in Korea, Communist leaders have demonstrated their contempt for the basic moral principles on which the United Nations is founded. This is a direct challenge to the efforts of the free nations to build the kind of world in which men can live in freedom and peace.

Harry S. Truman
Herbert Hoover once ran on the slogan, 'Two cars in every garage'. Apparently, the Republican candidate this year is running on the slogan, 'Two families in every garage'.

Harry S. Truman
Andrew Johnson wasn't too bad, but he was overwhelmed by a hostile Congress.

Harry S. Truman
You members of this Conference are to be the architects of the better world. In your hands rests our future.

Harry S. Truman
This attack has made it clear, beyond all doubt, that the international Communist movement is willing to use armed invasion to conquer independent nations. An act of aggression such as this creates a very real danger to the security of all free nations.

Harry S. Truman
Everybody is headed for the same place, and they are headed on the same train, and under the same engineer.

Harry S. Truman
As you get older, you get tired of doing the same things over and over again, so you think Christmas has changed. It hasn't. It's you who has changed.

Harry S. Truman
We have found that it is easier for men to die together on the field of battle than it is for them to live together at home in peace.

Harry S. Truman