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3 IN THE NEW WORLD OF ATOMS, THE COLD WAR, AND THE FAIR DEAL GORE REMINISCED that although he generally supported Truman's administration , there were some "little irritants—his conduct, the cronyism ... hisexcesses such as his language—these humiliated me to some extent." Overall, however, he thought Truman "made a great President. He surely had identification with the people, the mass of the people, and I admired that in him."1 The period of the Truman presidency proved especially challenging for the United States on many fronts, and Gore found himself often working with the new president on significantissues including reconversion to a peacetime economy , protection of New Deal programs, and expansion of basic access to jobs and education. The wartime alliance between the United States and the Soviet Union crumbled and anticommunism returned as a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy, sparking an intense domestic debate. Throughout this time, Gore concentrated on doing a good job in the House, especiallyon matters of importance to his district and Tennessee. Allthe while he built alliances across the state. He made his decisions with the ultimate goal of moving into the Senate, and by 1951 he was ready to challenge McKellar in a spirited contest. When Truman inherited the presidencyin April 1945, he had only servedas vice president for a few months and had little experience to prepare him for leading the country. The former Missouri senator had limited foreign policy experience because Roosevelt had avoided taking him into his confidence, not even briefing him about the atomic bomb. While Germany's surrender appeared imminent, theJapanese continued to resist. Since sustaining the wartime alliance had been difficult for the accomplished diplomat Roosevelt, many questioned whether Truman wasup to the task. A lot of people, including Gore, held this uncertain view of the new president . Soon after Truman took office, Gore told his WSM audience that "those of us who know him well know him to be a good, honest, sound American . . . He comes from humble parentage. He comes from a life and a strata that is as typical of America as Andrew Johnson when he became President after Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Raised as a farm boy, he worked at various odd jobs, operated a little business of his own, advanced from one job to another, 69 . . . but none very important until he reached the United States Senate, where he did a truly great job."2 Gore recalled his first meeting with Truman in 1940. At the party's request, he went to Missouri to speak to a Democratic meeting in Kansas City to help bolster Truman's reelection bid. During his stay, Truman traveled over from Independence and took the young representative out to lunch to discuss politics. After a nice meal, Gore made his speech and returned to Washington. "It certainly never occurred to me that I was eating the sandwich and drinking the coca-cola with the next President of the United States," he recalled. In a move that impressed the Tennessean, Truman alwayswent out of his wayto speak and shake hands when they saw each other.3 Foreign affairs dominated Truman's attention as he took office. Within two weeks after Roosevelt's death, forty-six Allied countries gathered in San Francisco to form the United Nations. Secretary of State Edward StettiniusJr. led a bipartisan American delegation, although Hull (who was ill) acted as senior adviser . The delegates immediatelybegan to debate issues such as regional security pacts and the veto power of the individualnations of the Security Council.4 Internationalists like Gore vocally supported U.S. participation in the UN. In late April, he told the graduating class of Crossville High School that "next Wednesday a historical convention or conference begins in San Francisco." He acknowledged that stories of war dominated the history books but that "there are chapters about men who have devoted much of their lives in trying to find a formula to keep peace." The conferencerepresented a chance to take a monumental step forward. Gore also stressed that future wars likely would involve the United States because of new technological advances. "If we who serve on the home front should shirk or falter in the effort to vouch safe [sic] peace," he concluded, "we would break faith with everyAmericanwho has died or suffered in this war."5 The U.S. policy failures after World War I made approval of the UN vital to Gore. "It is a source of gratification that the outlook for...

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