USS Weiss Escorts Presidential Yacht WilliamsburgThe news articles below cover the August 1946 vacation cruise of President Harry S. Truman aboard the yacht Williamsburg. During the cruise U.S.S. Weiss escorted the yacht and hosted several reporters who covered the story.
White House Secretary Ross radio-phoned reporters aboard this converted navy attack transport that the first 24 hours of the projected 18-day cruise had "done a lot of good already" for the President. The weather was warm and pleasant. The sky was bright though hazy. Ask whether Truman had considered appointees for the atomic energy control board, Ross replied Truman had considered no public business.
Reporters aboard the attack transport U.S.S. Weiss, half a mile astern of the Williamsburg, learned through ship-to-ship telephone that the President slept part of this morning - until 8 o'clock - and spent part of the morning boning up on a couple of predecessors in the White House. Press Secretary Charles G. Ross said Truman had read from "the Age of Jackson," by Arthur Schlesinger, and a life of Grover Cleveland. Last night the President saw the film "Monsieur Beaucaire", featuring Bob Hope and enjoyed it. While Truman plans to make several stops along the New England coast, Ross said points and time of arrival will not be made public. The White House has been snowed under with telegrams and letters for mayors and civic associations of New England towns, requesting a Truman appearance. Ross also reported that the President signed a large sheaf of public documents five minutes before leaving Washington yesterday, paring the paperwork to be done on the trip to a minimum.
The
Presidential yacht Williamsburg and it's companion ship, the attack-transport
Weiss, are expected to reach Bermuda Thursday afternoon, where the
ships will refuel and reprovision. Ross said he did not know how long the party would stay in Bermuda. He told reporters aboard Weiss, over radio telephone, that Truman decided last night that he wanted to head south into warmer water, after a nor' east gale had lashed Quonset Point, R.I. all day yesterday, interrupting the Presidential cruise.
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