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Searching for Harry Truman's telegram about "Political Correctness"

history fan

I am trying to find a copy of a telegram from President Truman to General Douglas MacArthur where he instructs MacArthur and Admiral Nimitz to be "politically correct" during the surrender of Japan.  I've heard claims that this was found at the Truman Library?  I searched the online collections there but didn't find anything.

Thank you!

  • +1

    Greetings from the Truman Library,

    Thank you for your question! This purported exchange of telegrams between General Douglas MacArthur and President Harry S. Truman does not exist at the Truman Library. One of the ways you can tell this exchange is not accurate is that they have Chester Nimitz's middle initial wrong - his middle initial is W, not H. The "telegrams" contain other terms that did not exist in Truman's time, such as "mainstream media," and terms that military officers of MacArthur's rank would not have used in official communications. It also suggests a level of camaraderie and familiarity between General MacArthur and President Truman that certainly did not exist.