The scuttlebutt in Washington last week was that Defense Secretary Louis Johnson was on his way out. He was in serious trouble with Harry Truman, said the gossipsincluding a few Administration insidersand he might even have to go before November, however damaging that might be to Democratic election chances.
Underlying the gossip were a few chunks of solid fact. The running feud between Johnson and State Secretary Dean Acheson (TIME, Sept. 11) had become so bitter that defense planning was being hampered, and no one seemed to be able to get it going smoothly. Strictly as a family affair, Harry...