HARRY S. TRUMAN

HARRY S. TRUMAN
(1884 - 1972) 33rd President of the United States who led the country in the closing days of World War II and through the re-building of Europe under the Marshall Plan and the Korean War. Rare partly-printed D.S. as President, 1p. folio parchment, Washington, May 23, 1950, his appointment of John G. Erhardt to serve as 'Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary' to the 'Union of South Africa'. Co-signed by Acting Secretary of State JAMES WEBB. Bends at top and bottom margins, else fine. Ambassadorial appointments are quite rare. JOHN G. ERHARDT (1889-1951) server as Consul in Hamburg and later in London under Ambassador Joseph Kennedy. During the war, he was in a high-level State Department position in Washington, where he was involved in the planning of the surrender of Germany and occupation of Germany and Austria. After the war, he served as de facto Ambassador to Austria and as political adviser to Gen. Mark Clark, who led the American occupation military forces in Austria. His last posting was as Ambassador to South Africa.