DEATH OF MR BEVIN

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26397, 16 April 1951, Page 7

DEATH OF MR BEVIN

Former Foreign Secretary (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, April 14. Mr Ernest Bevin died from a heart attack at his London heme soon after 5 p.m. to-day. He was aged 70. Secreta 1 ™ R kW Mr Bevin had bee « Foreign Secretary m the British Labour Government. He resigned £,“• b " 1 >" ' h ' ‘iM™ 0 "- His Bta# T«t a year ’ Bevin had been in P° or health - Last j ear, he had two operations. He recently recovered from an attack of pneumonia. num

”. r S es *®rday in the London hospital where the Prime Minister is being treated for a duodenal ulcer.

Mr Bevin was considering leaving on a six weeks’ rest cure in the Canary Islands next week, but his doctors doubted whether he would be tit enough for the journey. His death will mean a by-election in me London constituency of East WoolWl Sne^ v ' lbc h Mr Bevin won for Labour m 1950 with a majority of 12,370 votes. When she received the news of her husband s collapse, Mrs Bevin was attending the international Association football match between Scotland and England. She was a member of the party ?L th^ Se 5 retary of state Scotland Hector McNeil). Mrs Bevin was driven home immediately. but Mr Bevin died before she arrived.

Mr Beyin had intended to attend the match himself, but he thought it was too cold to go. He spent the day in bed reading. A young New Zealand nurse, Miss Shirley Morris, hurried to the: house from the Nursing Institute, but Mr Eevin died before she arrived.

..Mr Arthur Deakin, who succeeded Mr Bevin as head of the Transport and General Workers’ Union—the world’s biggest union outside Russia—said he spoke to Mr Bevin over the telephone a few hours before he died. He was then in perfectly good spirits. Arrangements for Mr Bevin’s funeral have not yet been made. The Government may press for a State occasion, but it is believed that Mr Bevin will probably be cremated at a quiet ceremony.