WORLD-WIDE GRIEF President Roosevelt’s Death

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 14 April 1945, Page 5

WORLD-WIDE GRIEF President Roosevelt’s Death

STRIKING TRIBUTES PAID Washington, April 12. The tragic news was announced to the Press by the White House Press Secretary, Mr William Hassett, shortly before 6 p.m. Mr Hassett summoned the reporters to his room. His voice quavering, he said: “It is my sad duty to announce that the President died of cerebral haemorrhage at 4.35 p.m.” At the time of his death only two persons were believed to have been in the little white cottage on the top of Pine Mountain, the favourite Roosevelt retreat of the past 20 years, which was often called his second home. They were Miss Laura Delano and Miss Margaret Suckley. Both had frequently kept house for President Roosevelt during many of his recent visits. The last time the Pressmen saw the President was on sth April, when he was in gay spirits, laughing, chatting, jauntily waving his long cigarette holder, and wise-cracking with the reporters, his face tanned but unusually drawn. There was evidence of a slight cough, but he did not look or act like a man who was going to die within a week. This morning the President followed his usual routine of handling paper work which had just arrived from Washington. Commander Howard Bruenn, naval physician, announced that death resulted from a massive cerebral haemorrhage. He added that Mr Roosevelt was in excellent spirits at 7.30 a.m., and at 1.30 p.m. was sitting in a chair while an architect was sketching him. He suddenly complained of a very severe occipital headache and within a very few minutes lost consciousness. He did not regain. consciousness. Commander Bruenn said that he died without pain.

Mrs Roosevelt, when informed of the. death in Washington, said, "I am more j sorry for the people of the country and \ the world than I am for us.” She received the Vice-President. Mr Truman, in her sitting-room and told him. “The! President has just passed away." Mr | Truman asked. "What can I do?” and j she replied. "Tell us what we can do. | Ib there any way we can help you?” I Mr Roosevelt arrived at Warm I Springs on 30th March. His doctors wanted him to relax in order to regain lost weight, and he motored daily in' the soft sprine sun but kept in con- j stant touch with developments in Wasfff- | inglon and abroad. He attended a bar- i becue at 4.30 at the mountainside cottage of the Mayor of Warm Springs, j NEWS BY TELEPHONE Mr Truman received the newt by telephone that he was the 33rd President of the United States. His face went grey. He .jammed his hat on his head and rushed from his office, crying. "I'm going to the White House.” A few minutes later secret service men whisked him to the White House by motor-car to attend an emergency Cabinet meeting Mr Thomas Dewey. Governor of New York. telegraphed Mrs Roosevelt: "please accept my deepest sympathy in | your great loss, which is shared by; every American and mourned by all the I lreedom-loving people of the entire i world.” Mr La Guardia. Mayor of New York.' said: "It is the greatest loss the peaceloving world has suffered during the entire war.” Senator Tom Connally said that the San Francisco Conference may have to be postponed. Mr Dewey, Governor of New York, issued a proclamation asserting that Mr Roosevelt was one of the great Presidents of the United States who early recognised Fascism and rallied the na-l tion to war against the aggressors. f Madame Chiang Kai-shek in a mes- j sage to Mrs Roosevelt said: “Measured | by any and every standard of greatness j in all parts of the world. President j Roosevelt stands supreme.” A Chungking message says an aide de | camp reported that Marshal Chiang Kai- J shek was visibly stunned when inform- 1 eri of the news at breakfast. He left his | food untasted and relapsed into sorrow'll meditation. SIGNS OF WEARINESS The Associated Press of America says it was disclosed to-night that President Roosevelt had not been in the best of health for some time. Last week at a banquet Mrs Roosevelt told Senator Barkley that most of the food the President, had been eating lately had no taste for him and he had been eating only gruel. Senator Barkley remarked that the President looked thin and haggard and Mrs Roosevelt replied that she also felt that the Pre- | sident was too thin. The United Press of America says j that since the Yalta conference, President Roosevelt showed signs of increasing weariness. His voice was weak and loose folds of skin under his chin indicated that he had lost weight. Physicians .pointed out that though he j had not suffered organic ailments, he I was subject to chronic sinus trouble, j GREAT AND GALLANT WARTIME LEADER “A great and gallant wartime leader died almost in the very hour of victory ' te which he led the way." says the j "New York Times” in an editorial. "It is cruel and bitter irony that Mr Roosevelt should not have lived to see the Allies march into Berlin. It is a hard and stunning blow to lose the genius and inspiration of his leadership in the war’s decisive moment. The people of the United States, comrades in the Allied nations and the cause of democracy throughout the whole free world has suffered a heartbreaking loss.” SWEARING-IN OF NEW PRESIDENT The swearing-in of the new President took only a minute. Senator Truman, surrounded by Cabinet members, placed his hand on a small black Bible and repeated after Chief Justice Stone the solemn oath that he would to the best of his ability preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States. Members ot the White House staff with tear-stained eyes stood silently in doorways and watched President Roosevelt’s successor sworn in. EMOTIONAL SCENES “The impact of the news of the death of President Roosevelt on the capital was tremendous,” says the “New York Times” Washington correspondent, Ar, Ihur Krock. “No President has died in circumstances so triumphant and yet so grave. He was regarded by millions as indispensable to winning the war and making a just and lasting peace and the only American qualified to deal successfully with the leaders of other nations, particularly Marshal Stalin and Mr Churchill ” The office of the Vice-President remains vacant until the next election. Mr Stettinius, Secretary of State, would become President in the event of President Truman’s death. Emotional scenes were witnessed in cities throughout the United States hen the news of President Roosevelt’s death reached the public. In Times Square, 50.000 people collected within a few minutes and stood too stunned to move. Broadcasting stations im-

The president of the Congress of Industrial Organisations, Mr Philip Murray, said: “The world has lost a great leader and a great soldier, and Labour has lost its noblest friend.” President Roosevelt was one of the greatest statesmen the world had ever known, said the Soviet Ambassador, M. Gromyko. "The Soviet people share the great national grief which has befallen the American people,” he said. "President Roosevelt could distinguish true friends as well as real enemies. He knew the value of unity among the great Allied Powers, and its importance for victory.

Speaking in the House of Commons in Ottawa, the Canadian Prime Minister. Mr Mackenzie King, said that President Roosevelt, was so great and true a friend of the Canadian people that it was as though one of their very own had passed away. His death was a loss to the whole of mankind. The House immediately adjourned. Latin American countries received the news with great sorrow. Guatemala, Cuba and Costa Rica have declared a period of national mourning and the Pan-American Day celebrations in Argentina have been cancelled. FAMOUS “EAST ROOM” AT THE WHITE HOUSE The famous East Room in the White House, where the late President’s I funeral service will take place on Saturday (American time), is the place where formal receptions are held, and in this room also have lain in state the bodies of Presidents William Henry Harrison. Taylor and Harding, who sickened and died in office, and of Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley, victims of assassination. At such times the white and gold room has been draped in black, even to the chandeliers. LINCOLN’S ASSASSINATION President Roosevelt died within two days of the date of Lincoln’s assassination. 14th April, 1865. Today is therefore the 80th anniversary of that tragic event.

cdiately suspended all normal programmes and flags broke out at halfmast throughout the city. Theatres, night clubs, restaurants and concerts cancelled or curtailed their programmes and some hotels closed their bars.