SPEAKER OF HOUSE PASSES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18849, 11 April 1931, Page 13

SPEAKER OF HOUSE PASSES.

Death Of Nicholas Longworth. BALANCE OF PARTIES UPSET. United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph— Copyright NEW YORK, April 9. A message from Aiken (South Carolina) states that Mr Nicholas Longworth, Speaker of the National House of Representatives, died to-day from pneumonia, which developed on Monday. A further message states that Mr Longworth died in the presence of his wife, the former “Princess Alice” Roosevelt, daughter of a former President. He will be buried in Ohio, and the ceremonies will be attended by national and foreign notables. The death brings the total number of members of the House of Representatives who died since last election, up to five, increasing the doubtfulness of the control of the next house, for which the present line up is 215 Democrats, 216 Republicans, one farmer Labour, and three vacancies. Mr Nicholas Longworth, the American politician, was born in November, 1869, at Cincinnatti, Ohio, of which his father was a wealthy citizen. Educated at Harvard, he studied law there and at the Cincinnatti Law School, and after taking his LL.B. degree was called to the Bar in 1894. At the age of thirty he was elected to the Ohio State Parliament, and in 1901 to its Senate. In 1903 he was sent to the House of Representatives. Two years later he ; married “Princess Alice,” the daughter of President Roosevelt. During their voyage round the world they were everywhere received with almost royal honours. Mr Longworth lost his seat in 1913, but regained it in 1915. From 1923 to 1925 he was leader of the Republican Party, and from 1925 to 1927 Speaker of the House. His position there was so strong that he was able to enter the lists against President Coolidge on the naval question in February, 1927. Leaving the chair, he appealed successfully to the House to side with the Senate in voting credits for three cruisers. Mr Longworth, who was one of the leaders of the “Big Navy” group, declared that Congress was morally bound to the American people not to go below the ratio agreed on at the Washington Conference. In the autumn of 1927 he was one of those talked of as a Republican nominee for the Presidency. His candidature was pushed by two of the cleverest women in American politics—his wife and Mrs M. McCormick, widow of the Senator and daughter of Senator Mark Hanna. He was handicapped by the fact of another candidate in his own State, Senator Fess, and also by his frank advocacy of the cause of the “Wets” at a time when his party seemed likely to be forced into the “Dry” position.