Evening star. [volume], August 03, 1923, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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WEATHER.
Parly cloudy tonight and tomor
row. local showers and thunderstorms
probably. Temperatures for twenty
four hours ended at 2 p.m. today:
Highest; 88, at noon today; lowest,
€B. at 5:30 a.m. today.
Full report on page 7.
New York Stock Market Dosed Today
V~ >)Q Qifi Entered as second-class matter
JNO. _o,y'4o. pos, office Washington. D. C.
NATION MOURNS PRESIDENT’S DEATH;
COOLIDGE RECOMES CHIEF EXECUTI VE
MOURNING DEAD CHIEF,
NEW PRESIDENTLEAVES
FOR CAPITAL AT ONCE
Father Administers Oath in
Dead of Night in Simple
Vermont Home.
ROUTED FROM BED TO GET NEWS
OF MR. HARDING’S TIL GIC DEATH
New Leader, Grieved at Loss of Friend,
Promises to Carry Out
All His Policies.
By the Associated Press.
PLYMOUTH, Vt., August 3.—Calvin Coolidge, sworn in a
few hours before as President of the United States by his father,
in the Plymouth Notch farmhouse in which he spent his boyhood,
left for Washington at 7:30 o’clock this morning.
Accompanied by Mrs. Coolidge, Representative Dale of the
second Vermont district and two federal employes who have been
hastily pressed in secret service duty, the President left by auto
mobile for Rutland, where a special train was prepared to take
the party to New York. Col. John C. Coolidge, the President’s
father, who is seventy-eight years of age, resisted the efforts of
his son to induce him to make the journey to the capital.
Though his complete plans have not been made known, it is
learned that President Coolidge may proceed from New \ork or
Washington west to meet the train bearing the body of President
Harding to the capital.
Neighbors from Plymouth and nearby towns gathered to wish
the 'President godspeed. From Ludlow, Woodstock and Bridge
water cam e men wVio Viaci gone to school wit It one tliey r e mem -
bered a.s "Red” Coolidge. An army of newspaper men and plio
tographers invaded, c|uiet Plymouth until the start to Ivut
land became a procession of automobiles. Within a few hours
m'mml i hmm h ffimnn: com i m hsbii
■flie lonely larmhouse had become a mecca for hundreds. Less
than an hour- after Mr. Cooldige trad learned of the death of Mr.
Harding a telephone •was installed in the house, and tlae President
had learned direct from Washington the form of the oath of office
and the fact that his father might have the honor of administering
it. In the meantime, Representative Dale had arrived from
Springfield with two federal employes.
As soon as the brief swearing-in ceremony was over the
President and Mrs. Coolidge retired to gain a little rest before
the trip to Washington.
Oath Ceremony Simple.
The swearing-in formality was
short and simple. In the little sit
ting room of the farmhouse, fur
nished in homely style like any other
Vermont country home, the President
stood with right hand upraised at
one side of a little table with Mrs.
Coolidge beside him. Across the table
his father, his face beaming, read
the few words of the oath, “to pre
serve. protect and defend the Con
stitution of the United States."
The father’s voice trembled as he
read.
Representatives Dale. Krwin C.
Oeisser, Mr. Coolidge's assistant sec
retary. a Vermont editor and the two
secret service men were the sole wit
nesses other than Mrs. Coolidge.
The oath was administered by his
father at 2:47 a.m.. eastern standard
time. By communication with Wash
ington the exifet form of the oath
was obtained. In a clear voice the
Vice President repeated after his
father the words prescribed by the
Constitution:
"I do solemnly swear that I will
faithfully execute the office of Presi
dent of the United States and 1 will,
to the best of my ability, preserve,
protect and defend the Constitution
of the United States.”
Adds “So Help Me God.”
Then, although the Constitution
does not require it, he added, “So help
me God.”
Routed from his bed by a telegram
from George B. Christian, secretary
to President Harding, apprising him
of the tragedy in San Francisco, the
new President immediately met news
papermen and gave them a statement
pledging himself to carry out the
policies of his dead chief and friend.
President Coolidge issued the fol
lowing statement early today:
“Reports have reached me, which
T fear are correct, that President
Harding is gone. The world has lost
a great and good man. I mourn his
loss. He was my chief and my
friend.'
“It will be my purpose to carry out
the policies which he has begun for
the service of the American people
and for meeting their responsibilities
wherever they may arise. For this
purpose I shall seek the co-operation
of all those who have been associated
■with the President during his term of
office. Those who have given their
efforts to assist him 1 wish to remain
in office that they may assist me. I
have faith that God will direct the
destinies of our nation.”
President Coolidge sent the follow
ing telegram to Mrs. Harding:
"We offer you our deepest sym
pathy. May God bless you and keep
you.
(Signed) “CALVIN COOLIDGE.”
COOLIDGE.”
The new President heard the news
of President Harding’s death and his
own elevation to the nation’s head
ship from his aged father, who had
risen to take Secretary Christian’s
telegram from the messenger who
had brought It by automobile to the
Coolidge home at Plymouth Notch.
He dressed quickly and came down
stairs to meet the newspaper men
who arrived hard on the heels of the 1
messenger... A .trifle paio, .but steady.
solemn and quiet, as is always his
wont, he walked with simple dignity
down the old stairway and into the
homy sitting room where the news
paper men awaited him. Mrs. Cool
idge. in gray, followed him, weeping.
Stepping to the little round center
table, on which stood an oil tamp, the
room’s only illumination, the new
President read Secretary Christian’s
message;
"Palace Hotel, San Francisco, Calif.,
August 2.
“Mr. Calvin Coolidge;
"The President died instantly while
conversing with members of his fam
ily at 7.30 p.m. The physicians re
port that death was apparently due
to some brain embolism, probably
apoplexy.”
The message was signed by George
B. Christian, secretary.
Mr. and Mrs. Coolidge then sent
their telegram of condolence to Mrs.
Harding. Immediately, afterward Mr.
Coolidge called his secretary. Erwin
C. Beisser, into a little room in the
farmhouse, where he dictated his two
statements. He came out and handed
them to Mrs. Coolidge, who distrib
uted them to the newspaper men.
Almost immediately after the first
messenger arrived automobiles began
to rush into the little village from
every direction as newspaper men
hastened to the Coolidge house. A
number of neighbors also came in
when they had heard the news. Mr.
Coolidge, seeing the house becoming
crowded, gave orders that an adjoin
ing house be opened for use as press
headquarters.
To Carry Out Policies.
Then, slowly and quietly he dictat
ed his own statement, setting forth
In brief the new executive's policy,
and directed his secretary, Erwin
Gelsaer, to make copies of it for the
press.
Meanwhile, the new first lady of
the land, sat weeping softly and ex
claiming In sympathy for the be
reaved first lady In San Francisco.
“What a blow—what a terrible
blow to poor Mra Harding," she said.
“She had had such a heavy burden. In
her own Illness, to bear up under—
and now this!”
Finally Gelsser returned with the
copies, and, pushing back the old
photograph album and the family
Bible on the center table. Mrs. Cool
idge busied herself with the work of
helping distribute them.
Mrs. Coolidge still was weeping,
the new President still was impas
sive, solemn and quiet as the news
paper men rushed away to awaken
the owners of Plymouth’s three tele
phones and the lone railroad tele
graph operator so that they might
flash to the world the President’s first
words.
The newspaper men had scarcely
gotten out of sight when another
telegraph messenger arrived with a
copy of the presidential oath from
Washington. And In the same sit
ting room where he had made his
statement —the sitting room with its
hand-braided rugs. Its clutter of ven
erable colonial furniture, its old wood
stove and Its family Bible. Calvin
Coolidge received the oath of office
from his father and became America’s
thirtieth President.
News of President Harding's death
came at, a complete surprise to the
Coolidges. who had retired shorUy
, (Continued .on Page i Column. 3. )
%\\t jEfieraiig Jlkf.
J WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION
Jtsp'y? ? e-vu&S ■ x
WARR G. HARDING.
E.O.P. CONVENTION
OUTLOOK ALTERED
BY HARDING DEATH
I
Old Guard, Progressive and
Radical Groups Seen in
Fight for Control.
By the Associated Pr<»».
President Harding’s death throws
new complexities into the political
situation within the republican party,
which undoubtedly will have far
reaching reflections In the national
convention of next year.
It probably will turn what many
expected to be merely a ratification
meeting into a contest for the re
publican presidential nomination, with
the stalwart conservative republican
forces aligned on the one side and
the forces represented by such lead
ers as Senators Johnson of California,
Borah of Idaho and La Follette of
Wisconsin on the other.
World Court Created Issue.
Six months ago the renomination
of President Harding without any
substantial contest seemed assured.
One of the men who was regarded as
his likely principal opponent for the
nomination had confessed to a col
league and friend that he found him
self without an issue.
The President’s pronouncement for
entry of the United States into the
world court, however, altered the sit
uation materially, and during the last
few weeks there has come definite in
formation through the mysterious
channels by which political captains
maintain their intelligence systems
that all was not going to be as clear
sailing as had been expected in the
republican national convention of
1924. and there might be a contest
after all.
Harding Often Worried.
There were days of discouragement
in the first eighteen months of Presi
dent Harding’s occupancy of the pres
idential chair, and on many occasions
he expressed to close friends his won
derment why anybody wanted to be
President, with its trials and tribula
tions and "the thanklesaness of the
job."
In one moment of disgust and dis
couragement, Mr. Harding had said
to a close political friend and asso
ciate who had been held In reserve In
the dark horse list during the conven
tion of 1920;
“Do you want this job next time?
If you do, it's yours as far as 1 am
concerned—l’ll bo for you."
But his friends urged him to put
discouragements aside and carry on.
Mrs. Harding also always urged him
to put away thoughts of stepping
4 (.Continued on Page Column 6.j
WASHINGTON, 0. C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 1923-TWENTY-SIX PAGES.
FUNERAL OF PRESIDENT
TO BE HELD IN CAPITOL
Plans Being Prepared Subject to Ap
proval of Coolidge. Serv ices Likely
to Fall on Thursday.
President Harding's body is expect- |
ed to reach Washington Wednesday
afternoon at 1 :30 p.m.
Lieut. Col. Clarence O. Sherrill.
U. S. A., Kngineer Corps, who has
been military aide to President Hard
ing. is today drafting the tentative
plans for the funeral, to be submitted
to President Coolidge and Secretary
of State Hughes. It is expected that
these plans will be officially announc
ed tomorrow.
Arrangements at the Capitol, where
the body of President Harding wili
lie in state on the sarcophagus which
has been used for all similar occasions
since Lincoln was assassinated, are
held in abeyance awaiting official
word from Speaker Gillett and Sena
tor Lodge, or Senator Curtis, assistant
leader, who is chairman of the rules
committee, in charge of such affairs.
Await Coolldge’s Arrival.
While definite hours and details are
lacking today, owing to the sudden
ness of the President's death and
long distance from the Capital at
which It occurred and the fact that
virtually all those who will make the
arrangements are scattered during
the summer recess, official Washing
ton was busy today with preparatory
plans.
Body Leave* Tonight.
Railroad officials were in confer
ence today figuring when the special
train bearing President Harding’s
body might be expected in Washing
ton. It is expected that it will come
over the Union Pacific railroad, leav
ing San Francisco at 7 o’clock to
night, passing byway of Reno,
Ogden, Cheyenne, Omaha and Chi
cago. A telegram to the White House
today said the train would reach here
at 1 ;30 Wednesday.
As soon as definite word is re
ceived froip Speaker 6lllett, who is
with the Harding official party, or
from Senator Curtis, arrangements
for having President Harding’s body
lie in state in the rotunda will be
made. The recent death of Elliott
Woods, architect of the Capitol, who
had experience In similar affairs, in
cluding the honoring of ’’The Un
known Dead,” which was the last
time any body lay in state In the
rotunda, places responsibility on John
Welch, acting architect, because the
rotunda comes under the architect's
office. Mr. Welch will consult with
Col. Sherrill and with David S. Barry,
sergeant-at-arms of the Senate, and
Joseph O. Rogers, sergeant-at-arms of
the House. Directions , fpr, .the par-.
1
ticipation of the House in the presi
dential obsequies will be given by
William Tyler Page, clerk of the
House, who is hurrying back to
Washington today.
Mny I.ie in East Hoorn.
According to tentative plans the
east room of the White House will
be prepared to receive the President's
body. There will be no decorations
except those floral offerings which
are sent as tokens of regard from
other nations and from official and
personal friends. The casket will
rest in the center of the oast room
upon pedestals directly under the
center chandelier in the same posi
tion where President Lincoln’s body
was placed when final respects were
paid by intimate friends anti mem
bers of the official family. The east
room is the largest in the executive
mansion and is the one generally visited
by tourists.
Other bodies which have rested in
the east room are those of Walter
Q. Gresham, former Secretary of
State, and President Lincoln. Pres
ident Garfield’s body was not taken
to the White House at all, but was
taken to the Capitol directly from the
depot and to the depot directly from
the Capitol.
According to present plans, nobody
will be allowed within the White
House grounds except members of
the Harding and Coolidge families
and those entitled to admission. The
doors of the White House will be
closed except to members of the fam
ilies and those Invited by them.
The funeral cortege from the
White House to the Capitol will be
a solemn pageant, in which the Army
and Navy of the United States, pa
triotic, civic, fraternal organizations
and religious bodies will march to
muffled drums.
Funeral May Start at t A.M.
The official representatives of for
eign nations will ride In a special sec
tion of the procession.
The funeral march from the White
House to the Capitol is expected to
start promptly at 9 o’clock on Thurs
day morning. The gates to the
White House grounds will be guarded
by policemen and soldiers. No one
will be admitted except those entitled
under the program to take part in
the obsequies. Visitors will be as
signed to different rooms in the build
ing to await the departure of the pro
cession for the Capitol.
Vigil over the dead will be main
tained throughout the silent watches
of Tuesday by soldiers, sailors and
marines.
Former President Taft, members of
the cabinet, with delegations from the
Senate and House, the United States
Supreme Court in their robes of of
fice and members of cabinets In pre
vious administrations will be spe
cially Invited to Join the official sec
tion of the solemn procession.
All the funeral ceremonies are to
be fully observed by the military
iCoiianuiu' o,i ic» 0 c Column zTj
BODY WILL LEAVE FOR CAPITAL
TONIGHT, DUE HERE TUESDAY;
END SUDDEN, WITHOUT PAIN
HARD DAYS AHEAD
FOR NATION’S NEW
CHIEFEXEGUTIVE
Farm Relief and Coal Strike
Threat Most Vital Prob
lems for President.
WORLD COURT POSITION
WAITED WITH INTEREST
Faces Task of Stemming Tide of
Party Eevolt in North
west.
The United States today has a new
President —Calvin Coolidge of Mas- 1
sachusetts, thirtieth in line of succes
sion.
Mr. Coolidge is now called upon to
take up the reins of government
where they fell from the hands of his
former chief. At the time of the late
President Harding s death many prob
lems, domestic and foreign, were
pressing for consideration. In the last
few’ weeks the late President had set
forth his views—unquestionably the
policies of hia administration—on
many of these questions. It was his
plan’ to deal still further with them
In addresses on hi* way east.
In the eighteen months of the un
expired term of Mr. Harding Presl
dent Coolidge will either carry on the
policies of the administration as de
veloped under Mr. Harding or he will i
have to adopt new policies of his own.
His course, it is expected, w ill be in
• in i t
Hja coniß®' if (a Gzbcci&q• /r.jjj pe iu
-111 s course, it. is expected, will be in
fluenced by new conditions arising.
Invariably when a. sdent bag*
died in ofßce and the Vice President
has been called upon to fill his place,
the question has arisen as to wheth
er he should carry out to the letter
(Continued on Page ,1. Column 3.)
MRS.EMIG STILL
BRAVE* TEARS
Has Borne Up Well Under
Tragedy, Says Mrs. Hoover,
After Vigil.
-r
Br the Associated Tress.
SAN FRANCISCO. August 3.—Mrs,
Harding, though bearing up well
under her grievous loss, had the
services of a nurse throughout the
night. Wives of cabinet officers who
accompanied the President on his
westward trip alternated as her com
panions.
One of these today said the coura
geous helpmate of the late executive
had stood the strain well, but had
had little real rest. She emphasized,
however, that Mrs. Harding was far
from collapse or hysteria and had
made no evidence of emotion beyond
the expression of her grief natural
in the circumstances. *
Meets Ship Captain.
Mrs. Harding last night received
Capt. Allan Buchanan, commander of
the Navy transport Henderson, on
which the President sailed to Alaska
and returned to the continental
United States, who came to offer his
condolences. After the Meeting
Capt. Buchanan said;
“Mrs. Harding is a woman of re
markable qualities. She Is bearing
up with great bravery and courage.”
Capt. Buchanan said the sailors and
marines on the Henderson? would
march without arms in the’ proces
sion when the President’s body is
taken from the hotel, beginning the trip
to Washington. “The ship will march
every man of its personnel. '* Capt.
Buchanan said. “We could not do less
for the commander-in-chlef, particu
larly one who was as good as Mr.
Harding was to us of the Henderson all
the while he was aboard.”
Dean Up Weil.
•’Mrs. Harding has a firm grip
upon herself,” said Herbert C. Hoover,
Secretary of Commerce, when ques
tioned by interviewers as to her con
dition as he emerged from the presi
dential suite.
Mrs. Herbert Hoover, wife of the
Secretary of Commerce, was with Mrs.
Harding almost continuously for
hours after the President’s death.
She declared that the first lady was
bearing up extremely well under the
shock of the tragedy. (
"Mrs. Harding la perfectly well.”
said Mrs. Hoover. “Os eburse, she
cries, but there is nothing like a col
lapse. She is going to Be terribly
upset if she sees the newspapers that
said sue collapsed.” ~
..«#» ’ • • r
—■■-■—■■■ . ■
I t
“From Press to Home
Within the Hour**
The Star’s carrier system covers
every city block and the regular edi
tion is delivered to Washington homes
as fast as the papers are printed.
Yesterday’s Net Circulation, 87,839
Mrs. Harding Reading Aloud Be
side Bed When Death Strikes;
Bears Tragedy Bravely.
RECOVERY THOUGHT SO CERTAIN
PHYSICIANS HAD LEFT SICK ROOM
Apoplexy or Rupture of Blood Vessel
in Brain Causes Passing of
Nation’s Leader.
By the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., August 3. —A nation today mourned
the passing of its leader.
The American people from coast to coast and from lakes to
gulf, and in the territories beyond the seas, bowed their heads
in grief, for their President was dead. In the early hours of last
evening, after a day which had brought renewed hope of re
covery, death came suddenly and struck down \\ arren G. Hard
ing with a stroke of cerebral apoplexy.
The end came instantaneously and without even a second of
warning, at 7:30 o’clock. There was no time to summon addi
tional physicians. No time to call the members of his official
family, and no time for medical skill to exercise its knowledge.
It was all over in the twinkling of an eye, and it left a nation
and the world shocked and in grief.
Mrs. Harding, the constant companion of her distinguished
husband, was faithful to the end. She was reading- to hint a few
minutes before 7:30 o’clock when she noticed a shudder run
through the frame of the man she had loved, encouraged in
adversity and praised in success. Before she could arise from
: aijAlldjlA yUcJ iJiJjiSCq ju Jrncceas* sjjg conjq sxisrc ilouj
adversity and praised in success. Before she could arise from
her chair Mr. Harding collapsed in His bed. and she rushed to
the door calling for the physicians to come quickly.
Oen. Sawyer, chief of the staff of physicians, who had
been attending the Chief Executive, who also was in the room,
and the two nurses present. Miss Ruth Powderly and Miss Sue
Dausser. did all they could, but it availed nothing.
The President had fought and won one victory against disease,
but it appeared in a more insidious form, and he lost the battle.
w r i
Became World F Urn re.
Great as was the shock to all who
dwell under the American flag and to
peoples in many lands —for Mr. Harding
by virtue of his office, his kindly and
his lovable personality had become a
world figure—the great shock came to
his wife, reading by his side, but she
did not collapse.
•'She was shocked, of course, and at
first unable to realize that she had lost
the husband who had made up all the
interest in her life, for so many proud
and happy years,’’ said Gen. Sawyer
later. “But there was no collapse, no
hysteria Just a brave rally to face
her sorrows and the duties devolving
upon her at this hour.”
Mrs Harding was standing the shock
well early today, but whether she could
stand up under the grief that bore down
upon her as the sad journey back to
Washington Is made was another ques
tion. Those who know her best say
that she will.
Reach Capital Tuesday.
When dawn crept over the mountains
and lighted up the Golden Gate this
morning almost all of the arrange
ments for this trip—the saddest trans
continental Journey in the history of
the nation —had been made. The trip
will be started about 7 o'clock this eve
ning, and should end in Washington
Tuesday morning.
The train will go direct to Washing
ton byway of Reno, Ogden, Cheyenne,
Omaha and Chicago.
This announcement was made after
a conference participated in by the
four members of the President's offi
cial party In San Francisco, and was
approved by Mrs. Harding.
The car will be lighted at night,
and at all times two soldiers and two
sailors, a part of a naval and mili
tary guard of sixteen enlisted men,
will stand at attention guarding the
casket.
Train to Make So Stops.
The train will make no stops en
-oute except those necessary for its
operation. The body of the President
will be borne In the rear car, prob
ably the same in which he made the
trip from the capital to the Pacific
coast.
The train will carry the presi
dential party as composed during the
trip across the country to Alaska,
and also Gen. Pershing, Attorney
General Daugherty and Mr. and Mrs.
E. E. Remsberg and family, Mrs.
Remsberg being a sister of the
President.
The body will not be taken from
the hotel except to go directly to the
train, and there will be only the
very simplest private ceremony at
the hotel before It is moved.
The final Interment of the body of
President Harding will be at Marlon.
Ohio, his home city, a member of the
presidential party announced today.
The body of the President lay to
day In the room In whch he suffered
and died.
The five physicians who attended
the President were united in their de
cisions as to the cause of death. In
a statement issued last night and
signed by all of them they declared
It was due to “apoplexy or a rupture
of blood vessel in the axis of the
brain near the respiratory center."
TWO CENTS
The statement emphasized that death
from such a cause might have occur
red at any time and came after re
covery of the acute illness he had
suffered for a week was in progress.
Confident of Recovery.
The statement showed conclusively
that the physicians as well as every
one else believed up to the minute
the executive was subjected to the
apopletic attack that he was on the
road to recovery. Three hours before
the end came the most optimistic bul
letin issued since the President was
taken ill was made public. It said
that he had spent the “most com
fortable day since his illness began "
The bulletin was timed 4:20 p.m.
“The evidences of infection are sub
siding but he has been left in a very
w*eakened condition by the hard bat
tle he has made,” the bulletin added.
“This afternoon the temperature is
remaining normal, with the pulse rate
around 100 and the respirations aver
aging about thirty. Other factors re
main the same."
The bulletin was so optimistic that
there was a general letting down in
the watchfulness that has attended
the President’s illness. Members of
the cabinet and their wives, the per
sonnel of the executive staff and
many of the newspaper men went out
to dinners, where most of the talk
was when the trip back to Wash
ington would be started. At no time
j since the President was brought to
I San Francisco Sunday morning was
the vicinity of the presidential suite
1 as deserted as it was about 7 o’clock
j last night.
Kevr »ar Death Scene.
Outside the suite the usual secret
service men stood guard—they also
discussing when they would get back
to Washington—and down the cor
ridor a little handful of newspaper
men were gathered.
Mrs. Harding, Gen. Sawyer and the
1 two nurses, however, had not re
linquished their watchfulness, and it
is truly typical of Mrs. Harding that
she should have been there, for no
first lady of the land was ever more
devoted and faithful to her husband
than was Mrs. Harding.
Mrs. Harding was reading to the
President an article entitled'“A Calm
Review of a Calm Man.” written by
Samuel G. Blythe, a noted political
writer, and publisht-d in a current
magazine. It described the man to
whom she was reading, and he was
interested In it. She paused In her
reading and glanced up, he raised his
band and said:
“That’s good. Go on. Read some
more.”
Those were the last words Presi
dent Harding spoke. In an instant
a shudder shook his frame, his hand
dropped, and he collapsed.
Mrs. Harding was at the door in
stantly and called:
“Find Boone and the others!
Quick!”
One of the secret service men rush
ed down the corridor searching for
Dr. Boone, while Gen. Sawyer worked
desperately within the room, apply
ing restoratives. Dr. Boone could not
be found on the eighth floor, and mes
sengers were sent out. He was found
and came in almost running at 7:37
o'clock. Several others had gone
Into the room In the meantime, and
(Continued on Page 3, Column ■L)