Newspaper Page Text

v -—y- SECOND ” ~ ~^' r : SECOND

EXTRA! W cuing pas. EXTRA!

V WITH SUNDAY MOENINQ EDITION X

Apoplexy Kills President

JL JL v

PRESIDENT’S RECORD

ONE OF TRIUMPHS IN

MANY GREAT ISSUES

Arms Parley and Success of

*

I Budget System Outstanding

Features of Career.

.Warren Gamaliel Harding. twenty

ninth President of the United States, was

•wept into office in 1920 by some 7.000.000

votes, defeating James V. Cox of Ohio,

the democratic nominee. He look the

oath of office March 4. 1921. his in- i

auguration being marked by extreme,

simplicity. There was no inaugural

parade, such as most of the other

Presidents have had. nor any inaugu

ral ball. He delivered his inaugural I

address, however, from the steps of j

the Capitol in accordance with time

honored cuctom after taking the oath |

of office.

Probably no President ever faced a

more difficult task than Mr. Hording.

He was confronted with conditions in

the country due to the close of the

war. There had been business de

pression and many men and women

were out. of work. These conditions

improved very greatly, however, dur

ing his administration.

Arms Conference Pacts.

The outstanding accomplishment j

es Mr. Harding's administration

was the Washington conference j

on limitation of armaments and the j

problems of the Pacific and the

treaties negotiated at that confer

ence. The naval limitation treaty has

been ratified by all five of the powers

signing it—the United States, Great

Britain, France. Italy and Japan. The

four-power Pacific treaty, whose rati

fication ’.ras the signal for the ter

mination of the Anglo-Japanese alli

ance. also has been ratified by the

United States. Great Britain, France

and Japan. Under it these nations

pledge themselves to respect the

rights Os the others in their island

possessions and dominions in the re

gion of the Pacific, and in case of

differences arising, either between the

signatories or between a signatory

and other nations, to confer in an

effort to bring about a settlement.

Formal peace with Germany and with

Austria was made during the Harding

administration. The Versailles peace

treaty and the league of nations cove

nant. negotiated by former President

Wilson, together with the representa

tives of the allied nations and the cen

tral powers, had failed of ratification.

After President Harding came into the

White House Congress put through the

so-called Knox resolution, declaring war

with Germany and Austria at an end.

and providing for the establishment of

peace between the United States and

those nations with the interests of the

United States safeguarded. President

Harding signed the resolution. Diplo

matic relations with those countries

were resumed, and representatives of

Germany and Austria came to Washing

ton. and the President appointed Amer

ican diplomatic representatives to the

Berlin and Vienna posts.

President Harding sought earnestly

to bring about legislation to relieve

the condition of the American farmer.

He urged also legislation to meet the

railroad situation and to prevent the

great industrial upheavals such as the

railroads and coal strikes of 1922.

Vetoed Soldier Bonus, .

Convinced that the Treasuryof the

United States was not in shape to

meet the payments necessary if the

eo-called soldiers’ bonus bill were

enacted. Mr. Harding vetoed this

measure when it was sent to him

and his veto was sustained by the

Senate.

• Another measure which President

Harding sought earnestly to have en

acted into law was the merchant

marine bill. This filled in the Six

ty-seventh Congress, however, be

cause it was never brought to a vote

in the Senate. It had passed the

House. It was filibustered to death

In the upper house.

The President's latest recommenda

tion to Congress, or, rather, to the

Senate, was the ratification of a pro

tocol providing: for adherence of the i

United States to the Permanent ,

Court of International Justice. This

proposal, however, was attacked by

republican senators who had opposed

"T ::;™z s; i MMjuta

oppoSetl j

to entrance into the league a s

•trongly as any could t»e. hut

that the adherence of the United

States, as proposed, did not mean the

entrance of this country -into the

league. . He spoke for the world

court on his trip west and it was

expected would give the -matter his

earnest support when Congress con

vened in December, 1923.

White House Opened.

Under the Harding administration

the "White House, which had been

closed, so far as large entertainments

were concerned, during the war and

later during the illness of former

President AVilson, was thrown open

again, and the receptions anji dinners

usually given by the President of

the United States were carried out.

President Harding laid particular

• tress upon economy in government

expenditure. The so-called budget

system Wigs put into operation under

his administration with good results.

He took a strong stand for law en

forcement in connection with the fed

eral prohibition act, and ranged him

self on the side of the "drys.” The

President, becoming a total abstainer

from the use of intoxicating: bever

*s*B. was convinced, it was said, that

Jf prohibition was to be successfully

enforced those prominent in all

Walks of American life must give up

the use of liquor, even of that which

had been lawfully acquired.

Mr. Harding was called upon to

»iame four of the nine members of

the Supreme Court of the United

States, including the Chief Justice,

Mr. Taft, owing to deaths and resig

nations since Mr. Harding became

President. He made hundreds of

ether important nominations both to

the judiciary and the executive de

partments of the government.

TH* rj •nomination., of President I

Jth*

9

republican national convention to be

held next year confidently pre

dieted by leaders of the republican

party.

President Harding was the ‘’dark

horse" of the republican national con

| vention meeting in Chicago in 1920. He

was the compromise candidate selected

when the supporters of Gen. Leonard

Wood. Gov. Bowden and Senator Hiram

Johnson had endeavored in vain to have

their candidates nominated. Some of

.the influential republican leaders, at a

[ conference in the Blackstone Hotel in

the early morning hours determined

j upon upon Mr. Harding, and he was

: nominated by the convention within the

next twenty-four hours.

Ohio Farm Harding's Birthplace.

President Harding was born on a farm

near the little village of Blooming Grove.

Morrow county. Ohio. November 2, JS6S,

He was by profession and occupation a

newspaperman and he had the dis

tinction of being the first active mem.

her this craft to be elected chief

j magistrate. He likewise had the dis

j tinction of being the first man to be

j elevated to the White House directly

from the Senate.

The President's father. George T.

Harding, who still is living, has been

prominent as a physician and many

years of his life were spent as a

country practitioner. Dr. Harding

was a veteran of the civil war. and

Warren, as a boy, grew up amid the

afterglow of the flaming patriotism

which preserved the Union.

The Hardings are of old colonial

stock, the family having originally

come from Scotland, settling first in

Connecticut. They moved later to the

AVyoming valley in Pennsylvania,

where some of them were massacred

by the Indians, and others fought in

the revolutionary war. The Presi

dent's mother, who was Miss Phoebe

Dickerson, was descended from an

old-time Holland Dutch family, the

A'an Kirks, so that in Warren G

Harding was found the blending of

the blood of the hardy Holland Dutch

and the fearless and liberty-loving

Scotch.

Eldest of Eight Children.

The President was the eldest of

eight children, several of whom

achieved more than ordinary distinc

tion. The country surrounding the

old homestead in Morrow county was

rough and thickly wooded, and in

parts was only partially settled.

Many of the inhabitants were en

gaged in clearing land and shipping

timber to the cities, and it was at

such labor as felling trees, cutting

wood and piling it that the boy Hard

ing developed a robust physique and

love for outdoors, both of which stood

him well throughout his public life.

Besides wood-chopping and rail-split

ting, the boy worked hard at the va

rious odd jobs around the country

home, and in this manner early ac

quired the habit of industry.

Warren, attended the village school

until he was fourteen years of age.

when he entered the Ohio Central

College at Iberia, Ohio, from which

he graduated. It was while attending

this institution that he first displayed

a talent for journalism. For several

years before graduation he edited

the college paper. His education,

however, was frequently interrupted

by the necessity of having to leave

college to earn additional means of

support, and it was only by the aid of

these periodical occupations that he

was enabled to complete his college

course.

Frequently after becoming a nation

al figure he spoke fondly of those

"odd jobs" during his college days.

According to him. he worked at times

cutting corn, painting barns and

houses for neighbors, painting signs,

and at one time drove a team, He

also helped in the work of grading

the roadbed of the T. and O. C. rail

road. which was then building: through

‘that oommunity. At -var-ious times he

taught school in that district, and he

newer failed to smile when telling of

the days when he played a horn in

P w si mmm

[IIS mu (Oim HI WOH l Korn £

the brass band of t-ne village.

At odd times he worked in the lit

tle printing office Irx the village, and

because of his enthusiasm and liking

for this craft he took occasion to

learn every detail in connection with

printing and presses. He soon be

came an expert typesetter by hand,

and when the linotype was introduced

later he learned to operate the ma

chine. He was a practical pressman,

job printer, stereotyper, and after

becoming head of his own newspaper,

developed into an expert makeup

man. The printer's rule, which he

used when he was "sticking type,"

was carried by him up until the time

of his death as his lucky piece.

Warren, was nineteen years of age

when his father, seeking a wider field,

moved the family to Marion. Ohio,

the county seat of an adjoining

county, in which place the family

continued to live. During the years

he was in the United States Senate

and while living in the White House

Mr. Harding maintained his old home

in Marion.

When the family migrated to Mar

ion, AA’arren had completed his col

lege course. He was ambitious to

enter upon journalism as a life wqrk.

The Star was a struggling evening

paper. It was diminutive in size and

its influence and circulation were cor

respondingly small. At the time

Marlon was a town of only 4.000 popu

lation, but this outlook in nowise

deterred young Harding in his pur

pose. The paper was not making

money and its future was considered

most precarious. Nevertheless he

yearned to possess it and his father,

having faith in the young man's abil

ity, and being anxious to give him a

start, lent his credit in assisting him

in taking over the paper. The con

sideration, fortunately, was small—

little more than enough to assume the

responsibility of its indebtedness. To

make matters more doubtful as to the

success of the undertaking the com

...

WARREN G. HARDING. . ,-.i:

munity was then democratic and the

Star was not even the official organ

of the minority party in the county.

Enthusiastic and Energetic.

Warren Harding, however, entered

upon the task with ail The enthu

siasm and energy of youth. He ap

plied himself Up the task with a., seri

ousness and. determination that soon

was to attract attention and start the j

little paper and himself on the road

lime fcsrbei. auq jjiujasjt, on tits losq

lino «(•■«<• aiioncioii ana ••••

little paper and himself on lii e road

to success. Me worked lohß and la-te.

He worked in every, capacity on. trie

paper fro m "printer’s devil to m an

aging editor. The ascent of- the lad

der.was at times very disheartening.

Sometimes the coffers were so low

that it was necessary to request ad

vertisers to make advances on their

bills in order to pay current ex

penses and to keep the enterprise

afloat. Nevertheless it succeeded, but

the story of Its ultimate growth is

fairly well known. The story is

long, though interesting and ro

mantic, hut it shows clearly the tri

umph of devotion to work, energy

and honesty and of the determined

spirit of its guiding hand.

In the meantime the young pub

lisher had become prominent in civic

and political circles. His first politi

cal office was as a member of the

legislature. He was elected to that

body as a senator from the thirteenth

district In 1899, and served until 1903.

The following year he became lieuten

ant governor of the state, serving I

until 1905. Nine years later he came i

to Washington as a member of the

Senate, and served in that body until

two months prior to his inauguration

as President of the United States.

But the story of the rise of this

distinguished American is not only in

teresting, but la a lesson In persever

ance, energy, application and hon

esty, and at the same time gives a

■ilendid kisight into, the character

tnd early life of the first newspaper

man president.

Marries at Age of ?S.

At the age of twenty-six the strug

gling young publisher was married to

Florence Kling, daughter of Amos

Kling, who. at the time of his death,

was one of the leading bankers and

business men of Marlon. The young

wife was from the start a great aid

and inspiration to her husband. She

inherited the business acumen of her

father, and In many ways was of

great assistance in the building‘up

. .(Continued on Page- 2, Column l.j

WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 1923.

CAME TO PRESIDENCY

SPLENDIDLY EQUIPPED

By Temperament and Training Mr.

II —-1: - m mii e:*« :i c

• i o

11--a f»l i r»<rr Was WVd 1 Fitted for

Highest Office.

Warren G. Harding brought to the

presidency an infinite patience and

kindnes’s in dealing with public ques

tions and men, which enabled him to

handle the proble’ms of government

without the stress and worry which

had handicapped many of his prede-

I cessors.

Whatever • else historians may say

of him, there probably will be little

dispute that few chief executives

came to office in peace time facing

problems more complex in their na

ture or greater in number. All Inter

national affairs were unbalanced as

I never before, with many principal set

i tlements of the great war still to be

effectuated. At home the work of re

construction had only just begun,

with business depressed, agriculture

prostrate and unemployment general.

Came With Open Mind.

How Mr. Harding measured up to

the'task before him must be left to

the historian, but bis friends said

that, coming to the presidency as he,

did with an open mind, a desire for

counsel and an intimate knowledge

of the processes of government ac

quired in his services in the Senate, he

was the type of man needed for the

job at such a time.

Preaching upon every occasion the

doctrine of Americanism, he set his

face resolutely against “entangling

alliances.” While thus adhering to

what he was pleased to term the prin

ciples of the founding fathers, he nev

ertheless lent the moral assistance of

the government In the efforts .to bind

up the wounds of-the world. -

i Tfcat influence was ones declared b7~

him to be not inconsiderable, and so

America, under his guidance, had -a

past, silent though it was in the main,

in effecting the settlements of many

vexing world - questions. Its chief

contribution was the Washington

arms conference, at which the prin

cipal powers covenanted to limit the

size of their navies and thus lift from

tax-weary peoples the burden of

maintaining the race for naval su

premacy

Along with the proffer of counsel In

effecting world settlements went an

insistence that American rights be

recognized. In polished phrase, but

with a directness of expression that

was not to be misconstrued, the world

was given to understand from the

very first of the Harding administra

tion that the United States, freely re

specting the rights of the other na

tions. asked for herself only that

to which she was entitled in simple

justice, and that she could accept

nothing lessr-"

Firm Course on Bonus.

"While in his dealings with Congress

Mr. Harding preferred .the role of

counselor; rather ; than dictator, he

speedily removed any doubt that his

gift of patience denoted any lack of

purpose once he had charted a course.

Thus, he told Congress that soldiers’

bonus legislation cither should carry

the - means of financing or be post

poned, and when the legislators put

aside his advice he promptly vetoed

the bill they sent him

His tenactity of purpose was fur

ther exemplified In his continual

pounding for economy in public ex

penditures. and again in his insist

ence that Congress pass the merchant

marine bill'with ' a'view ’to curtajl

ibg the continual .which the

operation of the war-built commer

cial fleet had become upon the Treas

ury. His greatest single effort in the

field of domestic legislation was in

behalf of this measure.

Not Infrequently Mr. Harding was

called upon to play the role of

peacemaker in governmental affairs.

Me intervened in zt- dispute t>et-w*eerr

Congress and the Treasury as to the

form general tax revision tvas to

take, and tlie program he approved

was carried out in the main with a

• . i • i lit i li

/f.ss cffttieq ons iu tpe tusrju -*Mrp sr

ettne! and tno piogiain no apiuoiea

was °ut> the^ wi t^

an Senate on the question of Amer

ican valuation in the tariff law. He

proposed in its place a flexible tariff

arrangement, under which the tariff

commission was given authority, with

his approval, to increase or lower

rates within prescribed limitations.

Upon signing the bill the President

declared it constituted the greatest

tariff reform in American history,

BAY STATE LEADS

IN RULE OF NATION

The succession of Calvin Coolidge to

the Presidency of the United States re

sults in the leadership of the executive

and legislative branches of the govern

ment by Massachusetts men.

Senator Lodge is the republican leader

in the Senate, and It is expected will be

continued In that office at the coming

session of Congress. The fact that the

new President halls from Massachusetts

and that Senator Lodge may be ex

pected to have peculiarly cloee relations

with him on that account makes the con

tinuance of Lodge as the leader of the

Senate advisable, it Is felt

Speaker Glllett, presiding officer of

the House during the last two Con

gresses and elated to succeed himself in

that office when the new Congress as

sembles, is also a native of Massa-

In the cabinet of President Harding

is Secretary of War Weeks, who is ex

pected to continue during the incum

bency of President Coolidge. He, too,

is from Massachusetts.

Two members of the Supreme Court

of the United States were appointed

from Massachusetts —Associate Justice

Oliver Wendell Holmes and AhßOClate-

Justice Louis D. Brandeia,

AN UNFORSEEN ATTACK

BRINGS END SUDDENLY,

WITHOUT WARNING

Mrs. Harding at His Bedside

Reading Aloud ,Wlien Fatal s;

Attack Comes.

PRESIDENTIAL HEADQUARTERS,

Aug. 2.—Warren G. Harding, President of the United

States, died instantaneously and without warning to

night at 7:30 o’clock, a victim of a stroke* of apoplexy,

which struck him down in his weakened condition after

an illness of exactly a week.

Death came to the Chief Executive while he was conversing

with members of his family, and according to am official state

ment issued by physicians, was apparently due to some brain

evolvement, probably an apoplexy.

The end came so suddenly that the members of the official

party could not be called. It came after a day which had been

described by Brig. Gen. Sawyer, the President’s personal psysi

ri»n t as the most satisfactory the President had had since his

illness began.

The physicians in their formal announcement of the end said

that “during the day he had been free from discomfort, and there

was every justification for anticipating a prompt recovery.”

FIRST INDICATION OF CHANGE.

The first indication that a change had occurred in the

condition of Mr. Harding came shortly after 7 o’clock when

Mrs. Harding personally opened the door of the sickroom and

called to those in the corridors to “find Dr. Boone and the

others quick.’* At that time Mrs. Harding was understood

to have been reading to the President, sitting at his bedside

with the evening papers and messages of sympathy which

[ had been received during the day.

Dr. Sawyer was alone of all the doctors in the apartment

when the climax came. He first was called by Mrs. Harding,

I who then rushed to the door leading into the hotel corridors

and commanded an immediate search for the other physicians.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF DEATH.

The death of the nation’s Chief Executive was announced in

these words:

“The President died instantaneously and without warning,

while conversing with members of his family at 7:30 pjn.

Death was apparently due to some brain evolvement, probably

an apoplexy.

“During the day he had been free from discomfort, and there

was every justification for anticipating a prompt recovery.

(Signed)

- -- “C. E. Sawyer, M. D.

“Ray Lyman Wilbur, M. D.

“C. M. Cooper, M. D.

“J. T. Boone, M. D.

“Hubert Work, M. D.

“August 2, 1923; 7:35 p.m.

In a second official statement issued at 8:02 p.m. the

statement was made that death had been caused by a stroke

of apoplexy.

HOW THE END CAME.

The itory of the President’s tragic end was told in this

way:

“The President JieJ at 7 =3O p. m. Mrs. Hardingr and the

two nurses. Miss Ruth Powdcrly and IVliss Sue Dausscr, were

in the room at the time. Mrs. Harding was reading to the

D 11 . 1•• 1 l«l » »•» »»» *

m mi loom it nig time mk HsmiHl cdii mandl » ffli

President when, utterly without warnins, a slight shudder passed

through hie frame, he collapse], snd all recognized that the end

bad come. A stroke of apolesy was the cause of His death.

“Within a few minutes all of the President’s official party

had been summoned.”

Secretary Hoover was the first of the four members of

the President’s cabinet, who are in San Francisco, to learn

the sad news. He went into the room at once and in a few

minutes came out obviously deeply distressed, and in a low

voice said to newspapermen, most of whom did not know of

the hurried call almost half an hour previously: “Boys, I

can’t tell yu a thing.” o

“The President had a most splendid afternoon,” said Lieuten

ant Commander Joel T. Boone, assistant to the President’s per

sonal physician.

“When I left the room 1 commented, ‘Doesn’t he look splen

did.’

“Then all at once, he just went like that ,” the com

mander snapped his fingers. “Just like that,” he repeated.

“Something just snapped, that’s all.”

Secretary Wallace was the second member of the President’s

ffffifi'il family to learn of the passing of his chief, and he likewise

was so overcome with grief that he could say nothing.

The Chief Executive of the nation, and by virtue of his office

and personality, one of the world’s leading figures, passed away

at the time when his physicians, his family and his people thought

that medical skill, hope and prayer had won the battle against dis

ease.

The had been conquered, the fire waa out, but seven

1 jJ * (Continued On Pago Si Columns 6 and 7.J ... - _ .

TWO CENTS.