The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, April 20, 1945, Image 5
FRIDAY, APRIL 20TH, 1945
Entire Nation Mourns Death
Of Franklin D.. Roosevelt;
Vast Tasks Face Truman
FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT
JANUARY 30, 1882—APRIL 12, 1945.
A S THE guns of America’s fighting forces sounded ever closer
. the doom of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, Franklin
Delano Roosevelt died in Warm Springs, Georgia, where he had
been resting for 10 days.
Death resulted from a cerebral hemorrhage at 4:35 p. m. on
April 12. Mr. Roosevelt was 63. He had been President for 12
years, one month and nine days. The White House was announced
as the site of the funeral, with interment at the family estate at
Hyde Park, N. Y.
Less than four months had elapsed since he had taken his his
toric oath of office for a fourth term. Only a few weeks before he
had returned from the Yalta conference where in company with
Marshal Stalin of Russia and Prime Minister Churchill of Great
Britain he had labored to built an enduring peace.
Fate denied Franklin Roosevelt the chance to enjoy the fruits
of victory over the Axis. Yet history seemed destined to enshrine 1
him as one of the immortal American Presidents. And every citi
zen who mourned the untimely passing of the Commander-in-
Chief felt that he was a casualty of the war just as every G.I.,
Marine and Sailor who had fallen in battle.
Never before had an American I
President died in wartime. Abra
ham Lincoln fell under Assassin i
Booth’s bullet just five days after j
the surrender of General Lee’s army !
at Appomattox in 1865. Woodrow
Wilson lived to see victory over
Germany in World War I, but he
fought a losing battle for the
League of Nations and died early
in 1924, a defeated leader. Many i
historians believe Lincoln’s great-1
ness might have been dimmed in
the conflicts over reconstruction
that followed the War Between the
States, just as Wilson's prestige
was lost in the conflict over the
league that followed World War I.
Thus Franklin Roosevelt, dying at
the height of his career just as vic
tory was to be achieved over Ger
many, seemed likely to live in his
tory as a great man.
As the American people from
Main Street to Riverside Drive
mourned the death of Franklin
Roosevelt, their prayers went up
for his successor, Harry S. Truman.
For on the shoulders of this slight,
gray, 60-year-old Missourian had
been laid a responsibility such as
no American President had ever
borne.
What the consequences of the
President’s death would be to
the United States and the
world, time alone would tell.
But as Americans recovered
from their first shock at the
news, they quickly determined
two things. The war must be
prosecuted to as speedy and
victorious a finish as possible.
Lasting peace must be estab
lished. . ,
And so, regardless of party or of
past political differences, the peo
ple have rallied behind Mr. Truman.
The new President faces the im
mediate task of directing American
participation in the United Nations’
blueprints for a permanent world
organization. He likewise faces the
responsibility of establishing work
ing relations with other members
of the Big Three, so that the per
sonal cooperation which existed be
tween Franklin D. Roosevelt, Josef
Stalin and Winston Churchill in
leading the Allies toward victory
PRECEDENTS OUT: *
Throughout his career as Presi-!
dent, Franklin - D. Roosevelt was
known as the “precedent breaker.” j
That title was first conferred in 1932
when he flew out to Chicago from
Albany, N. Y., to address the Demo
cratic convention that had. nomi-'
nated him. It continued after his
election as a result of his informal
methods of transacting business.
But it reached a climax in his de
cision to seek a third term in 1940
and a fourth term in 1944.
HARRY S. TRUMAN
may be maintained in helping win
the peace. He faces the long-range
job of guiding the nation to postwar
economic prosperity once Nazi Ger
many and Japan are finally defeated.
Known as a plain, modest
man who has not dramatized
himself personally, President
Truman nevertheless has dem
onstrated on many occasions
that he can be a leader of force
and determination. His work as
chairman of the Truman com
mittee in the U. S. senate in
vestigating the conduct of the
war is cited as an example of
this. And his conduct of the
Vice Presidency has shown that
he can work successfully with
political leaders of both parties
in getting needed measures
passed and in reconciling op
posing points of view.
The 33rd President was born in
Lamar, Mo., May 8, 1884, although
the home of the family for four
generations had been on a farm
near Independence, Mo.
Served in World War I.
When World War I broke out,
Truman became captain of Bat
tery D in the field artillery of
the 35th Division and saw ac
tion at St. Mihiel and in the
Meuse-Argonne offensive.
Back in Independence, Truman
and a war buddy opened a haber
dashery business. He married his
boyhood sweetheart, Bess Wallace,
and they have one daughter, Mary
Margaret.
Truman later turned to politics
for a career, which started with his
election as County Judge of Jack-
son county. Mo. In 1926 he became
the presiding judge of Jackson
county, with the endorsement of
Tom Pendergast, political boss of
Kansas City. He studied law at
night and supervised the construc
tion of a great highway system.
THE NEWBKKKT sun
President’s Life
Was Characterized
By Vigorous Action
Unlike the “log-cabin” presidents,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was not
born into poverty. When Franklin
arrived at Hyde Park, N. Y., on
January 30, 1882, he came into a
family that had possessed wealth
for many generations. The Roose
velts had been thrifty land-owners
in the Hudson valley since the first
of the family came over from Hol
land. On his mother’s side also
there was a substantial fortune.
Among his ancestors were many
men who had served the state in
various capacities.
Young Franklin attended the very
fashionable Groton school, where
he prepared for Harvard university.
After completing the liberal arts
course ho entered Columbia U- lavr
school, from which he was gradu
ated in 1907. Two years earlier,
however, he married his distant
cousin, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.
Eleanor was a niece of Theodore
Roosevelt, at that time in the Whte
House.
After two years of legal prac
tice, Franklin entered politics,
running on the Democratic
ticket for the New York state
senate. He unexpectedly defeat
ed a strong Republican candi
date From the beginning of his
career he identified himself with
reform movements, opposing
the poverful Tammany organi
zation in the statehouse. He was
re-elected in 1912, by which
time he had become a leader of
the anti-Tammany faction.
Woodrow Wilson appointed Roose
velt assistant secretary of the
navy. When World War I broke out
Roosevelt proved himself an effi
cient administrator, handling bil-
lions of dollars’ worth of contracts
for ships and supplies. He served ia
this post throughout the war.
Ran for Vice President.
In 1920 the Democratic national
convention chose him as running
mate for James Cox. While cam
paigning for the vice presidency
Roosevelt made many acquaint
ances valuable in later political
life. Cox being defeated, F.D.R
returned to legal practice.
The following year the great
tragedy of his life struck him—
infantile paralysis. The big,
strong young man became a
bedridden invalid. For months
he lay without ambition, almost
without hope. Slowly his pow
erful will took command, how
ever, and by persistence he
partially regained the use of
his muscles. It was during his
convalescence at Warm Springs,
Ga., that he determined to do
what he could to eradicate the
scourge that had almost ruined
him. The “March of Dimes”
campaign was the result.
At the Democratic conventions at
1924 and 1928, he aligned nimseli
with the group supporting Alfred
E. Smith, New York’s governor,
When Smith was nominated in 1928.
Roosevelt ran for governor of hii
state and was elected. At the end
of his two-year term he was again
elected, this time by the greatest
majority ever given to a New York
governor.
As governor he continued the re
form and improvement policies ol
his predecessor Smith. His achieve
ments attracted nationwide atten
tion. As the depression that began
late in 1929 deepened, his efforts
to control the mounting business
failures, unemployment and dis
tress in his state revealed his abili
ties as a vigorous leader in gravs
times.
When the national conventior
met in Chicago in 1932 Roosevell
was quickly chosen. He was swept
into office by a plurality of sever
million votes, carrying 42 states.
Both houses went Democratic.
Before he could take office
a wave of bank failures threat
ened the whole economic struc
ture. The famous “bank mora
torium” order, one of Roose
velt’s first official acts, closed
all banks until they could be re
organized on a sounder basis,
thus preventing disastrous runs.
In the spring of 1932 came the
repeal of the 18th, or prohibi
tion amendment. Then came
the National Industrial Recov
ery Act, or “NRA,” under
which extensive emergency pow
ers were granted to the Presi
dent. A series of public works
were authorized to combat un
employment, together with
huge appropriations for direct
relief.
The numerous executive and leg
islative acts of this first term were
approved in general as necessary
in the face of widespread suffer
ing. A phrase from one of the
President’s speeches, “a new deal,"
developed into a title for the whole
Roosevelt program.
In 1936 the convention in Phil
adelphia nominated Roosevelt
by acclamation on the first bal
lot. He carried 46 states in the
elections. This second term ma
jority was so overwhelming that
many New Dealers began to
call it a “mandate from the
people.” During this second
term a great number of mea
sures were passed to increase
the economic security of the In
dividual, particularly the work
ers, farmers and small busi
nessmen.
THE CHARLESTON NAVY YARD PAYS HIGH WAGES
Ships built by the Charleston Na
vy Yard employees both landing
craft and other types of vessels, are
fighting in every sector of the war
ring globe. '
Quoted from a United Press story,
telling how a 15,000-yard-long beach-,
head was set up on the west coast
of Okinawa Island, is the following-
“Minesweepers, commanded by young
| and daring, naval officials, have
played a stellar role in this invasion.
•They swept more htan 2,500 square
miles of water around Okinawa in
the most extensive antimine opera
tions of the Pacific war.
“With the mines gone, American
warships were- able to put within
a few thousand yards of the beaches
for close-up shelling. No transport
! or cargo ship hit a mine in the land
ing operations’’
The success of our Okinawa land
ings gives positive proof of the value
of the work pressed to a finish by
CNY just before Christmas. Tie
pressing need for electricians, ma-
| chinists sheetmetal workers, PV>e-
I fitters, plumbers and helpers is crit-
| Persons not presently employed in
! essential war work at their highest
■ skills are urgently requested to con-
1 tact the CNY civil- service recruit
ing representative, Miss Hazel G.
Crouch, at the United States Employ
ment Service office, Caldwell St.,
CLARY-EPTING
Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Clary, Sr., of
Newberry, announce the engagement
of their daughter, Helen Elizabeth, to
Lieutenant Sylvian W. Epting, Unit
ed States Army.
Lieutenant Epting is the son of the
late Mr. and Mrs. George Epting of
Newberry. The wedding will be in
the near future.
RECITAL AT ORGAN BY MISS
BOWERS IS WELL RECEIVED
Playing with technical brilliance
and maturity, is Louise Bowers,
presenting the first spring gradua
tion recital of Randolph-Macon
Woman’s College music department,
gave an organ program in Smith
Memorial Auditorium last evening
which won demonstrative approval
from the audience.
The schedule throughout was dif
ficult, with Bach numbers as its
opening, other classics, several mod
em composers’'works and finally,
the Concerto Gregoriano by Yon,
in whteh the pedal cadenza was
executed with especially fine dex
terity, climaxing an excellent per
formance. ,
Miss Cary Lou Edgar of Charles
ton, W. Va., soprano, whose voice
showed to advantage in a demand
ing list of songs, assisted Miss Bow
ers, and Miss Alice Rayle of At
lanta, supplied at the piano the or
chestral parts in the Concerto Gre
goriano, rounding out a well-bal
anced evening. Miss Dorothy Sta
ples supplied her usual capable ac
companiment for the songs
Miss Bowers has been serving as
organist at Rivermont Presbyterian
church for the last two sessions, and
Miss Edgar’s contribution to the
music of the college community also
lend added interest to the concert.—
1 The News, Lynchburg, Va.
Miss Bowers is the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Bowers, Jr.
of this city, who accompanied by
Mrs. H. W. Schumpert and S. C.
Paysinger attended the recital at
Randolph-Macon Woman’s College.
Mr. Paysinger also visited his
daughter, Marjory Paysinger, who is
a freshman there.
NEW DRIVER LICENSES GO ON
SALE APRIL 16 /
South Carolina driver licenses,
good for four years, expire on June
30, 1945, and renewals will be ac
cepted on April 16th and after, said
J. S. Williamson, chief highway com
missioner. Applications are being
mailed 'throughout the stat^ to all
automobile owners.
Drivers who fail to renew the cur
rent license before July 1st must be
examined as new applicants.
All renewals are paper licenses.
Due to the war shortage of metals,
metal tags are not available. “Plese
do not request metal tags,” said the
chief highway commissioner, ‘‘as
they are unobtainable.”
Two renewal application blanks are
being mailed to each owner of a mo
tor vehicle in South Carolina. If a
driver does not own a vehicle and is
not supplied an application form, it
is his responsibility to obtain one
from the motor vehicle division in
Columbia or from the lofcal state
highway patrol.
The application form when com
pleted, will become the actual driver
license upon validation by the depart
ment
All applications must be typed or
printed in ink in a legible and neat
manner, If an error is made, the
form should be destroyed and a new
one submitted.
The driver license number called foi j
on the application form is the cur- j
rent number, which will continue per- i
manently.
Prifce of the license is fifty cents.
Remittances are requested to be by
money order, cashier’s or certified I
check No personal checks will be ac-
cetped. Do not send cash, requests
the department.
Separate remittances with family
or group renewals will speed up is
suance.
All renewals will be expedited if
sent directly to the central office of
the motor vehicle division of the
state highway department, P. O.
Drawer 1498, at Columbia.
All state highway patrol offices
will be open for renewals, as well as
numerous itinerary points.
at Chungking for the past six
months conducting a school for
Chinese interpreters serving with
the United States Army.
JAMES LEWIS COWARD
PRICE TO GO WITH CHINESE
DELEGATION
Rev. Dr. Frank W. Price, Chinese-
born Presbyterian missionary and
son of Mr. and Mrs. P. Frank Price
of Florence has been named by Gen
eralissimo Chiang Kai-shek to ac
company the Chinese delegates to
the San Francisco United Nations
conference April 25.
Prite, on leave from the foreign
missions committee of the Presby
terian church has been stationed
James Lewis Coward, 52, formerly
of Newberry, passed away at Iris
home in Union, Wednesday, April
4th, after two weeks illness. Sur
viving are his wife, Mrs. Edna Bal-
lentine Coward, and five sons,' SISgt.
James Marvin Coward, Germany;
Lewis Alvin Coward, Union; George
Ernest Coward, missing in action in
Germany since December 4, 1944;
William Douglas Coward, Newberry,
and Sgt. John W. Coward, in a hos
pital in England. Also two sisters,
Mrs. J. A. Norton and Mrs. E. G.
Hill, both of Columbia; two brothers,
George W. Coward, Rockingham, N.
C. and John M. Coward of Columbia,
and several grandchildren.
He was buried with full Masonic
honors.
Interment was in Union Memorial
Gardens at Union.
TP
JLhirty good years, Mother”
That star represents twenty-five years of service, the bar an
other five... altogether, thirty years that Jim has been working on
the Southern Railway System.
“Thirty good years,” Jim says.
Because in the years since 1915 he has seen his Southland lay
the foundations for a rich, full, abundant economy.
He has seen' agriculture, industry, mining and commerce team
up with his own Southern Railway System to get things done.
And when war came, he was part of
the Southern team that broke all records
in moving men and materials swiftly and
surely on their way to the fighting fronts.
Jim’s proud of his thirty years. So are
we. But Jim knows that even greater
accomplishments are still to come.
And we share his faith in a great
future for the postwar South... for we
know that the next thirty years wift be
good years, too.
President
SOUTHERN RAILWAY SYSTEM