PRESIDENT HARDING DEAD

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2615, 4 August 1923, Page 3

PRESIDENT HARDING DEAD

A SUDDEN RELAPSE. APOPLEXY THE CAUSE. •Vancouver, August 2. President Harding is dead. San Francisco, August 2. President Harding suffered a relapse early in the evening. At .first; the trouble appeared to be only slight, then he fell into a state of coma 15 minutes before his death which occurred at 7.30 p.m. San Francisco time. The cause of death was apoplexy. Dr Sawyer was alone in the room when the climax came. Mrs Harding rushed for the other doctors, but it was too late. v The end came with extreme suddenness. Dr. Sawyer had been telling the. pressmen that President Harding had had his best day since he became ill and had definitely entered upon the stage of convaleeenee. It is feared the shock will have a serious effect upon Mrs Harding, who but recently recovered from a grave illness. VICE-PRESIDENT COOLIDGE WILL SUCCEED. New York, August 2. Vice-President Calvin Coolidge becomes automatically President of the United States, Mr Coolidge will now probably proceed to Washington, where the oath of office will be administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It is expected Mr Coolidge will follow the precedent set by Mr Rooseveldt on the occasion of President McKinley’s death, and immediately convene Congress for an extraordinary session. A SINCERE FRIEND OF ENGLAND. London, August 3. The news of President Harding’s death was received in London at 5.15 and caused a painful shock, and a complete surprise, because the morning papers had announced that the crisis of his illness was over and that in San Francisco the joybells were chiming in thanksgiving President Harding was regarded as a sound President and a sincere friend of England. GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S MESSAGE. THE DOMINION'S REGRET. Wellington, Last Night. The Governor-General has despatched the following telegraphic message to His Majesty’s Ambassador at Washington: “The news of the death of President Harding has come to us as a profound shock and has created the deepest regret. —Orr behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand, with whom I associate myself, T beg that your Excellency will convey to the Government of the United States this expression of our greal sorrow at the loss which their country has sustained by the death of so distinguished a figure, and an assurance of our heartfelt sympathy with them. The New Zealand Parliament- has adjourned as a tribute of respect to the memory of the late President. — (Signed) Jellicoe, Gov-ernor-General.” PARLIAMENT’S TRIBUTE. HOUSE ADJOURNS TILL MONDAY. X Wellington, Last Night. News of the death of President Harding reached Parliament about 1.40 this afternoon, and the Prime Minister said that, in the circumstances, he did not think it would he proper for the House to continue sitting, and he proposed to move an adjournment. So far as the official communication between this country and America was concerned it had been announced by the newspapers that the President, had taken a turn for the better and all hoped that he soon would be restored to health and strength; but it was not to be. Mr Massey said that he did not intend to move the formal motion then, but would dq so when the House sat on Monday afternoon He moved that the House should adjourn out of respect to the memory of the late President Harding. On behalf of the Opposition, Mr T. M. Wilford agreed to the course of action proposed by the Prime Minister. The House thereupon adjourned till Monday. *