Middletown transcript., 1922-09-16
MRS. HARDING
STILL. IMPROVING
Contemplated Operation Has
Been Deferred
PHYSICIANS ENCOURAGED D
Optimism Is Exhibited BY Personal
Frends-Prayers For Recovery
Offered In All Washington
Churches.

w lihpio III lAO
condition of Mrs. Harding, which be-
gan Sunday, continues, and the ply
sicians in attendance deferred the op-
Grafton which has been under consid!
Grafton.
An official bulletin issued shortly
after 10 o'clock said the wife Of the
President had spent less restless
night, that complications were sub
siding and that generally her condi-
tion, which became critical late last
week, was improved. 1t also an
nounced the decision to defer an op-
Grafton. The bulletin was supple
mented by statements made by visit
ors to the White House to Secretary
Wallace, who called shortly after s
O'Clock, saying that Mrs. Harding had
spent fairly restful night. Secre-
tary Weeks, who called later, said
he had been informed that the night
had been the best the patient had had
since her condition became alarming.
President Harding was reported to
be greatly encouraged by the seem.
ing improvement in his wifes condi-
tion.
An air of optimism pervaded the
White House. those in intimate touch
with the patient appearing to be in
better spirits over her condition than
at any time during the past three
days.
Refreshed somewhat by a nights
sleep the President continued to keep
in constant touch with his wife's
bedside and with the attending ply
sicians. The presence at the White
House of the entire consulting staff,
made complete by the arrival here of
DR.. Charles Mayo, specialist from
Rochester, Minn., seemed to strength
en- the hope that Mrs. Harding would
successfully pass through the present
crisis
An endless stream of close friends
Of the President and Mrs. Harding
visited the White House during the
day. The President personally met
with most of them and was reported
to be bearing up we'll under strain.
Messages of sympathy all express
ing the hope that Mrs. Harding
would be restored to health continued
to arrive, many of them from leaders
in Governmental and private affairs in
other countries.
Brigadier-General Sawyer, the fam
lily physician, was understood to have
informed some of the Presidents
close friends that Mrs. Harding was
brighter and stronger, and there Ii
a chance this attack might clear III
as the previous attacks" The i'm
preston gathered from DR.. Sawyer
these friends said, was that he
chances rather favored recovery"
The relief felt by the President a
the turn for the better was showl
shortly before noon when he left th
Executive Mansion for a walk abou
the White House grounds. 1t wa
the first time that he had left th
Executive Mansion since last Friday
except for a brief visit Saturday T.
his Office adjoining the White House
William c. Redfield of New York
Secretary of Commerce in the Cabine
of President Wilson, called at tn
White House to express his hopes fo
the recovery of the patient and to e1
tend his sympathy to the President.
Word was received in Washingto
that a call had been sent out froI
Boston by the United Society of Chri
tian Endeavor on behalf of it's alumi
department, urging that prayer be o
fered throughout the nation for tn
recovery of Mrs. Harding.
The President il member of til
alumni department of the Societ.
representatives of which here est
mated that the call would be obeye
by nearly 100000 Americans. Cor
missioners of the District Of Columb
also issued a proclamation callir
upon the people of Washington
Join in prayer.
Prayer for the speedy recovery
Mrs. Harding was offered in the Hou
by Rev. Shera Montgomery, the cha
lain, who asked Divine blessing al
strength for the President in his ho
of sorrow.
Press not the cup of death to the
lips" the chaplain prayed.