New-York tribune., 1922-08-15
Succunbs to Blood Poi.
soning, Due to Obscure
Disease of the Heart.
After Long Illness
Nephew May Head
Big Enterprises
Editors Title of Viscount
to Lapse, Since He Left
No Children to Inherit II

Copyright, 1922 New York Tribune Inc.
| LONDON, Aug. 14.-v!zcount North
I'cliffe, Great Britains most noted pub
I licist, died this morning at his London
! house from what his physicians de-
i scribe as blood poisoning caused by an
! obscure disea Of he heart. The end
was peaceful
T! Funeral - will be held in
Westminster ...Dey on Thursday, and
burial will be in St. Marylebone Gene
terry.
AS Lord Northcliffe left widow
| only, his title lapse and decision as
TO the future dir on of his newspa-
pers remains in douh. Well-informed
quarters in Fleet Street have been pre-
dieting for some time that the North
cliffe mantle would fall upon Esmond
Cecil Harmsworth, Unionist Member Of
Parliament for Thanet and the only
surviving son of Lord Rothermere,
Lord Northcliffe's brother.
The Tribune correspondent was in
formed this morning that last spring
Northcliffe had bought up the remain
ing available interest of the Walter
family in "The London Times" so that
the future of the journal which was
controlled by Northcliffe is also uncer-
tain. Within the last few weeks it has
abandoned somewhat it's friendly atti-
tude toward France, and this is
ascribed to influences that grew after
Northcliffe was taken seriously ill.
Northcliffe's passing removes pow
erful opponent to Premier Lloyd
George, who advanced to his present
position largely through the efforts of
the publisher and who has lately been
in constant opposition to his former
backer.
Toured World for Health
When Northcliffe started on his
world tour last year his friends knew
that he was really seeking health, but
this quest was unsuccessful and he
returned to London worse than when
he started. At his few public appear
ances last spring it was noted that he
had lost much weight and seemed to
lack much of his former vitality. Two
months ago he underwent an opera
tion for the thyroid gland and fol-
lowed this by an incognito trip to
Germany.
The first two articles written to
"The Daily Mail" on this trip bore
unmi istakable evidence that Northcliffe
was failing and little surprise was ex-
pressed when it was announced he was
seriously ill and had gone to Switzer-
land to recuperate. Five weeks ago
friends and members Of his family
l. Ia
Gardens, which he never left.
While Northcliffe's name was usu-
ally associated with the success Of "The
Evening News and Daily Mall as
we'll as his magazines, he received
much aid from the late Kennedy
Jones in shattering traditions of Brit
ish journalism. His brother, now
Lord Rothermere, undoubtedly con-
tributed heavily toward making the
Harmsworth ventures successful finan-
cially.
LONDON, Aug. IA (By The Associ-
ated Press).-Dr. Phillip Seymour
Price, one Sf the physicians in attend
ance upon Lord Northcliffe, declared
that the disease which brought on the
death of the publicist, infectious or
ulcerative endocarditis, probably began
insidiously months ago; in fact, that
it was not unlikely it started during
his recent world tour.
"The trouble" the physician ex-
planned, "made slow progress until
some months ago, when there was
considerable amount of fever and pro-
gressive weakness and the heart action
obviously became embarrassing. The
patients whole being was poisoned by
the germ circulating in the blood and
his condition steadily became worse.
Fought for Life to End
Infectious endocarditis usually is
fatal. Very few patients recover In
Lord Northcliffes case his extremely
strenuous life, together with his war
work, world tour, his recent visit to
Germany and noticeable loss of weight
did much to undermine his constitution
and lower his resistance to such an
extent that streptococcus found it's way
into the blood stream. These germs
exist ordinarily in the body but it is
easy to understand that should they
find their way into the blood stream
the condition becomes extremely Sc
we're.
"This was the situation faced by
Lord Northcliffe's medical advisers on
his return from the Continent, obvi-
ously very ILL., Every treatment known
to medical science was tried unsuccess-