Evening star., 1923-08-03
FRISCO IS PLUNGED.
= DEEP IN SORROW
People, Relieved by Presi-
dents Apparent Progress,
Shocked by Sudden End.
BY n. O. MESSENGER.
Staff Correspondent of The Star.

Star Correspondent of The Star
SAN FRANCISCO. August 3.-Presi-
dent Harding is dead. Calvin Coolidge
has assumed the presidency.
Infinite political possibilities of this
situation are in the lap of the future.
They will be told of in subsequent
dispatches. For the moment, how
would you like to have a word picture
of what happened in this town last
night?
! Yesterday afternoon. at 5 o'clock.
San Francisco was pursuing the even
| tenor of it's way. The wind was
from the west. as usual, the sun
was brightly shining. there had been
good news from the Presidents room
! in the afternoon, his condition was
! improving and everything seemed to
be going along all right
Reassured, People Joyous.
The lobby of the hotel where he
| lodged was filled with reassured
people. All seemed lovely and
prosperous. People began making
dinner engagements in a jovial and
happy spirit 1t was understood that
Mrs. Harding was reading to him. and
whispers of their happiness seemed
to fiji the hearts of the people of
San Francisco
Then, at midnight. when the reaIi
zation of their grief struck to the
inner souls of the people of the west,
all were prostrated by their sorrow,
At dawn yesterday the sun shone
forth with a radiant promise of
day to be snj9ysd by all Of San
Gus spirit of MANKIND At sunset the
waiting throngs breathed their graft
1estszb sE5-o1,=z t,1--st1eq lp%rI er=i, -
D1s spIII[ OF IIIaI!KIIIG &c SlIIseL che
fas a Eaeee9 fd t6sa fea he he
the 1t"5Roa tRoaene nie at1Iisd dPt Rs
women with heads bowed in an in
coherent grief. a city whose soul is
stunned in its crisis of sorrow. that
was San Francisco last night.
Tragedy Brings Conste rnation.
Here is a sample picture of what
happened al one of the several din
ner parties that were being staged
around the Palace and the St. Francis
and the Fairmount and the other
notable hotels of the town. Here
are a group of men sitting down to
dine.
All care is dissipated from their
minds; the guests are thinking only
of the pleasures to be enjoyed. The
telephone rings. One of the guests
of party is summoned. His ex-
clamation attracts the attention of
the other diners. they look up from
He puts the telephone down and
repeats in an awed voice, president
Harding is dead" There is no mis-
taking the impressiveneSs of his ut
terance.
Every man jumps up. Grabs his
hat and starts for the door. while the
more cool-headed member of the
party calls up the office and orders
two taxicabs. They are some distance
away from the Palace. Step on it,"
party to the chauffeur Three min
utes later they draw up at the Palace
Hotel.
The long lobby OF this historic
place is filled with people who have
been attracted by the news that the
President had passed away The
usual murmur and buzz of the hotel
lobby were stilled. They were look
ing at a bulletin above the room
clerks desk. which bore the an
nouncement of the Presidents death.
They seemed to be fascinated, but
they could not depart.
Message to World.
The evening drew on, the crowds
withdrew with reluctance. San Fran
cisco. sorrowing, went to sleep. AS
this dispatch is being closed Hugh
Wiley comes into my office. For a
while he is silent and then, speaking
slowly. he recalls phrases of the mes
sage spoken to the American peo-
pie by the man who lies asleep in
death. Out of the love of his great
heart Warren Harding repeated to
the American people the words that
were spoken more than nineteen CEN
turies ago by the Man of Sorrows,
Who paid for His faith with His
life-'Peace on earth. good will to
men,"
1t seems that nearing his last
hours on earth Warren Harding de-
livered to the peoples of earth a gen
tie reminder of the fact that all
men are brothers and that strife and
war and bloodshed destroy the prog
ress that mankind has made since
life first came to man. Greater than
thrones and empires and broad do
minions of conquest comes his mes
sage-loye thy neighbor as thyself.