Evening star., 1923-03-19

JOHN b. SMALLWOOD.
John Bell Smallwood, news manager
of The Star and valued member of
the staff Of this newspaper for the
past eighteen years, died shortly be-
fore I o'clock this morning at Gar
Geld Hospital. His health had been
precarious at intervals for several
years, but the immediate cause Of
death was Il severe operation, from
which he failed to rally.
Mr.. Smallwood was at his Gesk
Wednesday last and il was thought
1T first he was but temporarily inris-
posed. He rapidly grew worse. how
ever. \ consultation of physicians
Saturday failed in arriving at a dag
noSis and he was taken 10 the hos
pital That night an operation was
decided upon in the hop" of saving
his life lie came through this or
deal successfully and strong hopes of
recovery Were held. The physical
strain he had undergone. however
proved too great. and d.aIh came
some thirty hours later With him at
the end was his wife and his father
NlIpur r Smailwood of Buffalo. y. Y.
Funeral Services Wednesday.
Funeral services will be held at the
residence. 1915 23d street northwest.
at o'clock Wednesday afternoon.
Rev. DR.. e. Ernest Smith, rector of
st Thomas Protestant Episcopal
church will be the officiating clergy
man.
The active pallbearers will be Ed
gar X Legg, Ralph Graves. Dudley
Harmon. {. Fred Cook r. NJ Kaurf-
mann and Theodore p. Noyes, the last
hai iVc coll
wood on The Star.
honorary pallbearers. who include
representatives of the ownership and
ma n.iIT ma asement g. me of The Evening Star.
5oyes. Rudolph Kaufmann, Victor
kauffmann.T' Beale r. Howard. Flem
hg Newbold and Stephen o. Ford,
M master ef Tcmple-Noyes Lodge, No.
ne board of managers of tbe NJ
tional Press Club.
Native OF Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Smallwood was born at Erie
Pa, September 10. 1882. His mother
now dead. was Miss Augusta Bell and
ns,, n,s maternal grandfather was John
ed in youth to Buffalo, y. Y. and en-
tered Cornell. graduating in the class
or 1908. After few weeks Of exper-
ience on the Buffalo Inquirer Mr.
Sma!lWood moved to the National
employment of The Star as report
er His rise to positions of RESPONSE
bIlity was steady one. He served
successively as assistant city editor.
as city editor. and as acting news
editor, and had held the important
post of news manager since 1915.
Mt SmallWood married Miss Lola
Estberg of Waukesha. Wis, October
daughter. Their home for the past
several years was at 1915 ed street
northwest.
Member of National Press Club
Mr.. Smallwood was long an active
member of the National Press Club,
having served as its treasurer and as
a member of it's board of directors
He was member of the Chevy Chase
Club and had but recently resigned
from the University Club after a
membership of many years. He was
a Master Mason, a member Of Temple
Noyes Lodge. No. 50. F. A. A. NJ; also
OF the local Cornell Alumni Associa-
ton, of the Board of Trade, and Of
The Evening Star Club.
Expressions of Esteem.
Emphatic testimony as to the fine
mental equipment and high ideals
Mr.. Smallwood brought to each sue
cessive responsible position is freely
given, not only by the owners and
mana gers of The Star, but by fellow
members of the newspaper profession
throughout the National Capital In
the National Press Club he was held
in the highest professional, as we'll as
personal, esteem
1t Is safe to say that every man
who worked with Mr.. Smallwood,
either in superior or inferior ca
pscity, was his firm friend and ad-
nsrer. There are today in Washing
ton many reporters who broke in
under him, and his passing is to them
matter Of poignant sorrow. Like
al! men who had been through the
mill themselves, his apprecia ton OF
the problems Of beginners was a
sympathetic one and his attitude to-
ward their shortcomings was ore of
Invariably friendly, constructive criti-
cism.
No man under him ever did q niece
of good work without obtaining from
him the verbal accolade which is
ono of the few great rewards of the
anonymous newsgatherers' routine.
Active for Fellow Employees.
Mr.. Smallwood was constantly ac-
tive in the interests of his fellow
employees. Through his efforts a
schedule was established on The Star
which called for only half the news
stan to work each Saturday night.
thereby allowing the other half al
tsrnately to be off duty. Such a So
luton had been sought for long
irne and it was the newsmanager's
keen interest and cooperation that
made it possiblue. 1t took effect
nbout year ago and each reporter
now and in the future OH the staff
will remember its sponsor with kind
Hest thoughts for this. as well as
other, reasons.
Mr.. Smallwood brought to his work
what is sometimes described as the
safe and sane point of view" es-
pecially in matters connected with
business and general economics.
He was especially a student of prob
lens in transportation and had con-
fributed articles on that subject to
ma gazines and other publications
which specialize in that field. In the
whole field of Washington newspaper
work, which numbers among its writer's
20 many experts on the course of leg
islation and politics there was no man
Who studied the progress of events
more closely or who was better in
formed as to the trend of affairs in
matters of public national and inter
LA tional Importance.
In Touch With Public Men.
Because of Mr.. Smallwood's service
Tor a number OF years as the Senate
correspondent of The Star-before he
in oh nf