Evening star., 1936-04-19
LOUIS HOWE DIES
CALMLY IN SLEEP
At NAVY HOSPITAL
Presidents Secretary Long
III With Heart and Chest
Ailments.
R00SEVELTS ADVISER
MORE THAN 20 YEARS
Chief Notified of Passing Upon
Return to White House From
Gridiron Dinner.

Louis McHenry Howe, President
Roosevelt's secretary, and for more
than 20 years his close friend and
political adviser, died last night at
Naval Hospital after a long illness.
Mr.. Howe, who was 65 years old,
had been in the hospital for more
than year. He died peacefully in
his sleep at 11:10 o'clock, death being
due to heart and chest complications.
Mr.. Roosevelt was informed of his
old friends death when he returned
to the White House from the Grid;ron
dinner at the Willard Hotel Mrs.
Roosevelt Immediately telephcned to
Mrs. Howe, who is at the Howe home,
in Fall River, Mass.
Shortly after midnight the White
House said that no funeral arrange
ments had been made.
The announcement of Howe's death
was made by Stephen Early, a secre-
tary to the President, at 1910 am
The President, deeply grieved at the
passing Of his old friend, made no
statement after receiving the news.
White House attaches said there was
no doubt, however, that he would at
tend the funeral services wherever
they were held.
The President and Mrs. Roosevelt
made what was to be their 'good-by'
to Howe on Easter Sunday afternoon
after they had attended church. The
President had planned, it was said,
to make another visit to him today.
Stricken Last Spring.
Howe was stricken early last Spring
with a bronchial ailment and pluerisy
which aggravated a weak heart. He
amazed his physicians, who looked for
immediate death, by rallying suff-
GENTLY to permit the President to make
his Florida fishing trip last year.
But although able to see few in
innate friends, including members O.
the Roosevelt household and Post
master General Farley, he remainea
bedfast, and an oxygen tent was use
frequently to conserve his ebbir
strength for many weeks.
Loyalty of President.
Without the intimate testimony
Franklin D. Roosevelt, no true est.
mate of the place Howe merits in IL
political annals of his country coul
be formed. No one but the Presiden
knownS how often in dark hours j
was the staunch faith, the limitles
unselflsh devotion of this old frien
and keen councillor that kept his ov
heart high, his own resolution to pre-
on firm against every adversely.
For Franklin Roosevelt and Louie
Howe came to the White House, tn
one as President, the other as secre-
tary to the President, the least known
least seen and least understood secre-
tary to the President Washington
has ever known. Twice in that double
decade Of their friendship, it was
Howe's fate to stand at the bedside
of the man on whose ultimate eleva-
ton to the Presidency he had staked
his very life and press unwaveringly
on against seemingly impossible odds.
Then it was the Presidents turn,
amid the rush and hurry Of great
affairs, to watch the slow ebbtide of a
life sacrificed, gladly given, in his
service.
Louis Howe had been dubbed "king-
maker" Warwick" mystery man."
politician supreme" of the New
Deal. That his shrewd insight into
the practical politics. his keen sense
for public reactions, his astute read
ing of men and their hidden motives
helped make history. none can doubt.
In the first fame Of elation over his
victory that election night, Roosevelt
himself gave chief credit to two men,
Howe and James A Farley. Yet
Howe's share was far the greater. II
reached back through the years,
where Farley's covered only the brief
final laps of Franklin RooSevelt's
march to the White House.
1t included those hours that fol-
lowed the crushing stroke of infantile
paralysis that cut Mr.. Roosevelt down
just when the chance actually to plan
for try for the presidency seemet
at hand.
Courage at Right Time.
Howe's knowledge of Roosevelt's
own psychology, his understanding
that it was the game of politics and
the business of government that most
engrossed the mind of his stricken
friend. that the greatest lure to live
Roosevelt could have was to convince
him that a political future still was
possible for him despite that blow
played a part in awaking the high
courage that carried his friend tri-
umphantly through that crisis in his
own mind, sent him gallantly onward
ignoring every physical handicap.
AS surely as his own will power
taught him to walk again, it was Louis
Howe's unfagging faith in his destiny
that helped teach Franklin Roosevelt
that he could keep stride with march,
ing events, even outpace them, when
a lesser man would have resigned him.
self to a career ending in a wheel
chair.