Evening star., 1937-03-19
SCHOOL DISASTER
OCKSPRES|DENT
AnxiousIy Receives News
and Orders Every Pos
SibIe Aid Given.
BY y. RUSSELL YOUNG,
STAT CorreSnondent O. The Star


STAFF Correspondent o, The Star.
WARM SPRINGS, Ga, March 19.-
President Roosevelt's first concern to-
day was to receive the latest reports
regarding the tragedy at New Lon
don, Tex
During the night he had been in
communication with the American
Red Cross and Government agencies,
as well as Texas authorities, to deter
mine to what extent assistance could
be rendered to the community in
which the school tragedy occurred.
There was no mistaking the fact
that the President was shocked by the
news Of this disaster. Throughout the
evening he was making personal tele-
phone calls as well as receiving them.
and in between times he listened in
on the radio in the cozy living room in
his little frame cottage here for news
broadcastS from New London.
Orders Phone Call.
Immediately after the first report
OF the tragedy the President had Miss
Louise HaCkmeister, chief of the White
House telephones, who came to Warm
Springs with the presidential party,
get IN touch with New London. She
succeeded in getting in communica-
ton with the chief operator at that
city, who gave a graphic account of
the school explosion and a first ac-
counting of the casualties.
AT $50 pm, when the President
learned from the New London chief
operator that it had been definitely
established that Isl bodies of school
children had been removed, he at once
summoney Henry Kanee. assistant to
Secretary Marvin H. Mcintyre, to take
down his dictation for a public state
ment in which he wanted to express
his feelings
This statement was given to the
press about an hour later.
In the meantime, the President
talked with Washington several times
to have the various Government agen-
cles ready to give every assistance in
their power. Also, the President called
upon E. w. SmitherS, chief White
House telegraph operator, who is here
handling the Presidents private tele-
graph wire, to look up the location of
New London. Mr.. Roosevelt was not
absolutely sure of the location of this
obscure little Texas town and desired
to refresh his memory from the map.
Dinner Guest Today.
Mr. Roosevelt will motor this after
noon to the luxurious home of Cason
Galloway on the outskirts of Lagrange,
Ga, where he will be a dinner guest
Mr.. Galloway, who is an old personal
friend of the President, is the largest
cotton spinner in the South and is
rated as one of the richest men in
Georgia. He has just recently re-
turned from Japan. where he, as the
head Of a committee representing the
textile industry of this country, sue
ceeded in negotiating an agreement
with the japanese to refrain for a
period of three years from flooding the
markets of this country with cheap
textiles. This agreement is looked upon
by the textile industry Of this coun-
try as a remarkable achievement
Quite naturally the President will be
eager TO hear Mr. CallaWay's account
of these negotiations, as well as the
opinions of Mr.. Galloway concerning
the outlook of the textile industry in
general as we'll as the cotton situation
for the coming year. Mr. Roosevelt
visited this wealthy cotton spinner
during his last trip to Warm Springs
and on that occasion was an overnight
guest.
Participates in Dedication.
President Roosevelt revealed yester-
day while participating in the dedica-
ton of a colored school in Warm
Springs village named in honor of his
wife, that it was in the early days of
his coming to Warm Springs, after
being afflicted by infantile paralysis,
that he began the study of an eco
nonlic philosophy which might be in
terpreted as the inception of the New
Deal.
Amid homely surroundings incident
TO the dedication Of this little red brick
school house the President reiterated
what he has so frequently advocated
since becoming President, that this
Nation must think in national terms
II it is to improve economically. The
President pointed out that he soon
found, after he first came to Georgia
more than decade ago, that the pur-
chasing power in the South was far
too low and that something must be
done to stabilize conditions, with the
view to bringing the purchasing power
up to higher level-"a level" which
he said, would be more nearly the
level Of other parts of the country"
The gathering in these dedicatory
exercises was a small and mixed one,
but the President seemed glad to be
one Of the number, and thoroughly
enjoyed the program, which included
several speeches by local officials as
well as musical program partici-
pated in by colored school children.
Attends Barbecue.
On his way to the school exercises
the President was the guest of honor
at barbecue luncheon given at Camp
Meriwether, which formerly housed a
c. c. c. unit. He ate with relish the
barbecue menu, which included slices
OF a barebcued porker, large plate
OF brunswick stew, among which, the
chief ingredients were pork, chicken,
rice, potatoes, tomatoes and beans.
The menu also included fried chicken
and Mr.. Roosevelt evidently enjoyed it
or else was very hungry, because he
had a second helping and left his plate
clean, He said to those nearby that
the meal was grand"
y ~
school exercises he paused for min
ute or so in front of the Community
Building in Warm Springs Village
named in honor of his mother, Sara
Delano Roosevelt, and received a large
basket of flowers from the officers of
the community organization.
The President tomorrow will receive
call from Gov. Paul V. McNutt of
Indiana, whom he recently appointed
TTy,jfaJ hicL, -,