Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-07-07
Swanson Dies; .
President Lauds
Public Service
Cabinet Officer,
Long III, Expires
At Ropidon Camp

Claude A. Swanson, Secretary Of
the Navy since President Roosevelt
took Office. died at 8:06 am. today
at the Rapidan Camp, in Virginia,
where he had been resting for his
health since early in June.
Death followed a cerebral hem
orrhage, which occurred yesterday.
The Senate. which long knew Sec
| rotary Swanson as a member, ad-
| journed until II am. Monday out
| of respect to him. At that time a
State funeral will be held in the
Senate chamber.
Since February, 1886. when he
suffered an attack of pleurisy, the
Secretary had been unable to per-
| form his duties in more than
perfunctory manner. He was IT
years old.
President Roosevelt announced
Mr.. SWanson'S death at the White
House a few moments after 1t &C.
CURED in this statement:
ut is with profound sorrow that
I have learned of the death today
at the Rapidan Camp, Virginia,
of the greatly loved Secretary of
the Navy Claude A. Swanson.
Il join with the entire country in
mourning him as one whose many
years of faithful service to the Ma
ton have endeared him to all, His
wise counsel and his pllilosophic
understanding of human problems
will live after him in the hearts
and minds of those of us who have
had the privilege of being his asso-
ciates.
He brought to the public service
not only ability and integrity but a
loyalty to principle and to duty from
which no consideration could move
him. BY his example he has pro-
vided an inspiration for all public
servants.
Il personally mourn the passing
of steadfast and intimate friend
for more than a quarter of a CEN
fury"
Proclamation to Be Issued.
The President directed Secretary
OF State Hull to issue a proclama-
ton officially advising the country
of Secretary Swanson's death and
ordering all flags on public build
ings and naval vessels at half mast
until the day of the funeral The
President Cancelled his cabinet and
press conferences scheduled for
today.
On the few occasions since his
illness of three years ago when he
attended cabinet meetings at the
White House, Secretary Swanson
was SO frail he had to be lifted into
and out of his chair.
On Mr.. Swanson's death, Charles
A. Edison automatically became
Acting Secretary. AS Assistant Sec
rotary of the Navy, Mr.. Edison has
carried the brunt of the work of the
office, greatly increased with the
expanded Navy program, since Mr..
Swanson became ILL., 1t has been
indicated here that he may be
named Secretary.
Prominent Public Career.
Mr.. Swanson was a Virginian with
a long record as public servant. He
came to Washington in 1893 and re-
manned here in some high capacity
IN Congress or in the cabinet-until
his death, except for the four years
from 1906 to 1910 when he was Gov
ernor of his State. He lived here
with his wife and stepson. Douglas
Hall, at 2l36 r street NV.
Mrs. Swanson was with the Secre-
tary at the time of his death. He
was frequent visitor to the camp
located at an altitude of $500 feet
above sea level in the Blue Ridge
and had been there approximately
a month at the time of his death
The camp was a weekend retreat
for President Hoover.
Mr.. Swanson 20 years ago was
an ardent Wilsonian and through
out the 1920's he vigorously advo-
Gated international cooperation in
steps toward peace, including such
steps as the reduction of naval
ornaments BY 1881, however. when
President Hoover named him a dele
gate to the Geneva Arms Confer
ence, he had become a big NAVY
(See SWANSON Paoe Ao1