The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-04
KING CHAz OF
 RAK IS KILLED
27.Year-Old Monarch Met Death From Auto Crash
 Near Palace

Baghdad, Irak, April 4.-UP)- King GhaZi I, outstanding motor enthusiast among world monarchs, was killed today in an automobile accident.
 The 27-year old king was suc- ceeded automatically by the Emir Feisai, his son, born May 2, 1885 It was expected that the infant king would rule under a regency, such as those which act for 14-year old King Amanda Mahidol of Siam and 15-year old King Peter of Jugoslavia.
 An official communique, signed by five doctors, said that King Ghazi died at 12:40 a. m., of a fractured skull. His brain was lacer- ated.
 Accident Near Palace
 The king was driving one of his own cars near the palace at 11:3O last night when he lost control and crashed into an electric light pole. He did not regain consciousness.
 The council of ministers pro- claimed the accession of King Ghazi's only son as His Majesty King FaiSal H." The council also appointed Amir Abdul Ilah, uncle of the four year old monarch, to act as regent "in accord with the wish expressed by King Ghazi and tes- tified to by a statement the queen made to the council"
 The council, officially announcing death of the king, appealed to God to preserve his son for the benefit of the country. It was decided to convoke special meeting of par lament to pass finally on the re- gency which will act during the boy monarch's minority.
 King Ghazi was reared in the Bedouin tents of the Arabian desert and went from there to the exclu- sive Harrow school in England. He succeeded his father. King F'eisal who died in Switzerland of heart disease in 1883.
 Eleven days after his fathers death, Ghazi was bethrothed to his cousin Princess Allyah, daughter Of the Emir Ali. They married Jan 26, 1884.
 Like his father, he sought to bring western civiliZatio to Iraq, though his queen wore a veil when she went outside the palace.
 Crowned After Fathers Death
 Ghazi was crowned king two hours after his fathers death. It was reported that the haste was due to the fear of Iraq leaders of coup against him, and also that 1raq political leaders sought to prevent his being subjected to the in- fluence of his uncle and father in law, the Emir Ali, whose pro-Bri- tish leanings were even more pro- nounced than those of Feisal.
 The story was told that Ghazi's father asked him, when he was Is, to practice being king for a day, and that GhaZi at once ordered the grand vizier CD to buy up every photograph record in Baghdad and @ to get five carloads of hay for his horse.
 GhaI in Manhoot enjoyed par ticularly automotive and engineer ing. He was an eXpert,motor driv- CT in his early teens.
 Had Elaborate Radio
 West Hartford, Conn.,, April A. (UP)-King Ghazi I of Irak, who succumbed today to automobile in- juries, had one of the most elabor- ate and expensive amateur radio transmitting sets in the world, ac- cording to the American Radio Re- lay league, of which he was a member.
 "He had the reputation of buying one of every new gadget introduced on the market" said the leagues assistant secretary, Clinton B. De- Soto. His interest seemed more cen- tered in internal communication in his own country than in contracting other hams. His station call let ters were YI5KG. The VI is the international prefix for Irak, the 5 represents the district to which the country was assigned and KG was for King Ghazi"