Evening star., 1940-01-01
Robert Fechner, g,
Dies in Hospital
After Long Illness
President Pays Tribute
To Public Service of
&. &C. Director

ItUUclI T cCllIleI, %, ulIcCtOI VI IllC
Civilian Conservation Corps since
its inception in 1893, died yesterday
morning at Walter Reed Hospital.
Mr.. Fechner had been receiving
treatment at the Army medical
center for more than month. His
death was attributed to a complica-
ton of heart and lung ailments.
President Roosevelt paid warm
tribute yesterday to Mr.. Fechner,
under whose guidance more than
$2,40O,0O0, 900 in Federal funds were
used to rehabilitate nearly 2,400 900
depression-idle youths working in
the rebuilding of Americas forests
and parks.
In a personal letter of sympathy
to Mrs. Fechner, the President
wrote:
II have heard with deep personal
sorrow of the blow which has been
laid so heavily upon you in the
death of your devoted husband who
was my faithful friend through
many years.
please accept an assurance Of
heartfelt sympathy in which Mrs.
Roosevelt joins.
Loss to C. c. C. and Nation.
@As director of the Civilian Con-
servation Corps, he brought to the
public service great administrative
ability, vision and indefatigable in
dustry. His death is a loss to the
G. c. c. and to the Nation"
Similar expressions of sympathy
were being received today from all
over the country.
James j. McEntee, assistant di-
rector of the C. c. c., said, The
Civilian Conservation Corps will
miss him as will the Federal Gov
eminent to whose service he brought
q courageous attitude and unselfSh
devotion"
Funeral services are to be held
at the S. H. Hines funeral home,
290l Fourteenth street NV, at /
pm. tomorrow.
The Rev. DR.. Joseph r. Sizoo,
pastor Of the Collegiate Church of
st. Nicholas, New York City, will con-
duct the services. DR.. Sizoo. a per-
sonal friend of Mr.. Fechner, for
merly was pastor of the New York
Avenue Presbyterian Church.
Burial at Arlington.
Burial will be at Arlington Ma
tional Cemetery at pm.
MIR. Fechner, labor leader who was
called into Government service by
President Roosevelt, had been in
Ill health for more than a year.
Though not considered a New
Dealer, he was active in q number
Of the Presidents advisory groups and
his death removes a man considered
one of the most capable administra-
tors in the Government. The lack
of criticism of the c. c. c. in Con-
gress was tribute to his successful
handling of a task which at one
time was said to be of near impos.
sible proportions. On several occa-
sions when Mr.. Fechner and other
administration heads tried to cur.
tail G. c. c. activities, Congress
fatty vetoed the move.
Native of Tennessee.
Since April, 1888, with MIR.
Fechner as director, the c. c. C. an
nually has employed more than q
quarter of million young men and
war veterans in camps throughout
the country and its possessions Oh
conservation work.
Born March %, 1876, in Chat
tanooga, Tenn, since early youth
he made his own way, taking jobs
here, in Mexico and Panama. He
worked In mines, in smelters, on
coffee fincas (plantations) and for q
time on the Panama Canal under De
Lesseps when the French made an
unsuccessful attempt to cut the
isthmus.
Until he was IS years old he at
tended grammar school in Macon
and Griffin, Ga, and then left to
sell notions, periodicals and candy
on trains. However, for a few
months he was able to attend the
Georgia Institute of Technology. A
year after leaving grammar school
he went in the Augusta shops OF
the old Georgia Railroad to become
an apprentice machinist.
After four years Mr.. Fechner
Joined the machinists' union and
later was made secretary of his
local. During the next nine years
he worked as boomer machinist." I"
1t was during this period that he
Travelled extensively from job to job,
both in this country and in Latin
America.
Life Imperiled in Storm.
While working on port project
at Salinas Cruz, Mexico, Mr.. Fech-
ner had a dangerous experience. A
severe tropical storm struck the port
and blew all the derricks and cranes
into the ocean. Mr.. Fechner and
the other workers were just able to
get clear Of the falling equipment
On one Of his trips he travelled by
burro more than TOO miles through
the tropics from Tehuantapec, Mex
leo, into Nicaragua. These wander
ings Of his early days developed his
self reliance and abilities which later
led to his rise in the labor world.
In 1905 he went to Savannah, Ga,
TO work for the Central of Georgia
Railroad and began his rise in union
affairs. In 1914 he was elected a
member of the General Executive
Board Of the International Associa-
ton OF MachiniStS, which he later
represented throughout the United
States and Canada. AS early as 1901
he was active in the nine-hour
movement and again in 1915 worked
TOR the eight-hour day.
After joining the union board he
made his home in Boston. where