Evening star., 1942-06-08

eran in newspaper work, was really
a young man. He had great COM
prehension OF the gathering and
dissemination Of important news and
his untimely death removes force
for great good and enlightenment
in the Nation. 1t is real loss to
the country"
Senator Wheeler. Democrat, Of
Montana: Mr.. Bell was great
newspaperman and always tried to
see to it that news was given to
the country impartially."
Senator Byrd. Democrat, Of Vir-
ginia: The death of Mr. Bell is
great loss to the whole Nation. 1
and others who knew him are deeply
grieved."
Mr.. Bells career was marked by
rare degree Of versatility, which,
with his personality and capacity to
form lasting friendships in all walks
of life, combined to make him one
of the best known as well as one
Of the best liked newspapermen in
the country.
He was a talented and indefatig-
able reporter on any subject, as
much at home in a presidential press
conference as he was in baseball
press box.
Played College Baseball.
Ironically. he was stricken while
watching the sport that was his
first athletic love. He played COL
lege baseball, holding down first base
for Washington and Lee. AS side
line in his newspaper career with
the Columbia State, he also served
as a vice president of the old South
Atlantic. or Sally" League.
Baseball men we're among Mr.
Bells closest friends, ranging from
magnates like Clark Griffith, presi-
dent of the Washington Club, to
all-time playing greats like Ty
Cobb. Mr.. Bell and Mr.. Cobb fire.
quently played golf together when
they were both living on the West
Coast and it was under Ty's tu-
telage that Brian. jr., developed
talent. like his father, as a first
baseman. He played on the West
ern High School team this season.
One Of Mr.. Bells first sports
writing assignments was to Gene
Tunney's training camp at Strouds-
burg. Pa, where the fighting marine
prepared for his first championship
match with Jack Dempsey. His
stories were the first to bring out
Tunney's interest in literature, in
Guiding the works Of Shakespeare.
and the two formed an enduring
friendship.
CHASING himself distinctly as a
fstic non-expert, Mr.. Bells OBJ
servations of Tunney In training
prompted him to express confidence
in Genes ability to dethrone the
great Dempsey. He was jeered at
by the experts who made the cham
pion a 3-to-1 favorite, but events
on that September night In the
rain-soaked Philadelphia arena
proved that Mr.. Bells confidence
was well-founded.
Friend of Bobby Jones.
Mr.. Bells sports-writing career
with the Associated Press spanned
most of the so-called golden era
in American athletics, from the big
sports of the Dempsey-Tunney days
to the Olympic games of 1882 in
Los Angeles.
Bobby Jones was among his close
friends and Mr.. Bell covered most
of the Georgians championship
golfing conquests. He played many
friendly match with Gene Sarazen,
who dubbed Mr. Bells buggy whip
swing one of the most remarkable in
the game.
An accomplished story teller, Mr..
Bell could hold his own at swapping
yarns or on the after-dinner plat
form with all comers. He matched
his wits with such renowned figures
as Knute Rockne and Will Rogers on
many an occasion. He liked to tell
yarns at his own expense, such as
the one about the time he and Mr..
Rockne were on the same after
dinner gridiron program. A heckler
kept interrupting the early stages of
the proceedings TO demand that Mr.
Rockne be introduced. Finally the
heckler shouted, 'if We can't hear
from Rockne. the big shot, let's hear
from Bell, the little shot"
The succession of increasingly re-
sponsible administrative posts to
which Mr.. Bell was assigned in the
last 10 years in the Associated Press
organization did not diminish his
reportorial enthusiasm. Only re-
Gently he journeyed to Raleigh, on a
special assignment given him by the
general manager, to interview
Josephus Daniels on the occasion of
the 80th birthday of the famous
publisher and former wartime Sec
retary of the Navy. Mr.. Bells stories
were front-paged throughout the
country.
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