Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-10-09
Wendell WiIIkie to Lie in State
InFMh Avenue Church Today

active for the most part since he
stepped out of the presidential race
his voice continued to be heard, az
he pressed his avowed campaign to
force President Roosevelt and Gov,
Dewey as far out in the open as pos
sible on domestic and foreign poll
cies.
Expressed Campaign Views.
BY spoken word and writings In
newspapers and magazines, he ex-
pressed his views on the campaign.
He opposed the foreign relations
plank In the Republican platform
which proposed postwar co-opera-
tive organization among sovereign
nations. The net result, Mr.. Willkie
said. would be no international or
lganization."
In his last published magazine
article, appearing in Golfers Sep
TENDER 20, Mr.. Willkie said the 1914
platforms of both Republican and
Democratic parties were "tragically
inadequate" in their pledges to the
Nations $4,000, 900 colored citizens.
Mr.. WILKES last public act was
a conference in New York August
III with John Foster Dulles, for
eign affairs adviser to Gov. Dewey
Mr.. Willkie talked with Mr.. Dulles
at Gov. Dewey's request and joint
statement issued later said their ex-
change of views was mot animated
by partisan consideration or hav-
ing to do with any candidacy"
Several weeks ago, word leaked
out that President Roosevelt had in
vited Mr.. Willkie to confer here with
him on the subject of foreign pol
icy, and eventually, the President
confirmed this, telling a news con-
ference he intended to see his 1910
opponent privately.
1t was never disclosed If such a
meeting took place. 1t was under
stood that Mr.. Willkie had said he
would accept the nvitation-after
November 7.
Owned Farms in Indiana.
A native of Elwood, ind, Mr.. Will
kie had lived in New York since
1888, but never cut himself of COM
pletely from his home State. He
always called himself Hoosier and
he owned farms in the vicinity of
Rushville, where he spent vaca-
tons.
Educated at Indiana University
and Oberlin College, Mr.. Willkie
served in the World War and began
the practice of law at Rushville,
where his parents, Herman Francis
and Henrietta Trisch Willkie. both
lawyers, had moved from Elwood
The young lawyer worked for
time for the Firestone Tire and Rub
Der Co. at Akron, Ohio, then joined
an Akron law firm, Mather g. Mes
oitt, which handled utilities accounts
and which led Mr.. Willkie to Com
monwealth and Southern.
He became general counsel of
Commonwealth in 1929 and presi-
dent of the corporation four years
later. q
AS head of the huge firm, he be-
came one of the first utility men to
speak out openly against Govern
ment regulation of power. He Of.
fered strenuous objections when the
Tennessee Valley Authority was set
up to produce cheap power in the
territory embraced by the corpora
ton he headed
There followed a long legal battle
which ended when the Government
purchased one of Mr.. WILKES COM
panies, the Tennessee Electric Co..
for 5000, 00o-s23, O00, 900 more than
IVA originally bid. lSa
Then came his political emergence.
Elwood Stunned by News.
The little town OF Elwood, where
Mr.. Willkie formally accepted the
Republican nomination for Presi-
dent in 1910. received news of its
famous sons death in stunned
silence.
In announcing Mr.. WILKES death
in the Presbyterian Church, the
Rev. B. H. Kell recalled that a year
ago to the day-October 8, 1943-
Mr.. WILKES sister, Miss Julia
Willkie, died in New York.
Flags at Elwood and Rushville
were flown at half mast.