The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-10-09

American political figure and preslr dentlal candidate, Alfred E, Smith, who deserted the Democratic standard ln ioA0 Co support the Hoosler's Republican bid for the PrsSidsnt Roosevelt and GOV. Thomas D. Dewey both lamented his passing,
 FoFthrlRht American
 'aThO nation will long remember Wendell Willkie as q forthright American" said Presidnet Roose- velt who was forced to win the highest popular vote in history to defeat the COP nominee.
 Earnest, honest, whole-souled, h0 also had tremendous courage. This courage which was his doli- mating trait prompted him more than once to stand alone and Co challenge tho wisdom of counsels taken by powerful interests within his own party, In this hour of grave crisis the country loses Q great citi- zen through his untlmely passing"
 Dewey, who lost the nomination to Willkle in i0l0 but won it In 1894, said:
 "Wendeil wlllkle was one of the great men of our time. His death will Do niourned throughout the world, A forceful and courageous man, he made notable eontrihu. ton to the political and phllosophl- cal disussioii of these crltlcal years,
 His passing is Q loss not only to the Republican party, but to all of us--AmerloNna of both parties who shared his faith in representa- tive government and his earnest hopes for world peace"
 Tributes came also from former President Herbert 1T. Hoover, Seo- retAEy Of State Cordell Hull, COP Vice Presidential Nominee Gov. John W, Brieker, James A. Farley, the Earl of Halifax Ambassador John e, Winant, Sidney Hlllman, Norman Thomas and many others,
 Flgthlng Spirit
 Willkio'S celebrated fighting spirit kept hope high to the end that he might pull through, Even after the series of heart attacks had begun and pr, Benjamin salser had in- dicAted his condition was critical Ia stlll showed evidences of the spirit that had characterized his entire career.
 Less than two hours before the end, salser entered Willkie's room aS Q nurse was Swabblng hls infected throat, and asked, "How does your throat feel9"
 "How can I talk with my mouth full of that stutfp" Wlllkle replied joklngly.
 Maybe you'd like q scotch and water for . stimulGnt-you could use one" SalEer suggested.
 "okay if you make it warm," Willkie said, Ho had his scotch and water warm. A little more than an hour after thls joking exchange, the former presidential candidate wat placed in an oxygen tent, Twenty minutes later, he was dead,
 Wendell Lewis Willkle, the utill- ties executive and lawyer who won the Republican presidential nomlna. ton In i940 and lost the election, was Q strange admlxture of giobal citizen and homespun Hoosler, who managed to retain tho simple speech and informality that char ncterised his early career aS Q young lawyer from Indiana.
 Wlllkie was born In c comfort. able frame house In Elwood, Ind, on Feb. i9 1892. When atiluence came to him, he went back to Inc diana, purchased large tra ts Of lnnd and became c gentleman farm- CT wlINse residence was in New York city.
 More than six feet tall, his hair Q dark, uncomfortable mass, Willkle at 48 swept throuh the i9i0 Repub- lican convention in Philadelphia in one of the nations most amazing political upsets to become the party's candidate for president. Defeated but not silenced five months later, he continued his role as statesman, but his subordination of party poll- cies to his principles of non partisan government cost him his COP lea- deTship and he was invited only as Q guest to the Republican conven- ton of i944.
 Party Nonentlty
 Party nonentlty though he became, 1t was in those four years that Will