Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-04-20
Roosevelt Funeral
Services Solemn

small crowd of slightly more than
200 persons were admitted to the
White House on Saturday after
noon for the 4 o'clock funeral SER
vices of the late President Frank
lin Delano Roosevelt. In the group
made up of his family, intimate
friends, Congressional leaders,
members of the Supreme Court,
members of his Cabinet, a few high
government officials, and represen-
tatives of the diplomatic corps
there were four Negroes.
Only Four Negroes at Services
One of the four was Mrs. Mary
Mcleod Bethune, long a close as
sociate of Mrs. Roosevelt and a
friend of the President. The others
were the Ambassador of Haiti,
Andre Liautaud, the Minister of
ETHIOPIA, Blatta Ephram Tewelde
Medhen, and one other diplomat
who remained unidentified.
No Weeping
The Episcopal services lasted
exactly % minutes. They were
solemn and touching, but there was
no weeping. During the service,
much of which was conducted with
the mourners standing, Mrs. Roose-
welt stood stalwart and steady. She
was the only person in the room
wearing a mourning veil. Her
daughter, Anna Boettiger sat and
stood beside her.
Seated on the front row with
Mrs. Roosevelt and her daughter
were 1t. Col. John Boettiger, Brig.
Gen. Elliott Roosevelt, and the four
daughters-in-law, Faye, Anne, Ethel
and Romelle Roosevelt. All were
dressed in black.
Bishop Angus Dun of the Epis-
copal Diocese of Washington began
the services promptly at 4 o'clock.
After the entire audience joined in
a hymn, his first words were: 81 am
the resurrection and the life, saith
the Lord: he that believeth in Me,
though he were dead, yet shall he
live; and whosoever liveth and
believeth in Me, shall never die"
Roosevelt as Seen
By Our White House
Correspondent McAlpin
By HARRY McALPIN
Washington, D. C. (NNPA)-
First with regularity on Tuesdays
and Fridays, and then with an in
creasing irregularity in recent
months brought about by confer
ences out of the country, political
campaign trips, but mostly by rest
trips to Hyde Park, Baruch's farm
in South Carolina, and the last one
to Warm Springs, l have been see
ing President Roosevelt at his press
conferences for over a year.
In that year, have seen his
physical condition go up and down.
/ have felt, privately, that after
each "down," the ups" did not
quite reach their former levels. To
the many inquiries l received from
friends, acquaintance, even my
family, I had but one answer-"The
President looks in the best Of
health" I didn't feel what l said
however.
I have watched him during those
first few moments between the en-
trance of the correspondents into
his office and the time the Secret
Service man would say "all in"
Usually l was among the first Is or
20 to enter. Almost invariably he
would light a cigarette while he
stared down at his desk or chatted
affably with the reporters who
stood directly in front of him. The
steadiness or unsteadiness of his
hand as he lit his cigarette was
pretty much of a gauge as to
whether he was "up" or "down."
Sometimes, the hand shook so vio-
lently it was difficult to light his
smoke. At other times, he was as
steady as Gibraltar.
l have watched the twinkle in his
eye when he would skillfully evade
a correspondents question. ! have
heard the biting sarcasm in his
voice when he would lambast GER
tain newspapers for their angled
treatment of the news. have seen