Detroit evening times., 1945-04-15
'a s.F'' rs. ."':t s1 I%'i i, s Funeral of Roosevelt
Held in White House East Room


reception room. Others Joined th'
newSmen perched upon the giant
circular table which fills tht
center OF the room. -
/ All Of W8Shington'S great, many
OF the near-grcat in the officia
government and representatives oi
the nations Allies were included
among those who attended The
funeral.
Members Of the Supreme Court
Of the cabinet, and House and
Senate leaders with their official
delegations were high IN the list
OF prominent persons at the
service.
MRS. WILSON THERE
Former war mobilizer Byrnes
was present as well aS Mrs.
Woodrow Wilson and Mrs. Cordell
Hull. Bernard Baruch, who has
been one Of the tate President S
+ top advisers on wartime problems,
was one Of the few in formal
attire. He wore q cutaway coat
with wing collar and silk hat.
Adm. Leahy arrived with Crown
/ Princess Martha of Norway.
House speaker Rayburn and mi
nority leader Martin came to-
gether
Outside the official family of
cabinet members and Supreme
Court justices. those attending IN
cluded Sidney Hillman, chairman
of the CIO Political Action Com
mittee; former undersecretary of
state Simmer WefiPs, Ambassador
Hefd Haiifax and Foreign Minister
Anthony Eden of Great Britain,
Soviet Ambassador Andrei Gro
myko. the Earl of Athlone and
Garcia AriaS, the Argentine min
ister.
cASKET on ORIENTAL RUG
The eaSket, with brown velvet
bier cloth, was placed on a brown
oriental rug before a spacious
window draped in rust brocade.
Three crystal chandeliers fur
nished the only light in the room.
The venetian blinds were drawn.
Flowers banked the four walls
covering every inch of floor space
of the margin of the room. Lilies
predominated. Red and white car
nations. orchids. spring flowers
and roses were everywhere, COM
pletely concealing from view the
rooms massive fireplaces.
The guard OF honor for the
caSlSet was changed every 80 min
uteS during the afternoon.
The window which formed
background for the casket was
flanked by oil paintings of George
and Martha Washington.
More than 200 gilt chairs were
in an arc for relatives
and friends. Twelve pale green
broeaded chairs for the immediate
family were in the front row.
PRAYER BOOKS ON CHAIRS
An Episcopal prayer book was
placed ON each chair Immediately
before the casket was red-car-
peted aisle between the chairs.
Despite Mrs. ROosevelts request
that no flowers be sent TO the
White House. they continued TO
arrive throughout the day.
The East Room. in which the
caSket rested, was the scene of
the gay Inauguration luncheon I
which followed Mr.. RooSevelt's .
'ourth-term inaugural last jan
nary
Earlier in the day the late
President had been borne from
Union Station 10 the White House.
He came back home to receive
demonstration of reverence and
homage that perhaps has never
been equaled in the nations his
ory.
MULTITUDES ASSEMBLED
Hundreds of thousands lined the
Union Station plaza and
he historic route up Constitution
avenue for their farewell glimpse .
of the flag-draped casket bearing
The mortal remains of a great
leader TO his final rest.
Building tops were laden with
humanity. Building windows were
iammed. No inch Of space re-
NAMED along the jammed route
Of march.
The bare headed multitude
stood ia silent reverence. Women
Sobbed and men tried hard to
Stifle the emotions that welled
within them.
The silence was broken only by
the dirges from the service bands