The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-04-14
u. S. Offices
To: Close For
Last Tribute
Entire World Nouns
Death of Presidents
War Fronts Solemn

WASHINGTON, April 10 - R -
Saturday was set aside today as
day OF national mourning, modi-
fled by the grim necessities Of
war, for Franklin D. Roosevelt.
President Truman, in his first
proclamation, set the tone for the
occasion by urging all Americans
to gather during the day at their
places of worship and pay homage
to the memory of his predecessor.
The new President, in that docu-
.ment, summed up his own tribute:
''The courage of great men out
lives them to become the courage
of their people and the peoples of
the world. 1t lives beyond them and
upholds their purposes and brings
their hopes to pass"
Similar in tone was the spon-
taneous reaction Of sorrow and
grimmer determination that spread
over the world except in Japan and
Germany.
A British Parliament adjourned
by Prime Minister Churchill out
of respect to man of Immortal
renown;" three days of official
mourning, public and private,
throughout Mexico; battle flags
at half staff on bloody Okinawa
as Americans drove forward
against the enemy: General
Dwight D. Eisenhower's message
to Mr.. Truman: american ar
mics in Europe pledge to you our
new commander in chief our I'M
remitting efforts for the achieve
ment of final victory" a three
minute silence period proclaimed
for Monday in China, the same
tribute the Chinese pay weekly
to their greatest national figure,
Sun Yat-sen - these samplisgs
showed how the world has moved.
Vague enemy mouthings of hope
for "serious" effects on the war
conduct and world politics from
Mr.. Roosevelt's death, quickly
coupled with warnings to their
peoples that their fate lies on bat
tlefields, showed the trend in To-
kyo and Berlin.
At home, Government offices
will close tomorrow afternoon, the
time of the funeral, but Chair
man J. A. Krug of the War Pro-
duction Board asked war plant
workers to stay on the job turning
out munitions as the best way to
pay their tribute.
Flags will fly at half-staff for
so days at home and wherever the
armed forces are deployed around
the world. But most formalities of
mourning were set aside in official
orders on account of war condi-
tons. Even memorial services for
the armed forces were limited to
those times and places where war
conditions .s.rmit.
The Presidential proclamation
said of Mr.. Roosevelt:
''The leader of his people In 4
great war, he lived to see the as
surancc of the victory, but not to
share it. He lived to see the first
foundations of the free and peace
full world to which his life was
dedicated, but not to enter on that
world himself.
His fellow countrymen will
sorely miss his fortitude and faith
and courage in the time to come.
''The peoples Of the earth who
love the ways of freedom and hope
will mourn for him.
'But though his voice is silent,
his courage is not spent, his faith
is not extinguished
The new President then voiced
his confidence that that faith and
courage will live on in the hearts
of the people and concluded:
Nov, therefore, I, Harry S. Tru-
man, president of the United
States of America, do appoint Sat-
urday next, April IA, the day Of
the funeral service for the dead
President, as a day Of mourning
and prayer throughout the United
States. I earnestly recommend the
people to assemble on that day In
their respective places Of divine
worship, there to bow down in SUBJ
mission to the will Of almighty
God, and to pay out of full hearts
, their homage of love and rever-
ence to the memory of the great
and good man whose death they
7 mourn"
The proclamation was issued
through Secretary Of State Ed
Continued on Page Three; Col. y