Evening star., 1946-02-25
J. Buell. Snyder, 68,
House Member, Dies;
Wrote Army Fund Bill

Representative John Buell. Sny-
der, Democrat, of Pennsylvania,
known as "the man who wrote the
legislation to give the Army the
tools it needed to win," died sudden
ly in his room in a Pittsburgh hotel
yesterday, the Associated Press re-
ported.
He and his family lived here at
100 Maryland avenue NE. He had
been in Congress 13 years.
Hotel employees found the 68-year-
old legislator dead in bed when they
investigated his failure to appear
during the DAY. He had registered
at the hotel Saturday on arrival
from Washington, en- route to I'm
lontoWn, Pa, to attend a business
meeting today.
A one-time farm boy, Mr.. Snyder
was serving his seventh consecutive
term when stricken. He had an
nounced only last Friday that he
would not seek reelection. His de-
clsion, he said, was reached the day
Japan surrendered. II owe it to
myself in the years have left" he
told colleagues, "to step down from
public office and public RESPONSE
bility and take greater care of my
own physical and mental resources" :"
House to Adjourn.
The House will adjourn immedi-
ately after meeting at noon today
as mark of respect to Mr.. Snyder.
Tributes to the legislator poured
In today from colleagues and others.
He was one of the finest charac-
ters I've ever met" Majority Leader
Mccormack told newsmen here.
He was a great legislator and a
great American"
He was great man and a good
man." Minority Leader Martin COM
mented. "Unquestionaly Mr.. Sny-
der's death was due to the. tre-
mendous work he did in helping
the war effort as chairman of the
War Department Appropriations
Subcommittee"
Guffey Pays Tribute.
In declaring the PENNSYLVANIA
Representatives death "a great
shock" Senator Guffey, Democrat,
of Pennsylvania declared:
I'm his passing the Pennsylvania
delegation is materially weakened.
He was good student in public
affairs and devoted to his task.
He rose to position of power and
influence in the House and served
his country well"
Secretary of War Patterson re-
marked that "Mr. Snyder's service
in the House in this war, on mill
tary appropriations, was great
factor in our victory. He was
tower of strength. His death was
a loss to the Nation and a great
sorrow to me personally"
Wrote Largest Fund Bill.
Mr. Snyder had been chairman of
the War Department Appropriations
Subcommittee since 1887 and author
Of all Regular Army appropriation
bills during that time. HIS name
appears as author of the largest
single appropriations bill ever
pasSed-the one which in 1943 gave
the Army $4,000, 600, 900 to help de-
feat the Axis.
He used to say his subcommittee
IN writing total of $2l4 900 900 900
in appropriations since 1899, had
spent more money than had been
up to then by all the
Congresses since the United States
was formed.
No soldier himself, he probably
was the Representative best known
TO the Army. Besides providing it
with funds, he made frequent trips
to Army installations throughout the
country and the world. The former
Chief of Staff, Gen. George C. Mar
shall, a native of Uniontown, Pa,
was one of his constituents.
Gave Atomic Bomb Backing.
Mr.. Snyder's cooperation in dis
guising, in appropriations bills, the
81, 900 100000 needed to develop the
atomic bomb was cited last night
by Maj. Gen. Leslie R. Groves, who
was in charge of the project. Gen.
Groves said Mr.. Snyder displayed "a
great deal of courage" in going along
on the then secret project because
he knew full well, as we did, that
1t was not a sure thing"
A native of upper Turkeyfoot