Evening star., 1948-04-04
Maurice c. Lotto, ~, Is Dead;
Aide to Nine Presidents
Served Half Century,
Addressed Congress
About 5000 Times

Maurice G. Latta, n. the White
House administrative officer whom
Franklin D. Roosevelt once labeled
trainer of presidents" died at
Naval Hospital yesterday, nearly Sc
years after he was assigned to tht
Executive Mansion for temporary
duties.
Mr.. Latta had entered the hos.
pital February ! for an operation
and appeared to be recovering wher
stricken with q heart attack.
Funeral services will be held at Z
pm. Tuesday at the Washington
Heights Presbyterian Church, Kalo.
rama and Columbia roads NV, and
private burial services will be ir
Rock Greek Cemetery.
Truman Recalls Help.
President Truman, Mr.. Latta's
ninth boss at the White House, re.
called that on three occasions che
helped to bridge the transition
period when . President died ir
Office"
"I can bear witness to his steady.
ing influence when the duties OF the
Office came to me so Unexpectedly
three years ago." Mr.. Truman added
Mr.. Latta's official title was "ad.
ministrative officer in charge of cor
respondence," but he was better
known as "the judge" to his &C.
uuaintances and the more than 20t
White House employees he directed
He also was known as chief execu.
tive clerk.
Strangely enough, the. man whose
chief responsibility was in advising
Presidents what procedures they
could take with legal soundness wa.
little known outside the confines oi
the White House and his Capitol
beat"
The latter assignment brought Mr.
Latta 4 unique achievement
Through it he won the distinction
Of addressing Congress more times
than any other man-perhaps 5000
times. Mr.. Latta's task was to carry
to Congress the messages, nomina-
tions and bills signed BY the
President.
Followed Set Pattern.
Mr.. Latta's appearances before
the Legislature were brief and pre-
else. without variation they fol-
lowed this pattern:
Appearing before one or the other
OF the houses, he would bow from
the belt while an usher announced: !:
Gentlemen, a message from the
President Of the United States"
Then Mr.. Latta would say: II am
directed by the President Of the
United States to deliver to this
Senate Cor the House, a message
(or nomination. In writing"
That was all, but it was the sig
nal sometimes for momentous
events, such as Woodrow Wilson's s
message preparatory to the declara-
ton Of war.
Through all kinds Of weather, on
all kinds Of vehicles-horses, car
riages, streetcars, automobiles and
even afoot-Mr. Latta shuttled to
and from the Capitol, sometimes
as many as four times q day.
Grover Cleveland was kind enough
to buy him . horse for the excur-
sions. Some referred to Mr.. Latta
as "the human pony express"
Mr.. Latta's responsibilities grew
as each succeeding President prof.
tied by his years Of wisdom. Finally,
on the occasions when President
Roosevelt was out Of the country,
at Teheran or Yalta, the man In
charge at the White House was
Mr.. Latta. He determined what
business was important enough to
be rushed to the President.
Couldn't Do Without Him.
On his 18th birthday, Mr.. Latta
was called by President Truman
"the indispensable man Of the
White House."
Once when he and the late Ru-
dolph Forster, another White House
patriarch, were ordered retired by
the Civil Service, they received .
notice in Mr.. Roosevelt's handwrit-
ing,
This is permanent. don't want