Evening star., 1948-10-03
Hu||,Hea|th Improved
Marks 77th Birthday
Quietly in Hospital
By Gornett D. Horner

Former secretary OF state Cor
dell Hull a worried observer from
the sidelines now of the struggle
for world peace from which Hines.
forced him to retire four years ago
observed his 77th birthday in i'm.
proving health yesterday.
He was still hopeful that per.
sistant efforts to win Russia tt
peaceful cooperation may avert
utter calamity for the world bu
was convinced the United States
must keep strong Ito face any
eventuality."
Mr.. Hull. still patient at Be-
thesda Naval Hospital where he
has been for more than two years
observed his birthday quietly with
no celebration.
He did go for an hours auto
mobile ride with Mrs. Hull after
posing for photographers and talk
ing informally with newspaper
friends on the sun porch near his
17th-floor hospital room. He re.
ceived many birthday telegram!
and telephone messages.
Walks without Help.
Heavier than he ever was, Mr.
Hull appeared unusually well fol
his long siege in the hospital. He
walked without assistance, carry
ing a cane which he said he really
does rot need any more. His mind
keen and alert, he expressed him
self forcefully in talking "off the
record about current affairs.
He would not make any statement
for publication, however, feeling
that his ideas about the critical
world situation were expressed ade-
quately in the final chapter of his
memoirs, published last spring.
Nothing has happened to change
Mr.. Hulls mind since he wrote
in that chapter that the world is
facing the supreme crisis of all
ages" and gave this advice for deal
ing with Russia:
Much time, perhaps many years
of unremitting effort may be nec-
essary before the Soviet leaders
come to understand fully that the
ways of cooperation with other
nations are to their country's bene-
fit as we'll as ours. -
Efforts Might Fail.
1T may be that our efforts will
fail and the leaders of Soviet Rus
sia will fall into the same tragic
error that has brought to utter
doom so many ancient and modern
masters of police states. If that
utter calamity should come to pass,
let it not be said that the United
States had neglected any honorable
means to avert it."
Mr. Hull, acclaimed by the late
President Roosevelt as the Father
of the United Nations" because of
his years of work in laying the
foundations for that organization,
also warned in his memoirs against
getting discouraged over dissensious
in the U. N. 1t still deserves "un-
wavering support" of the American
people. he wrote, and it requires
time, patience and spirit of CO.
operation among nations II it is to
function effectively"
Mr.. Hull completed mis- memoirs
while in the hospital, recuperating
from slight stroke he suffered on
September 80, 1916. He has been
gradually regaining his strength and
In recent months has been taking
frequent automobile rides With Mrs.
Hull in good weather.
Last Tuesday. for the first time
since he entered the hospital, Mr..
Hull was able to leave iong enough
to have lunch with Mrs. Hall in
their apartment at the Wardman
Park Hotel. He hopes to be able to
move back to the apartment soon,
but his doctors have set no date yet.
Keeps Abreast of News.
In the meantime, Mr.. Hull keeps
well informed on current affairs
through reading newspapers and
listening to radio broadcasts-in-
cluding some of the presidential
campaign speeches. He is proud of
the way the bipartisan foreign pol
Icy he helped develop as, Secretary
Of State is holding up in the current
election campaign.
He is visited frequently for infor-
NAL talks by old friends in Congress
and high Government officials, but
insists that he is taking no part in
ShaDinp roIicy now
Mr.. Hull's last day in office was
on his 73d birthday-October 2 1914.
He went home then in a state of
complete exhaustion, and after sew
eral days entered the Bethesda Naval
Hospital where he remained for
seven months. Over the protests of
President Roosevelt, he formally re-
signed on November n, 1914, after
serving nearly IL years as Secretary
of State-longer than anyone else.
He was back in the hospital for
q checkup when he suffered the
stroke two years ago that has kept
him there since.