Evening star., 1950-12-06

but he said later death must have
been instantaneous.
He described the cause as a
coronary occlusion.
Mrs. Ross was summoned at
once to the White House. Also
called were a son, DR.. John B.
Ross of Washington; a sister, Miss
Helen Ross of Chicago, widely
known psychiatrist. who came to
Washington for the Mid-Century
White House Conference on Chill
dren and Youth, and Mrs. EStelle
G.. Welsh. his sister-in-l law. who
is member of the Washington
staff of the st. Louis Post-Dis-
patch.
Mr.. Ross died shortly after re-
turning from the Navy Gun Fac
tory. where he had attended the
luncheon conference of President
Truman and British Prime Minis
ter Attlee aboard the yacht Will
liamsburg.
Gave Reporters Fill-In.
He had given reporters flll-in
en- the afternoons discussions and
had dictated a brief communlque
covering the session. Then he
called in crew from the Ma
tional Broadcasting Co., who were
to make a recording and picture
for radio and television. In 1t,
Mr.. Ross planned to repeat a
statement given a few minutes be-
fore to the reporters denying a
news story from London, which
said that President Truman and
Prime Minister Attlee had agreed
to a re-invasion of Korea if the
present situation there should re-
suit in another Dunkirk.
The equipment was being put
in place when Miss Myrtle Berg
helm. Mr.. Ross's secretary, re-
marked jokingly that they don't
want you mumbling into that
tape" :,
IT always speak very plainly"
he retorted, laughing. Il don't
mumble.''
AS He Lighted Cigarette
Then as he lighted a cigarette.
he collapsed. Miss Bergheim called
DR.. Graham.
Newsmen in the lobby, seeing
DR.. Graham hasten into the press
Office, realized something was
amiss and sought details. The
door was closed, however, and a
Secret Service man placed on
guard.
When DR.. Graham emerged, he
was grave and SILENT
Shortly before $50 pm, Eben
Ayers, assistant press secretary,
came out and announced quietly
that Mr.. Ross had died.
President Truman had left his
Office for the day, and DR.. Graham
gave him the news at the Blair
House.
In a feeling statement later, the
President referred to the loss OF "a
tower of strength"
Seldom Away from Desk.
The physician afterwards told
reporters that Mr.. Ross'S condition
had long been recognized and that
he had had several small attacks"
previously. The last was about
three months ago. He also had
suffered from arthritis. Neverthe-
less, he was seldom away from
his desk and almost invariably
accompanied Mr.. Truman wher-
ever the President went.
A highly regarded member OF
the st. Louis Post-Dispatch staff
for nearly 80 years, Mr.. Ross was
one of Mr.. Truman's earliest
White House appointees, taking
leave from his paper on May Is,
1945, to assume the difficult job
of press secretary. He made the
Change llIO puUllC IA4c dG q hl1o"A
financial sacrifice. AS an old
friend, he enjoyed Mr.. Truman's
confidence to an unusual degree.
Mr.. Ross always called the Presi-
dent 1.-The Boss" The integrity
which marked his work as news
man characterized also his White
House service.
Helped In Many Tasks.
He was one of the little group
who helped with speeches and the
other tasks that go along with
campaigning, when the President
made that well-remembered non
political" trip into the West in
preparation for his drive for re-
election in 1948. Mr.. Ross was
on hand again later in the year
when the President swung around
the country in the "Give-em-hell"
drive that brought victory.
That election evoked a rare pub
lie outburst from the customarily
soft-spoken press aide. He branded
lia,s n a41,,y,o ict, Sc