Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-18
Garcia Sworn
As Successor
To Maqsaysay
Body of Philippines
President Found
In Plane Wreckuoe

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President Carlos P. Garcia took
over the reins of government to-
day as the Philippine nation and
the free world mourned the
plane-crash death of President
Ramon Magsaysay.
Mr.. Garcia flew in from the
SEATO conference in Australia
several hours after Mr.. Magsay-
says charred body was found in
the wreckage of his plane on a
Cebu Island mountainside.
The 60-year-old Vice President
took the oath of Office as fourth
President of the Philippine Re-
public before Chief Justice Ri
cardo Paras. He will serve until
after next November's presiden-
tial elections, which now promise
to be a wide-open fight.
A staunch supporter of Mr..
Magsaysay's foreign policy. Mr..
Garcia is expected to continue
the late Presidents aim of
strengthening American-Philip-
pine friendship.
No Cabinet Changes
The new President told news
men he planned no changes in
the cabinet and would himself
continue to fill the post of Sec
rotary of Foreign Affairs he had
held under Mr.. Magsaysay. A
state funeral for Mr.. Magsaysay
was scheduled for Friday.
Mr.. Magsaysay. 49-year-old
champion of democracy and
bitter foe of communism, per-
ished early Sunday when his
twin-engine plane crashed in
dense jungle just after leaving
Ccbu for Manila.
Only one passenger, a Philip
pine neWsman. survived the
crash which claimed the lives
of 26 persons. including several
top government officials and
educators, several Philippine
newsmen and members of Mr..
Magsaysay's staff. The President
was returning from giving two
commencement speeches in Cebu
A close guard was placed
around the wreckage as officials
made clear they had not ruled
out the possibility of Communist
sabotage. AS defense secretary.
Mr.. Magsaysay had wrecked the
Communist Hulk rebel movement
in the infant island republic.
Condolences Pour In
Messages of coincidence poured
in from abroad to the Philip
pine government, Mr.. Maesay-
says widow and their three
children.
From aboard the cruiser Can
berra. President Eisenhower in
statement said the people OF the
Philippines. the United States
and the entire free world have
lost a valiant champion OF free
dom Mr.. MagsaySay.,he added.
will be greatly missed" in the
fight against communism
South Korean President Syng--
man Rhee and Indonesian Presi-
dent Sukarno were among the
first TO express sorrow and regret
Both houses of midas parlia-
ment observed two minutes of
silence.
Gen. Douglas Macarthur, who
knew Mr.. Magsaysay in World
War II as a guerrilla leader.
cabled an expression Of SYM
pathy to the dead presidents
family.
A search party which included
Mr.. Magsaysay's brother Jesus
found the chief of states body
in the twisted charred ruin of
his twin-engine plane about Is
miles north of Cebu City.
COpters Bring Out Bodies
The Presidents body was vir-
tually unrecognizable. Identifi-
cation had to be made through
personal effects he carried Mr..
Magsaysay's body still had on a
partly charred suit and his wrist
watch.
The bodies of 20 of the pas
sengers were reduced to near
Continued on Page A-3, Col. 4