Sick Secretary

Year ago Franklin Roosevelt did not let a critical Congressional situation keep him from going fishing off Florida. Last week he had another fishing appointment aboard Vincent Astor's Nourmahal but failed to depart as scheduled. His old friend, intimate adviser and No. 1 secretary, Louis McHenry Howe, lay critically ill in his bedroom on the northwest corner of the White House's second floor. The 64-year-old ex-newshawk was being kept alive by oxygen and drugs in spite of heart disease, pleurisy and asthma. "Critical," "grave," "very critical," "steadily failing strength" told the story of his decline until the Press reported no hope remained and formal obituaries were prepared.

It was a dark week at the White House. Mrs. Howe, the secretary's son Hartley from Boston, his daughter Mary (Mrs. Robert H. Baker) from Urbana, Ill. came & went in the sickroom. The Roosevelts canceled all social engagements.

Already the Press was speculating on whom the President would pick to succeed Mr. Howe as his No. 1 secretary when one morning the gaunt little patient awoke, looked about him, asked for a cigaret. Hastily five doctors were called into consultation, gravely decided that the crisis was past. Although the "ultimate prognosis was not good," Mr. Howe was on the mend. Hastily the President's bags were packed and the same evening he entrained for Florida feeling happier about his faithful Louis Howe than he had in days.

P: As a new ad interim head of NRA, to succeed S. Clay Williams, President Roosevelt appointed his man-of-all-work, Donald Richberg. At the same time he patched up a truce with organized Labor, William Green and John L. Lewis emerging from a White House conference all smiles.

P: For the first time since Franklin Roosevelt entered the White House, Senator Borah sat down to lunch with him from trays on the Presidential desk.

P:To Congress the President sent a message urging the passage of a new Pure Food & Drugs Act.

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