Katabasis

Sudden illness brought to a halt the happy and almost triumphant return of the President from Alaska. Hardly more than a week earlier excessive fatigue had forced Mrs. Harding to take to her bed at Fairbanks, the furthest point of the Presidential journey. Easy stages on the return trip and thorough rest had restored Mrs. Harding, in part at least, when the President's illness came on.

Coming down the inside passage from Sitka, the transport Henderson made several stops in the narrow inlets where the steep, pine-covered slopes of mountains made good anchorages. The voyage extended over two days, and members of the party had opportunity to undertake a little fishing from small boats. The President himself sacrificed fishing in order to work on the speeches which he intended to deliver on the Pacific Coast.

The first shore visit was at Vancouver, B. C. As the Henderson approached the port an aeroplane of the Royal Canadian Air Force brought the President a message of welcome from the Prime Minister. H. M. S. Patrician appeared and escorted the President into the harbor. Canadian and British warships fired salutes as the Henderson came in. At the dock Colonel Ernest J. Chambers, Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, came aboard to acquaint the President with the plans which had been made for his reception.

Dressed in a tailcoat and silk hat (the first time he had worn a silk hat on the trip) the President went ashore with Mrs. Harding, as a land battery fired another salute. Awaiting him were James H. King, Canadian Minister of Public Works; John Oliver, Prime Minister of British Columbia, and Mayor Charles Tiedall of Vancouver. Entering motor cars, the party drove through streets lined with cheering crowds and decorated with bunting and innumerable Canadian and American flags.

At Stanley Park the President spoke. He referred to the long unguarded border of the two countries as an example which Europe would do well to copy. " Our protection is in our fraternity," said he, " our armor is our faith. . . . The ancient bugaboo of the United States scheming to annex Canada disappeared from all our minds years and years ago. (Cheers.) . . . And if I may be so bold as to offer a word of advice to you, it would be this: ' Don't encourage any enterprise looking to Canada's annexation of the United States.' ... I entreat you for your own sakes to think twice before undertaking management of the territory which lies between the Great Lakes and the Rio Grande." (Laughter.)

Later the President and Mrs. Harding were guests at an official dinner given by the Canadian Government; this in turn was followed by a public reception, and then the President and his party returned to the Henderson.

That night's voyage was marked by two untoward events. The members of the party had eaten some crabs which had been a parting gift from the citizens of Sitka. Either the crabs or some canned foods aboard the Henderson were not good. During the night several members of the party became indisposed, among them Mrs. Herbert C. Hoover, George B. Christian, Jr., Secretary to the President, and Mr. Harding himself. The President suffered from pains in his abdomen during the night.

An intense fog settled down. The Henderson was then accompanied by 12 destroyers, which had come up to escort the President to Seattle. When the fog thickened an order was given for the destroyers to go ahead. They soon disappeared in the haze, evidently waiting for the Henderson. Again the order was given for them to go ahead. Shortly afterwards the fog horn was heard close at hand. A destroyer came out of the fog, going across the Henderson's bow. A strong tide was running. The Henderson's engines were reversed to reduce her headway, but she struck the destroyer, the Zeilin, amidships. The transport was not injured, but the destroyer took on a bad list. Two other destroyers stood by. The commander of the Zeilen was ordered to beach her if she was sinking. This was not the case, however, and the destroyer Nicholas took her in tow and safely made port.

Three hours late because of the fog and the collision with the Zeilin, the Henderson reached Elliott Bay the next morning. There the Pacific fleet was waiting to be reviewed. On one side were lined up the battleships, headed by the cruiser Seattle bearing Admiral Hilary P. Jones. On the other side were three lines of destroyers. The President stood on the flying bridge of the Henderson as she passed between the rows of ships. Each of the battleships fired a salute of 21 guns, and the band on the Henderson played The Star Spangled Banner. At Seattle, still suffering from his illness of the previous night, the President refused to cancel any of his engagements. He attended a luncheon at the Press Club. Later Mr. and Mrs. Harding met many school children, and at Woodlawn Park the President administered an oath of allegiance to thousands of boys brought by the Elks to Seattle to see the President. Soon after at the University of Washington Stadium he spoke to a large gathering on the problems of Alaska.

" There is no panacea for Alaska," he declared, " largely because Alaska needs none, but also because Alaskan troubles rise from the same general causes which make trouble elsewhere." He advocated continued conservation of Alaskan resources, conservation of the fisheries, more road building. He looked forward to the day when the Panhandle and Southeastern Alaska may become a state. He summed up his general conclusions by saying : " There is no need for Government -managed, Federally -paid -for hothouse development."

Leaving Seattle that night on the Presidential Special, Mr. Harding became quite ill. General Sawyer, the White House physician, directed that he remain abed. A contemplated visit to Yosemite National Park was abandoned. Crowds along the route were disappointed that the President could not speak to them from the rear platform. His condition was not thought serious, and at Grant's Pass Secretary of the Interior Work told the crowd:

" During our last day at sea many of us were attacked by a temporary indisposition, not due to seasickness but to food put up in a can. . . . All have recovered almost completely, and the President has about recovered as well. Had he been able yesterday to care for himself he would have been in his usual vigorous health this morning. . . . He was two hours in the sun bareheaded acknowledging the plaudits and the cordial reception he received, and afterwards he spoke to more than 180,000 people at three different times, so that the President, physical and intellectual giant that he is, was overtaxed."

At San Francisco the President arrived very quietly and was taken by motor to the Palace Hotel. He seemed tired but not seriously ill. During the day he became worse, however. His case was diagnosed as ptomaine poisoning with complications. It was announced that all his engagements were canceled for the remainder of the trip. General Sawyer, with Lieutenant Colonel Boone, his assistant, and Secretary Work, called in two other physicians for consultation, one of them a heart specialist. It was announced that frequent bulletins on the President's condition would be issued.

X-Ray showed that patches of broncho-pneumonia had developed in the right lung. The President's condition was pronounced serious.