U.S. At War: Carter Glass Takes an Oath

Carter Glass sat carpet-slippered and ailing before a log fire on the glass-enclosed sun porch of his Lynchburg, Va., home. On Monday he had celebrated his 85th birthday.* On Wednesday a new Congress convened without him. The Senate’s cantankerous grand old man was too ill to go to Washington to take what may be his last oath. The Senate adopted a rare resolution and went out to him.

Delegated “to administer the oath of office to the said Carter Glass” was owl-eyed, impressive Senate Secretary Colonel Edwin A. Halsey. Halsey bustled into snow-powdered Lynchburg on Friday with Rixey Smith, the Senator’s secretary and Boswell. Surrounded by his family, friends, two physicians and three reporters, Carter Glass was waiting for them. “Hi, Ed,” he said. “You’re the United States Senate.” Ed was. Solemnly Halsey intoned the oath, solemnly Glass intoned his response.

Mrs. Glass kissed the old man on the forehead. From the sidelines, Annie and Sam, Negro cook and butler, showed their white teeth. Then Carter Glass posed for pictures ; was helped in to dinner by his nurse.

* Another birthday, Sam Rayburn’s, was celebrated at a White House surprise party for the Speaker on Wednesday. Rayburn was 61, just 24 days older than the President.