Statement by the President on the Death of John T. McNaughton.

THE AIR CRASH in North Carolina has made this a tragic afternoon for many American families. Among those we mourn is a family that many of us in Government know, admire, and will deeply miss. John McNaughton, his wife, and youngest son have been taken from us with cruel suddenness. Their loss can only be measured by the emptiness it will leave in American hearts and the pages of American history.

For six and one-half arduous and decisive years, John McNaughton served in the highest councils of our Government. His devoted wife served beside him. He was soon to become Secretary of the Navy--and this adds a special poignancy to his death. For it reminds us again of the rare breadth of his abilities, the selflessness of his great energies and talents, the enormity of the loss suffered by all free men who have found, so long, pride and inspiration in John McNaughton's example.