Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-12-16
National Committee Decides to
Blaze the Trail and Give Its
Story to the Country Week
Ahead of Democrats.
NO DEFENSIVE CAMPAIGN
Safety of American Commerce,
Industry and Lives Main
Platform Issue-Wil Attack
Democrats Preparedness Plan
AS Being Tardy.

Washington, Dec. ~A.-Chicago was ~
lected by the republican national commit
tee tonight as the meeting place of the
1916 republican national convention to ba
held June Z, one week before the demo-
cratic convention in St. Louis The vote
stood:
Chicago, 81; San Francisco, l3; st. Louis,
Z: Philadelphia, 9.
Earlier in the dav the committee had
determined upon the convention date.
a much discussed problem, with sentiment
for and against meeting before the demo.
Gratis pretty evenly divided. The decision
was reached without a roll call, and some
said a record vote might have brought a
different result.
Advocates of an early convention
argued that now was the time for the
Republican party to take the offensive
against its political enemies without re-
gard to the ancient custom of allowing
the party in power to meet first and an
ounce it's candidates and principles. II
was urged that the party should not
consider a defensive campaign, but
should blaze the trail and give its story
to the country first without waiting TO
see what the democrats intended to do.
Technical objection raised to an early
date by representatives Of West Viz
ginia and South Dakota where primaries
to elect convention delegates are hold
June s was swept away by adoption OF
a resolution which will permit placing
the names of the candidates from these
States on the temporary roll Of the 0
vention with the agreement that certih-
cation by telegraph from the proper
State authorities after the primaries Will
he valid authorization for the seating.
The fight for the convention proved to
be more one-sided than friends Of the
cities which lost had believed it would
be. The fact that the democrats meet
in st. Louis, June Il, and that many
thousands who will attend have made
reservations at the hotels there for sew
eral days ahead. undoubtedly had its
influence against st. Louis after the
committee had decided upon June 7 as
the date. San Francisco made a strong
showing. but the combination between
St. Louis, San Francisco and Philadel-
phia talked of yesterday failed to ma
terialize 1t would have made no differ
ence, for Chicago had a majority ov~
ell.
The committee officially took no cog
nizance Of candidates, although the lobby
Of the hotel where the meetings were
held was pretty we'll filled with republic
cans who have been mentioned as presi-
Dental possibilities and their supporters.
About so Of the 95 delegates to tina
convention are to be chosen at primaries,
and by the time most OF these elections
are held the leaders expect to have a
good line on what the different States
think of candidates.
The republican fight. the gossip went
to-day, will be waged IN a few plain
principles: defense of American cons
merce and industry and defense Of Amer
team lives. one of tho points of attack
will he that the Democratic party in
Congress had not stood for an adequate
plan of preparedness until events across
the Atlantic forced them to change
their position.
One of the last things done by the COM
mittee to-day, the selection of q commit
tee on arrangements which will select a
temporary chairman of the convention.
and name some of its important temper
airy committees. Chairman Hilles is head
Of the arrangements committee and the
other members are: Ralph +. Williams OF
Oregon, Franklin Murphy Of New Jersey.
T.. Duncan of North Carolina. Fred w.
Estabrook of New Hampshire, Fred STAN
ley of Virginia, James b. Warren OF
Michigan, Alvah II. Martin of Virginia.
James I. Goodrich of Indiana and John
r. Adams of Iowa, This committee will
meet either in New York or Chicago in \
few days to lay out its preliminary plans
and is expected to have many meetings
before June.
Chairman Hilles said tonight he had
heard no serious suggestions for tempor-