The Washington herald., 1917-12-03
COMPLAINING
HOUSE CLEANING
FOR NEXT FIGHT
Custer of Woods as Chair.
man as First Step in Com
plete Reorganization.
By CHARLES JARVIS.

REORGANIZATION OF the Republican
Congressional Committee from top tC
bottom win follow the election by tbs
state delegations OF new members ol
the committee.
This reorgantzation will occur prim'
arily because of the objections to the
methods OF the present chairman
Representative Frank p. Woods, oi
Iowa, and the chairman OF the
ssub-eommittee on finance. Representa-
tive Richard W. Austin. OF Ten
nessee, IN the management Of the last
Congressional campaign.
II VIII take place. seeondarily, be-
cause the Woods faction in the COM
mittee. and the other faction, headed
by Representative william B. Nc
.Kinlsy. OF Illinois. who has as his
chief lieutenant John Eversmap, secre-
tary Of the committee. are at outs over
the management OF the organization
and political methods used in the last
campaign.
Affairs OF the committee have been
for q long time the subject Of bitter
criticism by Republican members Of
Congress.
New Officers Wanted.
The McKinIey-Eversman feud
undoubtedly will result, when the
committee Is reorganized. in selection
OF an entire new set Of oficers. The
trouble between the factions dates
back to when Representative Woods
was reelected chairman, over the
protest Of Mckinley. just before the
beginning OF the last Congressional
campaign, which cut down the DEM
ocratic majority in the House almost
to the vanishing point and gained
two seats in the Senate. At that
time. because OF differences between
Woods and Mckinley. the members
favored election Of Representative
Nicholas Longworth. OF Ohio. as
chairman. Longworth would have
been elected IL Minority Leader
James r Mann had not earnestly
protested against ousting Woods. The
principal objection 70 Longworth at
that time was his kinship with Theo-
dore Roosevelt Many Representa-
tives opposed Longworth on the
ground that it would look like turning
the committee over to the progres-
siye wing Of the party to elect him
chairman This argument and Mann's
pleas saved Woods
After Woods was reelected the
status quo was maintained and Nc
kinney was made chairman Of tthe
executive committee. Mckinley soon
resigned as a protest against the
methods of WOods,and Austin. Evers-
mans salary was cut OF, but he re-
manned nominally as secretary.
Mentioned for ChaIrmanshIp.
Among the men mentioned to sue
coed Woods as chairman are Sena-
tor John W. Weeks. of Massachu-
setts; Representative Julius Kahn,
Of California; Representative ].
Hampton Moore. of Pennsylvania,
simeon D. Fess, of Ohio.
Senator Weeks Is busy with his
campaign for re-eiection to the SEN
ate. and eprobably could not be in
duced to take the place. Represent
atiYe Moore probably would not
twant the chairmanship, because It is
possible he will succeed Represent
stive Mann as minority leader in the
next Congress IL the Illinois Repre-
sentative does not recover his health.
Moore is now the able understudy
of Mann In the House Represent
attve Fess Is chairman Of the sub
committee on publicity and Is one
Of the ablest members of the minor
ity.
Representative Kahn is now chair
man OF the subcommittee on litera-
ture' took a prominent part in the
last campaign, and became a ma
tlonal hgure by his leadership in the
House at the last session. for the
seleetive service law after Chair
man Dent, OF the Military Affairs
Committee. laid down" on the ad-
ministratton- The Californian is
the father of the national defense
movement. having started four years
ago the agitation for a larger army
and navy. He has served twenty
years In Congress and Is the real
head OF the Military Affairs Commit
tee Kahn Is understood not to de-
sire the ehairmanship. but many of
the leading Republicans wish to
draft him for the position. There
are several dark horses who would
not seriously object to assuming the
leadership. provided it was thrust
upon them.
For Next Congress.
After reorganization and the eltm-
- -N+SA - AAS SOuuOT- nuQlDurK ar
rangement the committee intends to
wage a vigorous fight to elect a
Republican majority in the next
Congress and a Republican Presi--
dent in 1920.
The attitude OF the Republicans NAV
be stated: We are WIN the govern
ment and the country in this war,
but we are not necessarily for the
The Democrats will reply to this:
stand BY the President. I" Those
Representatives who do not stand by
the President in everything he does
VIII be termed ''obstructionists, /" II
not traitors.
Democratic leaders are aware OF the
Republican plans. and already are
trying to throw a barrage FIRE around
the eremy's camp. The National
Democratic committee press bureau
has walked up to the situation and Is
pouring out a stream Of political
dope" calculated 10 make the un-
believe that the administra-
ton Is faultless. The first story from
the Democratic press bureau gave a
long account of the health OF our
troops In the cantonments. cou1pared |
With the disease among the soldiers
IN the camps during the war with
spain The Inference was plain. I'm
der the Wilson administration Demo-
rratic) the troops are wen taken care
Of from a sanitary standpoint and /
nnder the Mckinley administrator
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