Evening star., 1919-12-08
c. 0. P. ELEPHANT
SOUNDS FIRST WAR
NOTE WEDNESDAY
National Committee to Pick
Meeting Place of 1920
Convention.
BY n. o. MESSENGER.

We'll, well. we'll. good people, Here
we are again! Two big shows under
the main canvas and a marvellous
line of freaks in the side tents. Walk
up and get your tickets-and bewore
Of the insinrating guy, with a shell
game. the little pea that disappears
while you look, for there are takers
in our mids..
Thus might political barker her
aid the approaching presidential cam
paign of 1920. practical preliminaries
to which will commence this week
when the republican national COM
mittee meets in this city next Wed
nesday. at the New willard. at II
o'clock, to arrange time and place for
holding the national convention to
nominate a republican presidential
ticket and frame a platform. for the
elections of next November. The date
will be day early in June.
Many Little Side shows.
Aside from the two big shows un-
der the main canvas'' there will be,
indeed. side shows OF thrilling inter-
est, with "the bearded bolshevist" and
the Circassian beauties" and an
archist snake charmers. an every
thin. more in evidence than before.
In the menagerie, the G. o. p. ele.
phant will trumpet loudly this week
the first war notes Of the campaign.
January 8. the adversary will sound
defiance. when the democratic ma
tional committee meets here.
The actual business of record to be
transacted here commencing next
Wednesday will be the selection of
place and fixing the date for the con-
vention. but there will be important
doings on the side lines having a
bearing upon prospective candidates
Nd mi
ferring and scheming by the political
wiseacres from every state. And none
Of this will go into the record.
Hays Talks to Newspaper Men.
Will H. Hays. chairman of the ma
tional committee, discussed the COM
ing meeting with newspaper corre-
spondents at republican headquarters
in the Woodward building today.
In some respects. this Quadrennial
will be a notable one" said Mr.. Hays.
1T is expected that some 400 or 500
persons will be in attendance-na-
tional committeeman, state chairmen
and leaders. and friends of prospective
candidates for the presidential nomi-
nation. Women will take a prominent
and active part in the proceedings of
the committee, which are for the sole
purpose of selecting the time and
place for holding the national con-
vention.
New Feature Announced.
"A feature of the meeting, which is
new to such gatherings. will be an
open session at the outset which will
be addressed by an eastern and a west
ern governor and by woman. Mrs.
Medill Mccormick of the women's ex-
ecutive committee will speak and so
will Gov. Mckelvie of Nebraska and
Gov. Sproul of Pennsylvania"
oil hat mil will
probably take up any national ques-
tions. Mr.. Hays replied in the negative
Il assume, he said, that the custom
Of all the years will not be broken,
and that there will be no discussion
of nor action on questions properly
belonging to the platform An execu-
tive session will follow the open meet
ing to take up plans for the future.
The committee will hear the conven-
tion city delegations during the after
noon and evening of Wednesday, and
hopes to close by Wednesday night
Thursday there will be a meeting of
the national association of state chair
men, at which the political conditions
in all the states will be gone over.
Republican war horses" outside of
mitee will be on hand-such familiar
figures Joe Keeling of Ind,anap-
oils and Frank H. Hitchcock and
George w. Perkins and so on. few
races Will Oc missed from the quad
rennial gathering, such as lowell
Clayton and Mr.. Fairbanks, who have
answered the final great roll call.
Chicago and st. Louis Contestants.
After the claims of several other
cities have been presented, and their
arguments heard, by way of compli-
ment, the actual contest for the honor
of entertaining the convention VIII
come on between Chicago and st.
Louis. The word honor" is used ad-
visedly. since in these piping times of
prohibition there is more honor than
privilege in taking care of a con-
vention. There is nothing in it,
from strictly business viewpoint,
il is declared. and the necessary ex-
penses of preparing for the show will
exceed the gate receipts. with but
small return to local business inter
ests, outside of the hotels.
And the hotels are to be required to
keep down prices. il is said. and not
likely to have to include very much
in their excess profit returns to the
| income tax collector that year. Rail-
road fares for the delegates will fig
ure in the selection of the city and a
! central location will be compelling
! consideration.
| There is only one bright prospect
! ahead of the prospective hosts of the
convention. and that is the fact tina,
circumstances point to the next con-