The Washington herald., 1919-04-14
PREDICTS CLARK
WILL Be NEXT
HOUSE LEADER
Rep. Flood Says Former
Speaker Has Majority
of Votes.
DEMOCRATS APPROVE.
90 Members of Party Favor
Selection-Fear Breach
in Party.

y strong endorsement OF Champ
Clark's claims for the minority lead
ership in the next House was made
yesterday by Representative Hal d.
Flood. of Virginia, who was chair
man OF the Committee on Foreign
Affairs in the last Congress. Mr..
Flood declares that the election Of
Mr.. Clark is necessary to insure
unity in the party and recites the
fact that the Presidents Cabinet Of
ficers, as we'll as most OF the i'm
portant committee chslrmen in the
last House. are supporting Mr..
Clark's candidacy.
Mr.. Clark's friends are jubilant
over the position taken by Mr.. Flood
which Mr.. Flood has in Congress.
He is not only a strong administra-
ton man, but handled many OF the
important war measures. including
the resolutions declaring war upon
Germany and Austria. His state
ment is looked upon as having ef-
fectfvely disposed Of the rumor that
the administration was opposed to
having Mr.. Clark become the Demo-
cratic leader.
Call. Clark Best Man.
Flood in his statement says:
My opinion is that yiewh the
question Of leadership from sne
standpoint OF the interests OF the
Democratic party. the administra-
tion. and the country. Champ Clark
is incomparably the best man the
Democrats in Congress could choose
and I believe I am accurate when 1
say that this view "a entertained by
a very large majority of the Demo-
cratic members of the next Con-
gress.
The interviews and statements
of the gentlemen who are opposing
Mr.. Clark's- leadership, however.
sincere they may be, leave the i'm
preston that a great row is on
among the Democrats of the House;
that there is strong opposition to
the election OF Champ Clark as mi
nority leader by the Democratic
caucus. and a strong sentiment in
favor Of the creation Of a steering
committee with power TO select its
own chairman, who is to be the ex-
offcio leader. 1 am certain these
impressions are not justified"
Mr.. Flood asserts that Of thelS DEM
ccrats in the next House at least l5o
and probably more are in favor of
Clark. He says these members be-
lieye that of all times in the history
of the party this is the most unfit
time to create discord or division, and
that on the other hand there should
be the utmost harmony and co-opera-
ton. They believe, Flood says, that
CIark's election would not only insure
such harmony and cooperation, but
would give the Democrats the advan-
tage of "virile and splendid leader
ship"
OF the fifty-nine members who were
chairmen of committees in the last
House and will be members of the
next House, Flood says all but five
will support Clark. This includes the
chairmen of the forty-one legislative
committees, the most important in the
House. The opposition will have little,
If any. support, he declares, from the
membership of such committees as
Foreign Affairs, Judiciary, Military
Affairs, Naval Affairs, Rivers and
Harbors, Public Buildings and
Grounds, Rules, Banking and Cur
rency, Merchant Marine and Fish
cries. Interstate and Foreign Com
merce and Postofices and Post Roads.
OF the Democratic members of the
Ways and Mean Committee. only one
will be against Clark.
would Avoid Breach.
Flood further points out that in the
next House there will be sixty-six
Democrats who were members when
Clark was minority leader and all but
six are for his reelection. The state
ment concludes as follows:
Every Democrat wishes to avoid
any breach in our ranks-those .sho
are for Clark and those who are op-
posed to him-and 1 trust and believe