Evening star., 1920-06-27
AMERICAN NPRE'SZDEZNIS
MA YBE NAMED IN WASHINGTON

And Washington is accustomed to
handling far larger crowds than
those which assemble for the con-
ventions, as in the case of the
throngs which gather here for the
inaugural ceremonies for incoming
Presidents and Vice Presidents.
x X x x
1t has become the recognized
thing for the republican national
committee and the democratic ma
tional committee To maintain head
quarters IN the capital not only
during the precoHvel4J4on period,
but DARING the campaigns them
selves. IhiS year DoLn OF the
great parties VIII have national
headquarters here throughout the
campaign, as well as III New York
and Chicago. The headq quarters OF
the congressional campaign COM
mItteeS are located here, LOO, and u
vast amount OF work IS transacted.
UnQer the existing ISLrLncnISSq
condition of the DIS IlICt vi ColUm-
bla, the delegates from all parts OF
the country would meet on neu-
trail ground when Lhey CAME here
for party deliberations. But even
should the District pc given ma
tional representation, with The
Congress and in the electoral col
lege, as the citizens of the District
now desire, there would be no
more argument against holding the
nauional poIlucal gatherings mere
than elsewhere.
at the republican convention this
year. an invitation 10 the District Of
Columbia to nominate one Of the
most widely known candidates Tor
the nomination for President WAS
seriously considered, ana the matter
was broachcd 10 the District s rep
resentatives. That the plan fell
through does not after the fact that
the appropriateness of haSing a ma
tional candidate put IN. Nomination
from the National Capital was recog-
nized. The candidate in question
was Herbert Hoover.
i 4 x *
In addition to the headquarters es-
tablished here by the great political
parties, headquarters, many of them
permanent, are maintained in WASH
lngton by other organizations I'M
portant IN the country, Organizations
which have keen interest IL the polft-
ical affairs OF the nation, the selec-
ton of candidates for President and
Vice President and the platforms
adopted by the parties. Among these
organizations are the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor, the League of
Women Voters, the National Wom-
ans Party, the National Grange, the
Anti-Saloon League of America, the
Association of Railway Executives,
etc.
In the past Washington has been
a loadstar for job hunters-after
the elections have been held and the
federal administrations have been in
stalled. But there is good reason
why it should be a center of activi-
ties when the political battle lines
are forming and policies are being
outlined upon which to go 70 the
country. 1t is so with the capital
cities of the other great nations of
the world. London, Paris, the cap
itals of the other American republics,
all are the political centers Of the
countries in which they are located.
1t was urged in the past that to
make Washington a political CEN
ter. a hotbed, where contending
factions would meet, would be un-
wise. The theory was that the gov
ernment should be located in neu-
tral territory, aloof from political
strife. But in recent years it has
often been charged that Washington
is too remote from the people of the
country, that the real sentiment of
the nation is frequently mot realized
by the leaders here. 1t might be
a good thing for all concerned if
the men in charge were kept more
informed of the peoples sentiments
on vital matters.