Evening star., 1926-03-21
POLITICAL HORIZON
OF D. A. R. CLOUDED
Mrs. Nash's Candidacy Kills
Mrs. Cooks Chance for
a Second Term.

The Daughters of the American Revo-
lution ever have known has sud-
denly been darkened barely month
before members of the society from
every part of the country assemble
here i'm Continental Congress and
elect Il new president general and an
entirely new list of national Off
GERS to guide their ship ot state dur
ing the next three years.
SO genuine is the popularity of
Mrs. Anthony Wayne oCok, incum-
bent president general of the national
society, that there has been for the
past year an almost unanimous de-
mand for her to accept the office Tor
a second term, an honor that has
never been conferred on another
president general since the society's
present constitution was framed.
Under the constitution. however.
president general may not succeed
herself unless there is no candidate
in the field when the election year
comes around. Sshould there be
another candidate and she polled so
much as a single vote, the once
would belong to her. And if the in
cumbent president general were un'
opposed, she would remain in ONCE
only until such time as a new ma
found.
Sought to Remove Obstacle.
Faced with this statute, leaders or
the Daughters of the American Revo-
luton everywhere appealed to Mrs
Cook to permit them to petition the
board of governors to present a reso.
lution at the forth coming Continental
Congress amending the constitution so
that she could legally succeed herself
for another full term. Elections were
not due until the latter part OF the
congress. so that an amendment
passed early would have circunvented
the obstacle.
Mrs. Cook, however, was obdnrate.
She accepted the compliment the re-
quest carried and explained that she
was not seeking to shirk the duties of
president general for second term.
She added, however, that such a n eve
would set a precedent which might
prove embarrassing in the future.
Since the constitution provides that
such amendment would have to be
submitted 60 days before the congress
was to meet, it is now too late to
make the change.
Other Officers Not Named.
Something almost unprecedented in
the history of the Daughters OF the
American Revolution followed, how
ever. Not a single candidate an
nounced herself for the office of presi-
dent general and the stage apparently
was all set for Mrs. Cook to succeed
herself for lack of an opponent, until
the early part of this week. Then
Mrs. Charles White Nash, State re-
gent of New York, announced her
candidacy.
Although Mrs. Nash did not follow
the time-honored custom of announc-
ing at the same time the ticket that
would run with her-that is, the
names of all national officers who
ordinarily are elected with the presi-
dent general and constitute somewhat
of a cabinet-it now is necessary for
a new ticket to be brought into the
field, and the chance of Mrs. Cook
in Office has been thorough
ly obliterated.
1t is generally believed that an lad
ministration ticket" will enter the
contest, and it probably will be an
nounced shortly before the Con-
tinental Congress meets here on April
10. Heretofore, however, that par
ticular part Of the atmosphere that
invades ID. A. r. precincts has usually
been heavily surcharged with vigorous
campaigning at time SO close to the
Continental Congress that is to select
new national ticket.
New Building Planned.
The need for this administration
ticket arises, it is understood, over
the plans that are now going steadily
ahead for the erection of the new au-
ditorium the Daughters of the Ameri.
can Revolution are to build in the rear
of their present home, Memorial Con-
tinental Hall. Mrs. Cook has been one
of the guiding spirits in that work, and
the need for her assistance is carry
ing it to completion is mentioned
everywhere in d. A. r. circles.
Among others mentioned to enter the
race is Mrs. George Wallace w. Han
gar of this city, who was defeated by
Mrs. Cook at the last election three
years ago. Mrs. Hangar has an
nounced, however, that she positively
would not be candidate this time,
and it is believed the final choice will
be a dark horse whose identity will
not become generally known until q
few days before the congress assem-
bles.
Mrs. Cook is away from Washing
ton on her final tour as president
general. BY visiting the special ses-
sions Of the society in Kentucky, Ohio
and Illinois she will have achieved the
record of having visited the State
meetings of every State in the Union,
something, it Is said, that no previous
president general has accomplished
since the society took in the entire
country.
On March 26 she will stop, too. at
oxford, Ohio, to lay the corner stone
for the Caroline Scott Harrison Me.
mortal Dormitory of Oxford College,