Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-02
CAMPAIGN REEVES
HUSTON RUMORS
Present Chairman of G. o. P.
May Give Place to Ralph
Williams, His Assistant.

Politics fared forth here yesterday as
the campaign for senatorial and con-
gressional reflections came nearer, to-
gether with the end Of President Hoo
ver's first year in ONCE.
This situation revived reports that
Claudius H Huston of Tennessee, chair
man of the Republican national COM
mittee, was on the verge Of yielding his
position to Ralph williams Of Oregon,
vice chairman. Democrats and some
insurgent Republicans sought to place
the Hoover administrators flrst-year
record in the red" politically, with the
campaign in view. The accomplish
mentS of the administration which are
not all political or legislative were 1g-
nored by the critics, among them SEN
ator Robert M. La Toilette, who dis
tributed a first-year review of the ad-
ministration, which he is publishing in
the Progressive, his own magazine.
The reports that Mr.. Huston Is about
to give up the national committee
leadership ghost were not borne out
anywhere Mr.. Huston was not in
Washington today, but Vice Chairman
williams, here en- route to New YORK
on business and personal matters, de-
MED any knowledge of Mr.. HuStons al
legged intentions to quit.
No Rift Between Them.
The White House made it plain that
there is no rift between the national
chairman and the President.
Senator T. H. Caraway, Democrat, Of
Arkansas, chairman Of the Senate
lobby committee, announced today that
he intends to call Mr.. Huston to the
stand within the next two weeks" to
testify regarding the affairs of the Ten
nessee River Improvement Association,
of which he was chairman before he
became head of the Republican ma
tional committee.
Mr.. Huston's friends: however, among
them Vice Chairman Williams, affirmed
that he Is not the kind of a man to
resign under fire." especially since the
fire is being built by the Senate lobby
committee, which has but one regular
Republican in its membership of five.
White House support of Mr.. Huston,
together with the political aspects of
the attacks upon him, weigh against
the probability Of his resignation.
Though this was considered remote
In Republican circles generally here, il
was stated, however, that should the
chairman for any reason seek to leave
his position, the committee leadership
would fall automatically into the COM
petent hands of Mr.. Williams.
TiIson For Williams.
Representative John c. Tilson, Re-
publican, of Connecticut, floor leader in
the House. expressed the opinion yes
terday that Mr.. Williams is the finest
t.pe of politician, able and with the
best interests Of the Republican party
a. heart"
It have not heard anything about
his taxing over the active chairman
r'>ip Just now, but he would make a
fIue national committee head" said the
House leader.
Correspondence brought before the
Senate lobby committee has represented
Mr.. Huston as urging the lease of
Muscle Shoals to the Cyanamid Co.
Previously, however, to this company's
offer. Mr.. Huston'S organization urged
the lease of Muscle Shoals to Henry
Ford, and has, 1t is shown, always de-
manded private operation of the Ala
bama water power and fertilizer
project.
The majority of the lobby committee
two Democrats and two insurgent Re-
publicans-is openly sympathetic to the
principle of Government operation in
relation to Muscle Shoals. Correspond
ence found in the files of the Tennessee
River Improvement Association show
that while Mr.. Huston, as national COM
mittee chairman, was still paSsively in
terested in Muscle Shoals, he was not
DESTROYS Of using his influence in such
q way that he might be put in a
position Of being called before the lobby
committee.
Faith in Explanation.
What he desired to avoid, however,
followed due to this correspondence
and 1t Is believed by Mr.. Illusions
friends that his explanation when called
before the committee will serve to clear
his position and make clear that bring
ing his name into the investigation was
mainly for the purpose of embarrassing
the Hoover administration at a time
when the Norris bill for Government
ownership Of the power project is pend
ing In the Senate.
Senator La Foiiette's attack on the
administration revolved around the
tariff, farm relief, power matters, ap-
pointmentS, unemployment, the London
Naval Conference and Haiti, most OF
which are still in a state of flux and
his review" in the opinion of many
regular Republicans is not review ex-
cept In the inverse political sense.
President Hoover has supported the Old
Guard in seeking high tariff rates. He
devotes considerable space to this fea-
ture Of the article which is under his
name. He defends the work of the
Democratic inSurgent coalition on the
tariff and says that the reports the
President is backing this coalition in
the tariff struggle are not borne out by
the logic of the situation and that
NH fNn haE lNf
his views on rates his course has been
such as to show that he approved Of
the Old Guard policy Of increased rates.
Refers to COalItiO.
Senator La Toilette, referring to the
fact the Kansas City Star in a recent
article said the President was support
ing the efforts of the coalition of
Democrats and insurgents, declares
''the time Is not far distant when the
Executive must show his hand"
The bill viii pass the Senate in the
next week or so and will go to confer
ence," he adds. THE members Of the
conference committee representing the
House will be administration followers.
They must decide whether they will
contend for the House bill, which Vio-
lated the Presidents campaign pledges
to agriculture, or whether they will ac-
cept the amendments made by the
coalition in the Senate scaling down
the increases in industrial rates over
the 1922 law and granting justiflable
increases on farm products"
On matters of foreig1: policy, Senator
La Toilette touched the London Naval
Conference and Haiti. He predicted
the Naval Conference will add heavily
10 the burdens of the American people
instead Of resulting in comprehensive
disarmament program.
Rail OFFICIAL 6 PROBE