Evening star., 1931-12-17
ThePolitical Mill
BY C.. Gould Lincoln.


Of the selection Of delegates to tn,
national party conventions, it looks a
though the Democrats would be com
PEELED to hold their national conventio,
after that of the Republicans. O
simultaneously. Roy o. West, Repub
lican national committeeman for Illinoi
and chairman OF the subcommittee O,
call for the convention, In announcin,
the selection Of June IA for the Repuh
lican convention, explained that Idah,
would not get through picking its dele
gates to the national convention unit
June 10. 1t Is not expected that tn,
Democrats will undertake to hold !
national convention at the same tim,
me Hepunhcans are meeting In Chicago
Chicago, by the way, Is the most serio,,,
oloder Ior national conventions thi,
year, both Republican and Democratic
tnat has vet come forward. It has thu
cash, apparently, and is willing to spenc
IL. davmg obtained the Republican
convention, its representatives are
intent ON bringing the Democrats tc
the Windy City. ~
Usually the Democratic National Con.
Vention has followed that of the Re-.
puhlicans. The Republicans qet the
lump on the Democrats in this matte,
by having their National Committee
meet In December to select a date fo1
tnelr convention, while the Democrats
wait until later. as this year. The
Democratic National Committee is
scheduled to meet here January 9
Ihey have the country to select from
IN The matter of a convention citv
Ihere was talk at one time that Kansa
CITY might make strong bid for the
Democratlc convention, particularly as
that Is the home of Jouett Shouse
chairman OF the Democratic Executive
Committee, and Mr.. Shouse had much
TO do with bringing the Republican
National Convention to the Missouri City
IN 1879. But recent reports from
Kansas City indicate that no active
orlVe Tor the Democratic National Con-
vention Is likely to be made. In 1924
tne democrats went to New York and
Madison Square Garden for their ma
tional gathering, and In 1928 to Hous-
ton, Tex. San Francisco was the con-
vention city in 1920. 1t would appear
to be the turn Of the Middle west to
stage Democratic National Convention
In addition to Chicago, there are De-
troit, Cleveland and St. Louis which
might make active bids to have the
Democratic convention. Cleveland Is
the home Of one Of the men most often
discussed as presidential possibility
OF the Democratic party, Newton D.
Baker. But II the attitude of these
cities toward the Republican convention
is any criterion Of their attitude toward
the Democratic, they are not likely to
make much OF campaign for the
Democratic meeting Atlantic City may
get busy fof the Democratic convention
having failed to land the Republican
1t may match the Chicago money bid
San Francisco is reported getting ready
to make considerable financial offer
to the Democrats But in well in
formed Democratic circles it is not con-
sidered likely that the Democrats will
undertake to go so far as California for
their convention this year, nor that
they will 60 to Atlaptic City.
II the Democrats undertake to meet
prior to the Republicans in national
convention, they will have to open
their convention the first week in
June. and without delegates from the
State of Idaho. A new primary law
enacted by the Idaho Legislature, pro-
vides that the party primaries are tc
be held the fourth Tuesday in May
and that ofIicers elected at these pri-
rlaries are to hold a platform con
vention and elect delegates to the
national political conventions not
sooner than 16 days after the pri-
maries. This year the fourth Tuesday
in May is May "a. Sixteen days later
would bring the conventions for the
election CT delegates to the Republican
and Democratic National Conventions
on June 10.
The Republican national committee
men and committc 2vcnen went homa
after their meeting here Tuesday and
yesterday in better spirits There is
no use seeking to disguise the fact
that many Of them came to Washing
ton down in the mouth and fearful of
the campaign next year. Secretary
Hurley of the War Department helped
to raise their spirits yesterday when
he delivered a brisk attack on the
nti-administration forces, particularly
the Democrats and those financial and
industrial operators who have sup
ported the G. o. P. in the past. but
have turned away because of their
losses since the depression. Mr.. Hur-
ley. talking of the debts to this coun-
try and the charges made in Demo-
cratic quarters that the Hoover ad-
ministration was entangling this coun-
try abroad, said that the billions of
dollars owed this country was loaned
to foreign nations by Democratic
administration. He added that only
the Republicans had prevented the
country from going into the League
OF Nations and the cancellation of
the debts.
Mr.. Hurley took a shot at the de-
tractors OF President Hoover, saying
mat In this period of depression the
oniy market which has kept up has
oeen the market for anonymous lies
about the President of the United
States
The Republican National Commit
zee meeting was harmonious Every
thlng clicked in time like a we'll oiled
machine. The program of the leaders
was put through without an opposing
voice. Prohibition was talked about in
private. but was avoided in meetings
OF the National Committee. This does
not mean, however the Republican
vets intend to let the matter drop
They will carry the liquor question to
tne national convention, where they
Will enter pleas before the Committee
on resolutions, which drafts the party
platform, and to the convention floor,
II necessary, they say. The formation
Yesterday OF wet bloc among the Re-
publlcans of the House, with Repre-
sentative James M. Beck of Pennsyl-
Vanla at its head, is evidence that the
wet Republicans propose to become
more and more militant. The new
pioc has so far 81 members out of 214
Republican members of the House.
Inc l50 who have not joined the wet
oioc are presumably dry, though the
vets nope to add new members to their
oloc during the present session. The
eHorts OF the vets to dominate the Re-
publican party still look like the tail
trying 10 Wag the dog.
Attempts are being made to persuade
PRESIDENT Hoover to stand for refer
endum proposal on national prohibi-
tlon, to be submitted to the American
people by the Congress. Some of the
members of the National Committee