Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-09
CAPITAL AWAITING
PROGRESSIVE meet
Balance of Power in Con-
greSs Held Aim of Spon-
Sors of Conference.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

with Congress ended and with the
explosive meeting Of the Democratic
National Committee over, Washington
turns this week to a third and rather
less promising event of political enter
tainment. There will be held on We'd
nesday and Thursday what is described
by its promoters as a formidable
conference" Of Progressives.
A slightly more detailed, though still
vague statement, says, in the words OF
Senator George W. Norris of Nebraska,
that the purpose is Ito get together
men who are dissatisfied with present
conditions to discuss the ideas OF eacn
as to what course should be followed.
Another Of the promoters, Senator
Robert M La Toilette Of Wisconsin,
saws that five round tables are being
organized-on unemployment and ousi-
ness sterilization, on public utilities, on
agriculture, on the tarin and on means
to promote a return to constitutional
government"
In the announcements put out there
was emphatic insistence upon mega
tive aspect of the conference. We as
sure YOU" said Senator Norris in the
original invitations, that this confer
ence is not called to form the basis for
q new party" To this Senator La Fol-
mitted to a third party idea was in
Vited"
Dewey UNLIMITED.
In further emphasis on this point an
invitation appears to have been with
held from one who might normally
have received one, Prof. John Dewey,
on the ground that Prof. Dewey had
put o faint upon his usefulness with re-
spect to this particular conference
through having identified himself pub
ncly with a movement to organize
third party.
This emphasis upon the exclusion Of
o third party as topic or q purpose OF
the meeting may possibly be explained
by the wish to procure the attendance
Of some who could hardly afford to be
involved in any third party movement.
Among those invited are five governors:
Roosevelt of New York, Pincfot of
Pennsylvania, Olson of Minnesota, La
Toilette of Wisconsin and Meier Of
Oregon.
Of the five governors thus picked out
rs beneflciaries Of invitations, at least
one, Roosevelt, would be likely to make
a considerable detour to avoid any
meeting tainted with the purpose Of
organizing a third party. Governor
Roosevelt at this moment is much too
close to the perfectly good nomination
VI . REAACCbAy AS604ot DCkl1OOAdbAS pd1b W
to jeopardize his chances by any as
ISOLATION with the unorthodox. He can
hardly afford to be seen consorting with
heretics. Indeed, even with the idea Of
q party specifically excluded, 1t Is most
unlikely that Gov. Roosevelt will find
It convenient to attend the meeting.
One suspects that Gov Roosevelt viii
be busy with the Legislature that he has
on his hands, or the children will be
home from college for their Easter
vacations, or there will be prior engage
ments Of one sort or another.
100 to Attend.
Other than the names Of these five
governors, no list of those invited has
80 far been given out. The early state
ment Of the promoters merely said that
''about 100" had been invited. Senator
La Toilette, IN radio statement Satur-
day night, made it clear that only the
invited are wanted. only those who
have been invited and accredited repre-
sentatives Of the press will be admitted"
Possibly this prudent afterthought
about the exclusion of gate crashers
may have been inspired by the ex-
perience of the meeting of the Demo-
cratic National Committee last week.
On that occasion it was the outsiders,
the gallery, and not the members of
the National Committee, who contrib
GLIDING one outbreak of kissing. which
made that meeting less decorous than
otherwise 1t might have been.
The signers Of the call for the pro-
gressive meeting include, in addition
to Senator Norris as chairman, Senator
LaFollette, Senator Cutting Of New
Mexico, Senator Wheeler Of Montana
and Senator Costigan Of Colorado. OF
these, three, Norris, La Toilette and
Cutting, are Republicans of sort
Wheeler Is a Democrat-likewise of
sort. Costigan Is new Democrat In
the Senate.
Vague and qualified newspaper state
ments say that Senator Borah, though
not associated with the organization Of
the meeting, viii attend it. It will be
interesting to see II he does. Senator
Borah ended the session of Congress
in q position sharply marked OF from
the other progressives. He voted
against the soldiers bonus bill; all the
others voted for 1t.
Seek to Rule Congress.
1t would be misinformation to lead
the public to believe that Washington
takes this coming session of progress
sives in quite the same spirit in which
1t took the meeting Of Democrats last
week. washington does not anticipate
any such clash of vital personalities
OfSL 4OIIlIudDle ana provocative Is
sue as occurred when some Democrats
proposed and other Democrats resisted
q change about the prohibition amend
ment. Washington tends to interpret
the coming meeting In terms Of self
interest on the part of the Progressives
Without doubt it is as a balance Of
power between the two parties within
Congress that the progressives visualize
their Importance. Probably It is as a
looking forward to the next session of
Congress in December that the confer
ence this week has its real meaning.
Senator La Toilette says so: I'VE will
formulate plans to force our economic
program on the attention Of the next
Congress"
The coming session Of Congress in
December Is going TO be ideal for the
insurgent fringeS of both parties. In
both the House and the Senate Repub-
hcans and Democrats are almost ex-
actly even-so nearly even that no one
can say yet which of the two parties
viii have the majorities In such sit
uation the insurgent fringe has the
maximum opportunity TO compel the