Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-26
The Political Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

Oil is causing the Republican party
leaders trouble again. The Western Re-
publicans from oil-producing States are
demanding an embargo on the importa-
ton of oil, or partial embargo. The
oil business, they say has been disas-
trously hit by huge importation Of oil
from Venezuela and other countries.
There is no tariff on oil, although
bitter fight was Waged when the Smoot-
HaWley tariff bill was up for considera-
ton in an effort TO levy tariff duty.
The Republicans from the Eastern
States particularly in New England.
are declaring that If the G. o. p. stands
for an embargo on oil. forcing up the
prices of that commodity and its by
products among them gasoline. the
consuming public will rend the party in
the next election.
There have besn threats to drag the
row over oil into the Republican caucus
of the House tonight, when 1t is
planned TO pick the G.. o. P. candi-
dates for Speaker, majority leader, etc.
Some OF the Republican members from
the West have declared they will re-
main out of the caucus and not pledge
of Speaker Longworth. because the
present leadership Of the House has
opposed, or at least has not favored
strongly enough, embargo legislation
On the other hand, the New England
group has intimated that if oil legisla-
ton is to be put through, they. too
may do little boiling of their own
Notwithstanding the row, however, it is
expected that Speaker Longworth will
10 phnina nj tn
succeed himself and Majority Leader
Tilson of Connecticut will be picked to
succeed himself as floor leader of the
Republicans in the House. So narrow
is the marg of the Republicans In
excess of the Democrats in the next
Congress that a deadlock might be
brought about in the selection of a
Speaker If even few Republicans left
the reservation and put up an indie
pendent candidate for Speaker
Republicans from oil-producing States
in the West. among them Kansas.
gloomy view of the situation They
say that if the Republicans do not take
some action locking TO the relief of
the oil producers and the thousands of
farmers who have leased their land for
oil development, the G. o. p will have
trouble carrying these States and in
electing members Of Congress there
from The picture they paint, with
thousands of workers in the oil fields
out of jobs and farmers shut off from
revenue from their properties derived
from oil, is dark one. Furthermore,
they say that the Republicans promised
during the last two campaigns to do
something for the oil producers and
that they have not come through
Oklahoma is regarded as already gone
from the Republican list of States in
the next election and Kansas is wob-
bling. The oil production of Kansas
is in excess in value of the wheat crop
in that State. The trouble in the Re-
publican ranks of the House was ac-
centuated the other day when the
Ways and Means Committee voted
down the embargo proposal and it was
found that only one Republican was
listed as supporting it.
Efforts are under way today to bring
about some kind of a compromise on
the embargo plan which can be hurried
into the House and to the Senate be-
fore Congress adjourns March f. Even
if it passed the House. however, oppo-
sltion in the Senate might easily block
a vote there. II looks as though the
next Congress meets, when further eff
forts will be made to give the oil-pro-
duclng States of the West some relief.
Big Bill Thompson has been re-
nominated by the Republicans for
mayor OF Chicago. This was expected.
The opposition had been split, with two
we'll backed candidates for a third Can
didate with little backing in the pri-
mary race against big Bill" 1t was
the old game of dividing the enemy,
so familiar in the politics of this coun-
try. The one hope of the Thompson
opposition today lies in a straightout
night between the mayor and Tony"
Cermack, the Democratic nominee and
leader in Chicago. Scarcely had the
results OF the primary been published,
however, when a Peoples Non-Par-
tisan" nomination for mayor was sug-
gested, and the name of Herman N.
BundeSen, coroner of Cook County, was
filed as the candidate for MAYOR. Such
a ticket would be playing right into
the hands of big Bill" Robert Isham
Randolph, president of the Chicago As
ISOLATION of Commerce, Immediately
issued an appeal to Bundesen not to
run on the ground that the only hope
of defeating Thompson for reelection
was not to split his opposition in the
Withdraw and not be a candidate.
Big Bills reelection as mayor will
mean he Is top dog in Republican poll
tics in Chicago. He will certainly strive
to be the State leader as well. Bv
playing the game during the last year,
the mayor has succeeded in dumping
f1rst his old enemy, Senator Deneen.
and then Mrs. Ruth Hanna Mccormick,
who was nominated for the Senate on
the Republican ticket with the aid of
the Thompson forces. The only hope
of eliminating the mayor appears to
lie in the chances of electing Cermack.
Cermack Is another hard-boiled poll
tician, president of the Cook County
Board. There are plenty of Republi-
can voters in Chicago, however who
would be willing TO vote for Cermack
II they were sure by so doing thew
could get rid of Thompson. Chicago
turned in big vote for Senator elect
James Hamilton Lewis, Democrat, in
the senatorial election last Fall. OF
course, many of these voters were
thompson adherents, out to defeat
Mrs. Mccormick. Nevertheless. Chi
cago has elected Democratic mayors in
the past; the last one, Dever, defeated |
Thompson.
The Nye Senate Campaign Investi- |
eating Committee is on the verge of
making a report to the Senate on the
senatorial and primary elections in
Pennsylvania and Nebraska, it is re-
ported today. 1t has been on the verge
of doing so for weeks. But there is a |
definite plan on foot to bring about |
report on the Pennsylvania election or
else motion to discharge the commit |
tee from further consideration of that |
matter. it is understood. Senator James |
j. Davis of Pennsylvania, Republican, |
was seated when the present session of |
Congress- Onened At the time IL .uns