The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-01-02
NEA Service Writer.

Washington.-Uncl George w. Norris, republican senator from Nebraska. is unquestionably the most painful thorn in the side of this unhappy administration.
 And the Grand Old Party appar- ently is never going to get rid of that frightful jinx which clutches the high executive post of it's na- tional committee.
 The Ney committee Investigating senatorial campaign funds has found out that much. It certainly was a very large surprise when Executive Director Robert H. Lucas of the republican national commit tee had to admit that he had gone to unprecedented lengths In an at tempt to help the Ku Klux Klan and the power interests defeat Norris, republican primaries, and elect his democratic opponent, former Sena- tor Hitchcock.
 Previously it had appeared that Lucas would be made national chairman, succeeding Senator Sim con D. Fess of Ohio. Now it ap- pears that someone will have to be found to succeed Lucas.
 Others Topped.
 r The history of President Hoover's personal choices to head the na- tional committee seem to demon
 strate what remarkably hardy institution the g.o.p. is to sur vive and thrive despite such poli- tical leadership. His best friends no longer credit Hoover with q shred of political acumen. First there was National Chairman Hu- bert Work. personal choice for the campaign, whose resignation was demanded in the midst of the 1928 fight by some of Hoover's strongest supporters. Work was finally eased out and in came the never-to- be for gotten Claudius Huston, who flopped as a leader when he was revealed as the hero of certain lobbying financial transactions which made his election q vital necessity. The next chairman was Fess. No
 one hailed Fess as a master mind," as they had Huston. He was just a symbol of the ultimate in con- servative republicanism, personally only trouble with Fess was that he
 refused to be a mere symbol. He sought to become the party spokes-
 man and, in a election state
 ment promising that the republicans wuold be the dry party in 1882, pre- cipitated an internal wet-dry row featured by several demands for his resignation. That resignation has been anticipated no oen had eX- pected Fess to lead the big presi- dential fight in 1882.
 Another "PcrsOnaI ChOicc' Meanwhile, as if there wasn't enough trouble to be had from the national chairmanship, Hoover and the party heads created the new post of executive director for Lucas then commissioner of internal reve- nue. Lucas was supposed to supply the brains so long and sadly lacking in party direction; to do the real ef- fective work for which Fess wasn't fitted. He was another personal
 choice" and there really must have been something extraordinary about
 him, for, after careful study" oi November election results, he an nounced that they signified nothing other than vindication of the Hoo- yer administration.
 Now Lucas, in the eyes of many proves himself just another party | liability. No one need waste tears
 on the incorrigibily insurgent Norris | or defend his brand of republican, | ism to realize that:
 l. Lucas worked in the dark tC
 pay for and circulate Ku Klux Klar
 propaganda of the type with which l no politician of standing could af'
 ford to associate himself publicly. ? As directing head of the party
 In repudiation of official party poi
 icy, he secretly fought a candidate duly nominated in a primary by re. publican voters and sought the elec- ton of a democrat.
 3. He thus further alienated the progressive Republicans in the party and created a demand among them for his own resignation.
 Embarrassed Administration Also. of course. he embarrassed the administration. If Lucas hadn't