The Washington times., 1931-08-17
SET To. DRIVE
FOR EXTRA
SESSION
Insurgents Gird For Battle
With Farm Relief, Power,
Unemployment. as Issues
BY WILLIAM c. MURPHY, Jr.

Ou0HIPtVyUIShA" 90 lSSNS~
BY WILLIAM C. MURPHY, Jr.
The Progressive wing Of the
Republican party is organizing
an attempt to prevent the re-
nomination of President Hoover
in 1882.
Beginning about the time of
The Progressive conference held
here last March, the movement
has been carried on quietly by
progressive Republicans in, and
out of Congress and has now
reached the stage where it may
be expected to take definite pub
lie shape soon.
So far, the movement Is en-
tirely negative in q. political
sense. 1t is anti.HOOver but has
not crystalIized into support for
any other potential candidate,
nor is it likely to do 50 If some
Of its more influential partici-
pants have their way. I'D.
This aspect of the movement
was illustrated by the Detroit
speech Of Gov. Clifford Pinchot
Of Pennsylvania, in which he
demanded a huge government
loan for unemployment relief and
added that his proposal was not
10 be considered bid for the
Republican Presidential nomina-
tfon.
Three Major Weapons
Aid for the unemployed, water
power, and farm relief are the
three major weapons in the Pro
gresSive arsenal.
The PinchOt speech might be
considered the opening gun in the
Progressive offensive, but the real
attack Is to be . concerted de-
mand for an extra session OF
Congress
This demand, now being formu-
lated, will be predicated on the
asserted necessity of action to re-
ljeve the unemployed and allevi-
ate the difficulties Of agriculture
before the regular December
session. :.
Word coming from Admins
Erati0Yi sources is that the PreSi-
dent is opposed to an early extra
session. although there is some
reason for believing he might
be willing to call Congress a few
weeks ahead Of time to insure
action on his war debts mora
Itorium proposal before December
Is, when the next debt pay.
mentS to the United States are
due.
Appeal to Public
Proponents of the extra ses-
sion. if the President refuses to
yield, plan an appeal to public
opinion, in which Mr.. Hoover may
be represented as blocking needed
relief measures.
Members of the Progressive
group are gathering information
and statistics to reinforce their
assertions that emphatic action
by the Federal Government is
required.
President Hoover has repeated
" indicated determined opposi-
tion to anything Smacking Of
what Administration spokeSmen
have characterized as a "dole"
from the Federal treasury for the
unemployed. Likewise, he is on
record as opposed to the export
debenture or equalization fee
plans for farm relief.
The water-power issue is to be
raised by a driN for enactment
of the Norris bill for Government
operation of Muscle Shoals-an-
other project which the Prest-
dent opposes.
FavOrite Son Strategy
The question of translating the
sentiment aroused by these legis-
lative proposals into anti-Hoover
votes in the mex Republican con-
vention is one that is still un'
solved.
One suggestion has been for
o group Of PrOgreSsives to enter
Gae Presidential primaries or
nominating conventions in their
respective States as favOrite son
candidates, PinchOt in PennsyL
Yania and Norris in Nebraska,
for examples.
According to this suggestion,
the "favorite son" delegations in
the aggregate would constitute a
considerable pool of anti.Hoover
votes. which could be released at
q strategic moment to some can
didate more acceptable to the
ProgressiveS generally. sr ..
An apparent lack of this hypo-
thetical candidate is one of the
objections urged against this
plan. Another is that a group
of old guard Senators tried it
with small success in 1928.
-Four Banks Closed