Evening star., 1933-02-16
The Political Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

The Executive Committee Of the
Republican National Committee has
been called to meet here February ~
by Chairman Everett Sanders. In the
announcement of the call Mr.. Sanders
said that the primary purpose of the
meeting would be to make plans for,
congressional elections in 1884. A
tentative program has been prepared
for submission to the Executive Com
mittee. Apparently this program goes
to the matter of organization and pub
licity. although it has not yet been
made public.
Many times there have been rumors
that a move would be made at the close
of the administration of President
Hoover to revamp the Republican Ma
tional Committee, with new chairman
in charge. The Executive Committee
could make such q change If it so
desired. Indeed. it was the Executive
Committee which finally disposed of
Claudius Huston, former chairman Of
the committee, and substituted for him
Senator Fess Of Ohio, who served as
national chairman until the Chicago
convention was held last June and Mr..
Sanders was picked to head the 1882
campaign. However, there has been no
indication given that Mr.. Sanders IN
tends to relinquish the craftsmanship
at this time, nor that a concerted
effort would be made to remove him.
It Is quite true that there has been a
lot of talk about the retirement of Mr..
Sanders. But it has been talk and little
more up to the present. Among those
who have been mentioned as possible
successors Of Chairman Sanders have
been Senator James Z. Watson, like
Sanders Hoosier, who Is retiring from
the Senate on March 4: Charles D.
Hilles of New York. vice chairman;
Gen. Edward Martin Of Pennsylvania,
Frank Knox, publisher of the Chicago
Daily News. There is an element in
the Republican party which, while not
hostile to Sanders nor determined to
GUST Mr.. Sanders if he does not take
himself out of the chairmanship, Is
enthusiastically in favor of making Mr.
Knox chairman of the G. 0. P. Com
mittee Among the Knox supporters is
Senator Vandenberg Of Michigan, for
example.
Mr.. Knox, 1t Is said, would be salts
factory to all groups in the Republican
party-although there is no definite as
Surance that he would fit in with the
views of Senator Norris of Nebraska or
Senator La Toilette Of Wisconsin. He
would, 1t Is said, be satisfactory to Pres
ident Hoover, who at one time sought
him for chairman of the committee
unless reports be incorrect, and to Sec
retarv Ogden Mills Of the Treasury.
Mr.. Knox also would be satisfactory to
Progressives who followed the late Col.
Roosevelt in 1912, for Knox was one of
the most enthusiastic Bull Moosers.
He would please, too, many Of the old
standpatters in the party, among them
Frank Hitchcock Of Arizona.
Those who are seeking to place
Knox in the Craftsmanship see no i'm
mediate change in sight. They expect
Mr.. Sanders to remain in office for
some time. There is deficit to be
paid of, and Mr.. Sanders and Treas
urer j. r. Mutt have been busy for
months with this problem and have
made considerable progress. There is
apparently no desire to appear to force
Mr.. Sanders out. That, by the way,
would be an exceedingly difficult feat,
Tor Mr.. Sanders not only has lot of
friends IN the committee, but also
considerable backing among influential
party members
Including the chairman, there are 20
members OF the Executive Committee of
the Republican National Committee, or
something less than one-fifth of the
entire membership. Among the mem
bers OF the Executive Committee are
some OF the most influential Republic
ans. Their assembly In Washington
doubtless will lead to a lot of political
gossip ranging from presidential possi-
bilities and the chairman of the Ma
tlonal Committee to policies which the
Republican members Of Congress
should pursue in the coming admins
trat1on. The members of the commit
tee In addition to Chairman Sanders
are: Ralph E. Williams, vice chair
man (ex-offcio), Oregon; Mrs. Alvin
p. Hert, vice chairman (ex-oflcio)
Kentucky; j. Henry Roraback, vice
chairman (ex-ofdcio), Connecticut;
George de B. Keim, secretary (ex-of-
nclo)' ,1eao New Jersey; J. R. Mutt. treas
Semple Birmingham, Missouri. Mark 7,
Requa, California; George A. Ball, In
dlana; Mrs. Manley L. Fosseen, Mime
sofa; Mrs: Guy p. Gannett, Maine;
Lawrence G. PhippS, Colorado: Charles
D. Hilles. New York; Earle s. Kinslev
Vermont; Harrison z. Spangler. Iowa.
Walter F. Brown, Ohio: Mrs. worth,
lngton Scranton, PENNSYLVANIA. John
Richardson, Massachusetts,: r. p
Creager, Texas; Mrs. Bertha D. Ba,Ir
Illinois
Plans are being discussed among the
Republicans on Capitol Hill for the
creation OF a Policy Committee COM
posed OF both Republican House mem
pers and Senators. Such a committee
not only would undertake to outline
poilcles Tor the Republicans in Congress-
SUBJECT, OF course, to the approval of
the q. 0. P. members in both houses
but would undertake to make important
contacts with the Republican National
Committee.
Should so-called naked repeal" of
the eighteenth amendment be voted
down in the Senate today. it will have
failed in both houses of the CONGRESS
at the present session. In the Housa
on the opening day of the session. bv
tne narrow margin OF six votes. the
Garner-sponsored resolution proposing
0A ouC iePedi oI pfonlDltlon was
defeated. The very fact that the drys
in the Senate, although they were In
shape to continue q iilibuSter against
a vote on the proposal to repeal pro
hibition, decided to permit a unanimo,ls
consent agreement for vote on the
repeal resolution at pm. today looks
rather ominous for the repealists
Should the vote be very close In the
Senate and the naked" repealists be
defeated by a narrow margin the
chances in the new Congress for
stra1ght-out repeal would appear to be
excellent. The straight-out repeal in
the House was defeated by the votes
OF lame ducks" In the next Senate
many. OF the Senators who oppose
stralght-out repeal TODAY will be sup
planted by men who will vote for such
repeal resolution.
Il
Tn IN r..