The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-01-12
ROBINSON DONS
ARMOR TO WAR
FOR 1894 VOTES
Indiana Senator ShOveS
Way Back in LimeIight
for Re- Election Drive.
BY WALKER STONE
Times stan Writer

WASHINGTON. Jan. u. - Sen
ator Arthur Robinson, who will be
the only Indiana Republican hold
ing a national elective Office after
March 4, is making medicine
preparatory to his campaign for
reelection two years hence. And
he is leaning heavily on the drys.
the veterans and the anti Reds.
The junior senator from Hoosier-
land-he will be the senior senator
within two months. when jim
Watson relnquisheS his senate seat
to Frederick Van Nuys-waS no.
ticably inactive in the senate ses-
sion which ended last July.
He seldom engaged in debate on
the senate floor He acted very
much like a man who didn't like
his job, and who would welcome
a chance to return to his private
law practice in indianapolis.
But since the opening rap of the
Vlce-PreSident's gavel last Deem
Der 5, Senator Robinson has been
a changed man. He is now very
much like he was when he first
came to the Senate-ful of vine
gar and ready for a battle.
He's in Forefront Now
He bustles about from committee
room to committee room, and is
very much in evidence in the SEN
ate chamber. He has crowded his
way back onto the front pages of
the nations newspapers.
One of the significant things
which Senator Robinson did, fore
Shadowing his new era of activity.
was to bring back to Washington a
publicity agent-A. A. Mercy, for
mer Vlncennes newspaper man.
Young Mercy was attached to
the senator's secretarial staff. TAX
ing the place made vacant by the
resignation of Mrs. George Comp
ton, wife of the senator's principal
secretary. In addition to routine
Office work, Mercy is functioning
as Senator Robinson's contact
man"
Worked in Vincennes
Mercy, in 1929 and 1880. worked
on the VincOlnes Commercial. He
was graduated from the University
OF Illinois law school in the spring
Of 1881, and in July of that year
returned to VincenneS to become
editor Of the shOrt-lved Vincennes
Times, a Republican organ, which,
unable to stand the strain of the
depression. folded up last February.
Mercy then went to Indianapo-
lis, where lie served as publicity di-
rector for The Republican state con-
trail committee in the recent-and
for the Republicans disastrous
election campaign.
The senator's first opportunity for
front-page break came in connec-
ton with his member ship on the
joint congressional committee, APP
pointed to investigate the admins
tration of veterans affairs and rec
ommend economies.
Battles for Veterans
At the first committee meeting,
Senator Robson bloomed forth as
the veterans friend" He indig-
nantly declared that the economy
pruning knife should slice not
nickel off the benefits to any of the
eX-soldiers.
Nor did he long remain on the
defensive. Employing his we'll
known strategy of attack, the sena-
tor turned his wrath on the famous
polar explorer, Richard E. Byrd,
chairman Of the national economy
committee, an organization dedicat-
ed to reduction of government ex-
perSeS.
There seems little doubt that
Senator Robinson is lholding the
war veterans of Indiana into the
backbone Of his reelection cam
paign machine.
Another group on which he I'M
doubtedly will lean heavily is the
Hcosier dry bloc of voters. Sen
atOr Robinson is one of the few men
in public life today who still in
sists on rigid maintenance of the
status quo in the prohibition situa-
ton.
He makes no concession what
ever to the rising wet sentiment,
so manifest in Indiana in the recent
election. Senator Robinson is the
darling of the drys.
Patriots Join Him
And there is another group which
! soon may be whooping it up for the
senator-the flag wavers who be-
long to such super patriotic organ
izations as the Sons Of the Amer
lean Revolution and the Daughters
Of the American Revolution
Senator Robinson is a member Of
the foreign relations committee,
which soon inevitably must con-
slider matters pertaining to the
recognition Of Soviet Russia.
The senator hates the Commun-
lists with Vengeance. He is opposed
bitterly to recognition.