Evening star., 1934-06-07
FLETCHER BEGINS
REVAMP|NG c. O.P.
Meets Executive Committee
to Tackle Immediate
Problems.
CONTINUED From First Page)
Three Names Suggested.

the election yesterday of Chairman
Fletcher with that idea in mind.
Three Names Suggested.
II an executive director of national
headquarters is to be selected. as some
believe will be the case. three names
have already been suggested for the
Office They are John D. NJ Hamil-
ton, the new general counsel of the
National Committee and national
committeeman for Kansas; Philip w.
Collins of Chicago, who has been
prominent in American Legion affairs
and who has the backing Of George
F. Getz. also Of Chicago and treasurer
Of the National Committee. and Harri-
son E. Spangler, national committe-
man for Iowa. Chairman Fletcher
naturally will have deciding voice
in the determination of what Is to
be done along this line.
Republican National Committee
members. now leaving Chicago after
one of the most hectic meetings of the
committee in recent years, are well
pleased with the result Of their labors
Although they did not. as was hoped
by many of them. pick as the head
and forefront of their national organi-
zation a Western man. but turned to
industrial Pennsylvania for . new
chairman. they did elect a man who
has not been closely identified with
the Old Guard of the G. o. P. They
insist that Mr.. Fletcher will make an
excellent leader and look to his lead
ership with hope.
Progressives Pleased.
They were particularly pleased with
their declaration of principles of gov
eminent. to which the new chairman
has subscribed whole -heartedly. This
document satisfied the more progress
sive element especially because of its
forward looking declarations for So
ctal reforms. Three paragraphs were
quoted by the progressives with pleas
ure. These pledged the party to a
wider spread of prosperity" to re
lieving the hardships of unemploy-
ment and old age" and to avoiding
these tragic depressions," and contin-
ued:
These problems must be approach
&c in a broad, liberal and progressive
spirit, unhampered by dead formulas
or too obstinately clinging to the past
Our country has been backward in
legislation dealing with social ques-
tions. We welcome the recognition
that these questions demand attention
by Government"
Here, it was said, are declarations
Of principles that look to social bet
terment in a big way.
At the same time, the declarations
of principle insist that all reforms
must be made within the spirit and
framework of American institutions
and without the destruction of indi-
vidual freedom.
Criticisms Are Present.
The criticisms Of the Roosevelt pol
icies, while no specific acts were men
toned by name, were none the less
present in the document. If the A.
A. A. and the N. r. A. were not spe-
ciflcally denounced, it was to prevent
embarrassment to those Republican
members Of Congress who, under the
urge of supporting the recovery pro-
gram, voted for them as emergency
measures.
The third big achievement of the
committee meeting was the arrange
ment made for paying OF within the
next three months of the $206, 900
deficit OF the National Committee
coming over from the last national
campaign.
Although there was a bitter con-
test over the selection of a new ma
tional chairman. the Republicans
were able to adjust their differences
in an outwardly harmonious man.
ner. And each of the three most
prominent candidates for the chair
manship-at the close of the con-
test-were taken care of. Fletcher
became chairman. Hamilton was
elected general counsel and Walter
S. Hallanan was elected a member
Of the Executive Committee to fill
the vacancy caused by the death OF
the late David J. Mulvane of Kansas
Hallanan. who is the West Vir-
ginia national committeeman, had
the support of many of the so-called
Old Guard, although that group was
not solidly aligned behind him. The
Hoover group, headed by Walter
Brown of Ohio and Mark L Requa OF
California. was opposed to Hallanan
and favored Fletcher. provided a
Westerner satisfactory to them could
not be found. The victory of Fletcher
finally is interpreted as a victory for
the Hoover group. 1t must be ad-
mitted. however, that the Old Guard
headed by Hilles and J. Henry Rora-
back of Connecticut, readily acqui-
esced in the election of Fletcher when
the time came to fish or cut bait.
Hoover Group Held Back.
Members of the Hoover group pri-
vately said that they did not put
forward Mr.. Fletcher or any other
candidate during the preliminary
skirmishing, feeling that to do sc
might bring a hard battle. After the
election of Mr.. Fletcher. both Mr.
Hilles and Mr.. Brown declared that
the new chairman was very salts.
factory to them.
The contest has undoubtedly left
some sore spots. 1t was known that
Treasurer Getz declared that If Hal
lanan should be elected chairman
he would promptly quit as treasurer
and that he said the same thing with