Evening star., 1935-09-15
BY ROBERT CRAWFORD.

The headquarters Of the National
Republican Committee in Washington
surely looked like a debutanteS party
the other afternoon. There were
gorgeous flowers everywhere, even on
the desk of the national chairman,
Mr.. Henry Prather Fletcher of Penn
sylvania - Senator Guffey's strong
hold. There was an atmosphere Of
life, cheerfulness, hope, expectancy
about the elegant quarters of the Re-
publican party. Something inviting
Just walk right in, you are welcome.
Mr. Fletcher was in conference. He
Is usually there these days. Lawyer,
soldier and diplomat, there are few
men in American public life today
Who have had his varied experience
in all parts of the world and who
enjoy his wide acquaintance in all
parts Of the United States. With that
savoir faire that comes from years
Of service in the diplomatic corps in
Cuba, China, Portugal. Chile, Italy,
his manners are charming as well as
convincing, for there is still touch
Of the soldier about him; earnest, a
campaign to be pursued to a finish,
his forces rallied for the attack and
the final rounding up. This time the
campaign is the Republican presiden-
tial activities in 1886. 1t will be re-
,nembered that Mr.. Fletcher was a
private in Col Theodore Roosevelt's
Rough Riders Cavalry, in the Span
ish-Cuban War in 1898; a first lieu
tenant and battalion adjutant in the
40th United States Volunteer In
fantry, serving in the Philippines. He
IS a lawyer of distinction and men,
Der of the American Society of In
ternational Law. And what have
You.
But Mr.. Fletcher is stealing the
show, for this was to be story about
Mrs. Robert Lincoln Hoyal. director
of the women's division OF the Re-
publican National Committee. When
Mr.. Fletcher was looking around a
bit he bethought him of this Re-
publican national committeewoman
for the State of Arizona, that Demo-
cratic fastness of Senator AshurSt, the
lovely Isabella Greenway and Mr..
Lewis w. Douglas, sometime director
Of the budget. In passing it may be
said that Mrs. Royals home town is
named for the family of Mr. Douglas; !;
there is, however. nothing in a name
when it comes to her politics, for she
has been a politician since she was
a small child and went campaigning
with her grandfather and father, Mr..
Evans, both of whom we're leaders in
the party in Kansas and Iowa. Back
in 1928 she was a presidential elector
and carried Arizona's electoral vote
to Washington.
Mrs. Hoyal was a member of the
Speakers Bureau of the National
Committee in 1882 and campaigned for
President Hoover. She does not con-
fine her activities to her own sex,
for she was member of the Executive
Committee of the Republican Mems
City Organization Of Douglas for many
years.
The director of the women's divi-
sion also had large bouquet of red,
white and pink dahlias, on her desk
and in spite of her mannish activities
her Office was pre-eminently a wom-
ans Sanctum. A feminine atmos-
phere mingled with the sordid busi-
ness aspects of the room.
The first thing that impresses one
on meeting Mrs. Hoyal is her bouancy,
her enthusiasm, her absolute belief
that it is the women Of the country
who are to be the salvation of her
party in 1886. To her this is woman S
year in the year of our Lord 1885.
when she must organize her forces, lay
out her plans and reach women in
every walk of life and in every activ-
ity. Notwithstanding the recognition
in higher positions that has been
given women by the present admins
tration-the finest they have ever re-
ceived-Mrs. Hoyal believes that the
time has arrived when there should
be no discrimination on account of
eek She and her husband Mr. HnvaI