The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-04-16
ROOSEVELTIAN
F00TWORK HAS
C. 0. P. CROPPING
Republicans Are Confused
by Lightning-Like Moves
of President.
BY RUTH FINNEY
Times Special Writer

IL ~ ~ A-NsN6A
Times Special Writer
WASHINGTON, April 16.-Politi-
cal dust storms threaten to obscure
next months meeting Of Middle
West Republicans.
With party lines shifting as fast
and as far as Kansas topsoil, the
men who hope TO chart a course
back from political oblivion are
working under difficulties.
Their titular leader, Herbert
Hoover, is trying to sway them 10
a conservative position. At the
same time there is unmistakable
evidence that Western voters are
becoming more radical in their
views.
Senator Gerald p. Nye comedies
that Huey Long may carry his state
IL he enters the early North Da-
kota primary. So far, Middle West
ern Republicans who are mentioned
as presidential possibilities are try
ing 10 maintain a nice balance be-
tween the two schools of thought.
1t grows harder daily.
Confused by Roosevelt
Their chief trouble is that in the
political haze they can't see their
opponent. They don't know
whether President Roosevelt is to
the right of left Of them. or wheth-
er he is pre-empting the middle of
the road.
The major parties have run, be-
fore this. on platforms so much
alike that the most acute voter
could find no real differences, but
the minority party has never yet
ousted the majority crowd in any
such race.
If the President decides to make
the run veering from side to side.
the Republicans can attempt to veer
in unison-left when he's right,
right when he's left-but that is
tricky business and takes fast foot
work.
Herbert Hoover's extended confer
ences with Republican leaders in
New York and his apparent failure
TO say to any Of them that he would
refuse the nomination if it were
offered, have only thickened the
atmosphere. The conservative school,
of which he is spokesman, is in
creasingly hopeful that a radical
third party may draw enough votes
| from Mr.. Roosevelt to make a con-
servative Republican victory posi-
BILE.
Liberals Lack Candidate
On the other hand, liberal Repub-
leans are unalterably opposed to
Mr.. HoOver's nomination and to re-
organization Of the party along the
conservative lines he represents. So
far they have no candidate or plat
form around which to rally. but even
those who supported. Mr.. Roosevelt
in 1882 are becoming increasingly
dissatisfied with his Administration.
The Middle Westerners who stand
in the middle politically as well as
geographically are Senator Arthur
H. Vandenberg of Michigan, SEN
ator Luther Dickinson of Iowa
Gov. ALI Landon of Kansas and
Glenn Frank, president of Wisconsin
University.
The division Of electoral votes
among states and among districts
and the trend of ballots in the 1884
election are being studied with
minute care by all the Republican
groups.
Election Figures Puzzling
The seven North Central states,
all traditionally Republican and all
in the Roosevelt column in 1882,
presented confusing picture in
1884. and offer a more confusing pic
ture today. Four of the seven gave
Democratic candidates in 1884 a
smaller proportion of the total vote
than in 80. Three gave Republicans
a smaller proportion. -Four Demo-
cratic Governors were elected. one
Farmer-Laborite and one Republic
an. Senate seats were won by two
Democrats, one liberal Republican
and one Farmer-Laborite.
Since then thousands of west
erners have been recruited into
Townsend Plan Clubs. Share-the
Wealth Clubs and Father Cough
Inns Social Justice Union. Every
scout returning to Washington from
the West tells of growing discomfort
and impotence at the slowness of
the New Deal in improving their
conditions.
For the Republican party to try
to recruit their sentiment would
violate all its traditions. On the
other hand 1t is confronted with the
Democratic party's unprecedented
gains, last year, in the industrial
East-in Pennsylvania, Massa-
chusettS and other strongholdS of
the old Republican party.
The Western Tradition
The magazine Fortune predicted
recently. on the basis of 1884 trends,
that MIR. Roosevelt would turn in
creasingly to the right and rely on
the industrial states, with their
heavy electoral votes. rather than
the West, where third-party move
ments might draw strength away
from him.
But business journals have been
viewing Roosevelt policies with
alarm and predicting that he will
get little support in the East unless
ne draSticslly alters his course.
Republicans are following tradi-
ton, however, in attempting to re-
build their party around Middle
western nucleus. The party was born
in the West. Its first candidate for
the presidency was Fremont of
California. Its first successful
candidate was Lincoln of Illinois.