Evening star., 1935-04-21
Plan Agreed Upon at Lunch
con to William Allen
White at Capitol.
FLETCHER SEES REVIVAL
OF INTEREST IN PARTY
Senator vandenberg Advises
Against Early Discussion of
Presidential Candidates.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Republican regional conferences. to
stimulate party activity and to lay the
for the national campaign
next year, were heartily Endorsed by
leading Republicans from the East
and West at a luncheon given yester-
day at the Capitol in honor of the
Republican sage and veteran editor,
William Allen White of Kansas.
The roster of guests at the lunch
con, which was given by Representa-
tives u S. Guyer and Clifford r.
Hope of Kansas. included several Re-
publicanS who have been prominently
mentioned as presidential possibili-
ties" the chairman of the Republican
National Committee, Henry P. Fletcher
of Pennsylvania; former Vice Presi-
dent Charles Curtis of Kansas. the
chairman of the Republican Congress
sional Committee, Representative
Chester c. Bolton Of Ohio and Gov.
Harry w. Nice Of Maryland. Among
the presidential possibilities were Sem
ator Arthur H Vandenberg of Michi-
gan, Senator Charles L. McNary of
Oregon. Republican leader of the Sem
ate; Senator William E. Borah Of
Idaho. Senator L. J. Dickinson of
Iowa and Representative Bertrand H.
Smell of New York, minority leader of
the House.
Agree on Major Points.
There was general agreement that
there should be no early commitments
to candidates for the presidential
nomination and that the writing of
the Republican platform Of 1886 also
should be delayed until next year.
The idea expressed was that the plat
form should be written in the light
of the conditions confronting the
country next year and what the
Democratic administration does or
does not do.
Mr.. White. while disclaiming respon-
sibility for the origin OF the proposed
Midwest Regional Republican Con-
ference slated for May, gave his ideas
of what the conference should seek
to accomplish. He strongly urged
party unity and that young Republic
ans should play prominent part in
the deliberations. He even went so far
as to suggest that the conference
might be confined to Republicans un-
der so years Of age.
New England Represented.
New England was represented at
the luncheon by Joseph w. Martin,
Representative from Massachusetts,,
and Ralph o. Brewster, Representa-
tive from Maine. New England, by the
way, Is to hold the first Republican
regional conference in Boston the end
of April.
Chairman Fletcher welcomed the
idea of the regional conferences. He
said that the idea had not come from
headquarters but had come from
the grass roots" a sign of revival of
party interest. Mr.. Fletcher said that
the national committee would place
anything it has at the disposal of the
conferences.
Senator Dickinson. speaking in a
militant vein, declared that it was
never too early to challenge a wrong"
that it was time to call a spade a
spade, and that 80 per cent of the
time should be taken up pointing out
the fallacies of the New Deal
I'VE must assure the country" he
said, that those things which are
being done under the New Deal will
be changed. The contest of tomor-
row will be between State economy
and Federal socialism"
Middle Ground Urged.
Representative Smell said that he
was willing to go "two-thirds of the
way" on any program that the Re
publicans can get together on.
I'VE can't elect q conservative or
q radical Republican national ticket
next year." said Mr.. Smell. I'VE will
have to get into the middle of the
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