Evening star., 1935-11-10


their more than 3-to-1 con-
- troll of the House, do not see
how they are going to lose more than
few seats and confidently expect to
take several districts that have long
been under Republican control This
| is the conclusion Of Representative
Patrick H. Drewry, chairman of the
Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee. after a series of confer
ences covering a careful survey of
the entire country.
The Republicans have no chance
in the world of breaking into the
solid South"-is the positive declara-
| ton of Chairman Drewry to reports
from Republican quarters that they
have good expectations in Florida,
North Carolina and possibly other
| Southern States.
He admits that New England pre-
sents a more troublesome situation
| than in many yearS-"There is more
talk against the New Deal there than
| anywhere else" he says Even there
he is counting on capturing three or
four seats now held by Republicans.
Illinois, Indiana, Kansas. Michigan,
Minnesota and Wisconsin are among
the States where the Democratic COM
mittee looks for the hardest fighting
Highly Contested Districts.
Chairman Drewry's survey shows
that there were 33 districts in the
last election which were carried by
less than 5000 votes. Twenty of these
were won by Democrats and 13 by
Republicans. He figures these as dis
tricts which should be highly con-
tested" expresses positive conviction
that the Democratic will win a ma
| jority of these. Just now he is having
a special study made of the condi-
tions in each of these 80 districts. Of
| the 20 held by Democrats Representa-
tive James A. Stanley, in the third
Connecticut district, had the biggest
ma 062, and Representative
Fred ]. Sisson, in the thirty-third
New York. had only the scant ma
jority of 252. The other close dis
tricts held by Democrats are: Twelfth
and fifteenth California, twenty-1rst
! and twenty fourth Illinois, third and
sixth Indiana, third Kansas, fourth,
Kentucky. first Maine, sixth Mary
! land, third Massa achuSetts, fourteenth
Ohio. fourth. sixth, ninth and fif-
teenth Pennsylvania; fourth West
Virginia and twelfth Michigan. OF
| the l3 close districts held by Re
publicans Representative Leslie c.
| Arends, in the seventeenth Illinois,
had the largest majority Of 2,e31,
while Representative Vito Marcan-
tonic, in the twentieth New York, had
the smallest, 247. The other close
districts held by Republicans are
second Connecticut. thirteenth Illi-
nois, second and sixth Kansas, third
Maine: second, fifth and ninth Mich |
igan. second and eleventh New Jersey |
and third Oregon. Chairman Drewry /
points out that when the veteran Re-
publican Representative Isaac Bach !
arach. with record of % years con- |
tinuouS service, won out by only l.08l |
votes in the second New Jersey dis !
trict, that is significant of an op- !
portunity for change. 1t is on
such districts that the Democrats
plan to make their strongest offensive.
However, the Democratic campaign
will be largely defensive rather than
offensive-endeavori to hold onto
all they have.
Explanation of Situation.
Fresh from conferences with Speaker
Byrns, whom he succeeds as chair
man of the Congressional Campaign
Committee, and with other party
leaders in laying out defensive plans,
Representative Drewry explains the
situation like this: The Republican
Congressional Committee seems to be
taking shot at the President and the
presidential situation rather than
going after their special job of elect
ing members of Congress. I look on
the work of my committee as being
a job to look after the election and
reelection of a Democratic Congress.
There is no reason why our commit
tee should encroach on the special
| field of the Democratic National Com
mittee or the Senatorial Committee
each has its own function or duty. and
mine is to hold a Democratic ma jority
in the House. We are not going to
| try t. educate the country through
Nationwide radio hook-upS. We are
working to help each candidate for
the House to win in his own district.
"" are getting together our ammuni-
ton for the big scrap next year
getting our records in shape-being
prepared to meet and repulse any at
tack.
Il feel that the Democrats are
splendidly entrenched behind the
breastworks-and We are going to stay
there. There is no reason to rush out
in the open and make marks of our
selves for the other side. We are en-
trencheH and will make them come
to us. Thus far We have remained
| Q2:et under fire-we are not wasting
our ammunition on pot shots. But we
will be prepared for their sharpshoot-
ers all along the line. We are trying
to keep from being spectacular.
Each of the 435 districts will be
under supervision of the Democratic
Congressional Committee and we will
give each and every Democratic can
didate for the House all the help we
can. We will be prepared to answer
any attack or any charges that are
made, but we are not making replies to
provocative statements by Represent
atives Fish, Smell, Bolton and others,
| designed to draw our fire. Those
statements haven't hurt us any and
feel they have fallen fiat That seems
to me to be proof of our good strategy
] in waiting.
Scraps Outside Field.
I'VE are not interested in before
the-primaries scraps. That is outside
of our field. However. we will encour-
age the local committees to see that
strong candidates are put up in each
district. We will not start our cam
paign until after the first of the year.
Thus far we have been well pleased to
let them waste their fire and disclose
their position. At the proper time we