Evening star., 1936-12-05
HAMILTON BACKED
FOR REELECTION
G. O. P. Chairman, Asking
Vote of Confidence, Proved
Worth, Says CoIIaday.
~ the Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
Supporters rallied around John D.
M. Hamilton today in an effort to
keep him in the post Of Republican
national chairman despite his offer to
step out
Hamilton, who managed the Landon
campaign. announced he would offer
his resignation to the party,s National
Committee in Chicago December II.
His statement implied, however. that
he would remain II given . vote Of
confidence.
Several national committeeman spoke
out in favor Of keeping Hamilton at
the party helm. though some others,
including the veteran ]. Henry Rora-
back Of Connecticut and Charles D.
Hilles Of New York reserved comment.
There has been some sentiment for
q new chairman since the Roosevelt
landslide, but Hamilton's friends hoped
the committee would request him to
stay on.
e. F. Colladay. national committee
man for the District. quickly rallied
to Hamilton's support, urging that he
be kept in command"
Il think Hamilton should be given
q vote of confidence and reelected
unanimously" Colladay said.
Campaign Job Commended.
He is entitled to it, because nobody
could have done the job better under
the circumstances Of the last cam.
paign."
Colladay was supported by Mrs. Vir-
ginia White Speel, national commit
teewoman for the District, who said
acceptance Of Hamiltons resignation
would be a piece Of great ingrati-
tude."
Hamilton tried to do in four and
a half months what Jim Farley had
done in four years." she said. He
really accomplished q splendid job. and
it would show q grave lack of appre-
citation to let him 60. most ardently
hope he is reelected"
Vice Chairman Ralph E. Williams
of Portland, Oreg.. predicted Hamil-
ton would be retained.
Hamilton did the best that could
be done in the recent campaign" he
said. II don't know Of any feeling
against him in the committee"
State Senator G. Mason Owlett,
Pennsylvania committeeman, said he
favored Hamilton unless it can be
demonstrated some one else can do q
better job"
Among others urging his retention
we're the committeeman from Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island, Illinois, Ne
braska, California, Arizona. Montana,
Tennessee and Maine. Mrs. Sidney
Brown, Florida committeewoman, said
she would support him.
Hamilton indicated he wanted an
expression from the committee as to
the management of the past cam
paign. He said he could not con-
tinue as chairman without an express
sion of confidence.
In any case, he said, he would ap-
ply "whole-hearted effort" to wiping
out the party's 1900, 900 deficit.
Friends Of Hamilton said he first
mentioned resigning in Chicago two
days after the Roosevelt landslide
The decision to offer to step out
crystallized about two weeks ago. it
was said, before Representative Fish,
Republican. of New York demanded
that Hamilton go as a first move for
liberalization" of the party.
Whether he had discussed the ques-
ton with Gov. ALI M. Landon was not
known. Sources in touch with Hamil-
ton said, however, that he definitely
had not spoken of the matter with any
committee member and would not do
so until the meeting.
When his announcement was given
out here the energetic young chairman
was enjoying fishing vacation at
Hobe Sound, Fla.
II the resignation is accepted the
choice of a chairman will devolve on
the committee. The successor need
not be member Of the committee.