Evening star., 1936-05-16

N OF FedeTQL architects at the
Star staff Photo.
publicity man-Mrs. Grove and Mr..
Buchanan.
RUT along came John J. Raskob to
put it in the money. It has been
ever since such an industry as would
almost entitle it to be a member of our
Board Of Trade. At present it EN-.
ploys more than 100 persons, 90 per
cent of them engaged in clerical work
that is, the tipping and mimeograph.
ing of the ideas which come from the
master minds. They even have an
overflow Office now over in the Adams
Building, across on F street. It was
here that the assembled typists had
some trouble with Miss Frances
Robinson, the trusty secretary to Hugh
johnson, who complained about their
using the wash room too Much, and
they, in turn, complained about her
cooking onions for the general. This
organization does not embrace the
obviously New Deal organization in
the Munsey Building, headed by DR..
Stanley High, who is head of the Good
Neighbor Non-Partisan League, and
where the latest New Deal literary
production, a mx gazine called the
Roosevelt Record, IS prepared.
But to get back to the Offices in
the Press Building and those of the
overflow in the Adams Building-here
is industry at its highest pitch. A
New Dealer makes a speech. 1t must
be mimeographed and made available
to all the correspondents in town. and
there are. some 500. Maybe 1t Is
considered worthy of being put in
pamphlet form. Charlie Michelson's
scouts are roaming around all over
town. They come in with an idea.
Maybe 1t Is of kind that should be
sprung by New Deal Senator. It Is
written up and prepared for him. The
Senator springs it on the Senate floor.
where there are newspaper men just
hungry for something like it. But in
the event some of them were not pres
ent, there will be messenger boy
soon sticking something in the slot
Of their doors. There are the broad
casts to be made. Each committee
has broadcasting department. In
the case of the Democrats, Mr.. Roose-
welt is the ace broadcaster. But there
are broadcaSts to be made by Senators,
and in the case of the Republicans.
by prominent Republicans who are
outside of the Senate.
THERE is the matter Of buying
ideas. plans and ribbons and but
tons. Everybody, apparently with
something to sell, wants to sell it to
either the Democrats or the Repub-
hcans. And there are an amazing
number of people, who, notwith-
standing that this has been described
as q matter of America being at the
crossroads, are entirely neutral on the
subject, and who will sell to either
headquarters. They aren't bad pros.
poets, either. They buy lot Of things.
One thing that is not generally un.
derstood is that a political committee
is more careful on a scandal" or q
disclosure" than reporter might be.
Each committee wants its dynamite.
but it has a horror Of something
bounding back on it.
The Republican Committee has
never appeared to be quite as afiuent
as the Democratic since John Raskob
first appeared on the scene. It did
not seem so in the battle of 1928, 1882
and it has not as much personnel to-
day.
It was only recently that it began
to take on activity, in fact. For
long time, after the 1892 campaign,
Chairman Fletcher was something Of
an oddity, in that he was the only
working Republican to be seen. He
was pointed out on parties. and the
New Dealers, who had overrun the
town, looked at him as II he were some
prehistoric animal.
Yet he was OCCUPYING that ofice In
the Barr Building on the fourth floor
overlooking Seventeenth street all the
time. This headquarters has bios.
somed out now, however. 1t takes up
all of the fourth floor, has spread onto
another floor, and its research stan is
quartered on Jackson place.
IT IS in the Barr Building that the
Republican Committee frankly ad.
mits publishing magazine called
"On Our Way" of which the Demo-
Gratis Roosevelt Record" is considered
. counterpart. Chairman F1etcher's
idea was to be frank and earnest about
the campaign and not seek to dis
guise his activities under any mon.
partisan" organization.
Both outfits, incidentally. get out .
magazine for the women. The Repub-
hcans also get out one for the Young
Republicans. The Democrats do this,
too, but then again they say 1t is
financed separately from the National
Committee.