Evening star., 1936-12-17
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

will decide whether they wish red
headed John Hamilton to continue as
the committees chairman. Unless there
Is an unforeseen and unexpected silent
vote against Hamilton, it is believed he
will be retained and the committee will
turn down his proposal to resign. 1t is
true that he was the generalissimo of
the party in its heaviest defeat. It is
equally true that any other chairman,
in all probability, would have suffered
the same kind of defeat this year. Ham,
ilton is youthful-as national chairmen
go. He is vigorous and a good speaker.
He put lot OF ginger into the Organiza-
tion during MS tenure OF office. If he
holds ON as chairman, he may be ex-
pected to do much more.
Representative Hamilton Fish of New
York, outspoken critic of Hamilton and
early in his demand for removal of the
Kansan and the election of new chair
man, is in Chicago and ready to bring
his fight into the meeting OF the COM
mittee, which 1t is understood he will
attend as a proxy for one or more
members. Mr.. Fish had not publicly
specified whom he wished named for
chairman in place of Hamilton before
he left Washington for Chicago. 1t is
exceedingly difficult in politics, or out
of it, to beat somebody with nobody.
There has been rumor that Fish would
be glad to see former Representative
Royal johnson OF South Dakota placed
in the craftsmanship. Johnson is
Westerner. Like Fish. he is a veteran OF
the World War. A year ago. when Fish
himself was expressing a willingness to
be candidate for the Republican preSi-
dental nomination, johnson was stirring
up the veterans on behalf of FiSh'S
candidacy.
1t Is possible that Fish is looking
forward to the presidential race in 1910.
II he desired to be candidate in 1885,
there is good reason to suppose that he
would like a try at it four years hence.
There are many like Fish and johnson
who believe that 1t is high time the vet
Grams Of the World War had their place
in the sun, with one of their number in
the White House President Roosevelt
falls more nearly within this category
than any other President or presiden-
tial nominee since the close OF the war,
except Gov. All M. Landon, the defeated
was Assistant Secretary of the Navy all
during the World War and visited the
front in France Gov. Landon served in
the Chemical Warfare Service, U. S. A.
Fish's main objection to Hamilton as
national chairman seems to be that
Hamilton, in earlier days, was a lieu
tenant of the late David J. Mulvane, ma
tional committeeman from Kansas. Mr..
hfIIlV nf a
called, although he hailed from State
of the Middle West. Hamilton. Fish
maintains. played along with the HilleSeS,
the Pomeroys and the Rorabacks dur
ing the recent campaign, and with the
big interests of the East, and permitted
heavy donations to campaign funds by
the representatives of big business. Fish
seems to have centered his attack en-
trely upon Hamilton and to have good
word to say for Gov. Landon. There
have been some attempts since the elec-
ton to cause trouble between Gov.
Landon and his national campaign man.
ager, Hamilton. on the ground that
Hamilton himself now has presidential
aspirations and was inclined to push Mr..
Landon out of the picture. But if thel
Is any such feeling in Kansas, it has
not been broadcast. Hamilton certainly
worked like a beaver for Gov. Landon
during the campaign.
Speaking of aspiring veterans of the
World War, one of them, Gov. Paul
McNutt of Indiana was among the very
first of President RooseveltS callers when
the President returned to Washington
yesterday from Buenos Aires. There has
been good deal of gossip about McNutt
as possible appointee to the office oil
Secretary Of War, now filled by former
Gov. Harry Woodring of Kansas Wood
ring was appointed by the President
after the death of the late Secretary
Dern. Another rumor is to the effect
that II the President will appoint Sem
ator Minton of Indiana Federal judge
the incoming Governor of Indiana will
appoint McNutt to the Senate in Min
tons place. McNutt, who is politically
ambitious, goes out of Office the first OF
the year. He is reported to have his eye
on the Democratic presidential nomina-
ton in 1910.
A new Government department, the
Department of Public Welfare, is being
discussed Such a department might
take over several of the new Government
agencies set up to meet the emergency
growing out of the depression. as well
as a number of the old agencies now
placed in a haphaZard manner in the
existing major departments. The name
of Harry L. Hopkins, Federal relief ad-
ministrator and head of the w. P. A.,
has been mentioned as possible head OF
the new department if it is created. Such
a new department would have to be au-
thorized by an act of Congress. The
Secretary of Labor, Miss Perkins, also
has been mentioned as possible head
of the proposed Department of Public
Welfare. Organized labor has been
rather reStive because of the fact that
woman heads the Department Of Labor,
and Miss Perkins transfer to new de-
partment would relieve this situation.
However, there has been no indication
that Miss Perkins contemplateS such a
change, but rather, it is believed, she re-
sents the idea that she is to leave her
present department.
There are 10 major departments of the
Government: State, Treasury, War, JUS
tice Post Office, Navy, Interior, Agricul-
ture, Commerce and Labor, named in
the order in which they were created.
Commerce and Labor were set up during
the administration of Woodrow Wilson.
Prior to that they had been combined in
one department The Federal Govern