Evening star., 1936-06-07
VETERANS HOLDING.
CONVENTION KEY
New Kind of Republican
Party Seen Hope of
Nation.
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.

For the first time, the soldiers OF the
World War are in the key places at the
Republican National Convention. Four
years ago. they dominated the dele
gates seats; eight years ago. they were
lust coming in: twelve years ago, here
in Cleveland when Coolidge was NOM
mated, the World War veterans were
tip-toeing into the third line from
G. H. @.
Coolidge and Chairman Butler un-
doubtedly did the younger men good
turn at Cleveland in 1924. They dis
placed rather incontinently and with
out much punctility the old crowd with
the old quarrels that had dominated
the party for 20 years before. Coolidge
introduced the business man into the
control of the Republican party.
In that day. IL years ago, snappy,
we'll dressed young business men in
their middle 40s and early SOS crowded
out the f1shy-eyed, heavy -paunChed
saggy- -jowled Older statesmen who had
fought with Taft and Roosevelt in the
battle of Armageddon. Today these
hustling go-getters of the middle 20s
are now in their SOS and COS. They did
not stay long in politics, being busy
with the depression.
Like Eagle Scouts.
So the young World War soldier,
who came to learn the ropes dozen
years ago, is now running the ship.
Just lot .of starry-eyed Eagle
Scouts" said Sam Blythe, who has
seen every convention since the nomi-
nation of Harrison in 1892; as he
looked over the ponies scampering
around the track in the political hotels
today. This crowd" he said, looks
like covey of Raphaels cherubim,
all decked out in 81 seersucker pants
and collegiate coats covering their
wings
Like true Anglo-Saxon Colonists,
they are bringing their women with
them. Their women, good looking
young matrons who wear their
clothes we'll and prove what every
national crowd proves these days, that
there is no American millinery from
Main Street. They all dress alike. and
pretty niftily. too. They all have the
same kind of permanentS and the
same kind of shoes.
The more serious ones, who may be
easily spotted as delegates or national
committeewomen, glow a little more
gorgeouSly, blossom with somewhat
more effulgence and with here and
there just little more plumage than
would properly adorn pullets and with
little less dignity than setting hens
They live in twilight zone, these
professional women politicians and are
becoming more and more cult in the
political life of this continent.
Old Order Vanishes.
A generation ago, before women had
the ballot, their petticoats used to
show when they appeared at national
conventions. They were crusaders and
wore hats befltting noble causes-and
we're given to high shoes and high
ideals. They came advocating pro-
hibition, equal suffrage, minimum
wage laws, and the abolition of child
labor. They relied more on statistics
than sex appeal to win their way.
That crowd and those days have van
ished.
The pre-convention crowd in Cleve-
land today is cross-section of Amer
lean life. There is no difference be-
ween the urban, suburban and rural
types of woman-and small difference
among the men. Sartorial mass pro-
duction has broken down class and
geographic differences.
So much for the exterior. The spirit
of the crowd that is gathering for the
Republican National Convention is
rather more serious than usual and
absolutely without factional alignment
One hears no wrangles in the lobbies
OF the hotel. One sees no evidence Of
bitterness in the bed rooms where the
men sit and smoke and swap glittering
lies about the availability and in
Vulnerability of their candidates.
Among the delegates-and possibly q
third Of them are here-the third
which takes leadership-there is no
Wrangling, no recrimination and
precious little whispering and scandal
izing. Caucuses meet and wrangle all
night and jower about trivial matters.
but nothing is accomplished, no one
cares.
Few Political Gimcracks.
The bands will come tomorrow and
the stunts of the various candidates
will trot through the streets and hotel
lobbies. But they will be meager-
few bands, few political gimcracks
The truth is, no one has any money
In this campaign. Indeed, less money
has been spent by the candidates than
ever was spent in national campaign
before. If the tell-tale evidences of
political penury in the big hotels are
to be trusted. The great banners, the
monster flags that should be flappine
across the Cleveland streets, are miss
ing. Printed matter, cards, handbills.
curious little gadgetS that pass from
hand to hand in ordinary conventions.
celebrating various gags and wise
cracks. have not appeared.
The crowd is serious, without being
Solemn. One hears more talk about
platform planks than about candi-
oates. Possibly this dearth of talk
about candidates is due tn the obv,o,,.