Evening star., 1936-12-20
LEADERS Of c. O.P.
GATHER IN CAPITAL
Landon and Hamilton Are
Due TomorroW-0thers
Here Now.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Republican eadership-l936 model
will be represented in washington In
q big way tomorrow.
Gov. ALI M. Landon Of Kansas, the
party's nominee for President; John
Hamilton, chairman of the Republican
National Committee, and several other
members OF the National Committee
will be here. In addition, the Repub-
lican leaders of the Senate and House,
Senator McNary of Oregon and Rep
resentative Smell Of New York, already
are here, and Senator Vandenberg of
Michigan arrived yesterday. Despite
the fact the Michigan Senator Is anx-
ious to avoid the spotlight, 1t keeps
seeking him out.
Here would be great opportunity
for Republican leaders to get together
for a heart-to-heart talk-if they had
anything to talk about. Just at pres
ent there seems little for the Re-
publicans to do except adopt policy
Of watchful waiting.
One thing might happen. Gov. Lam
don may make some statement re-
garding his own personal political
plans. Soon after the election the
Governor, it is known, wished to make
q statement taking himself out OF the
picture as a possible presidential nomi-
nee in 1910. But whether he has
changed his mind or not will be
-perhaps-during his visit
here tomorrow.
VIII Attend Gridiron Dinner.
The object of Gov. Landon's trip to
Washington is not political, but to at
tend the annual Winter dinner of the
Gridiron Club tomorrow night. On
President Roosevelts invitation, the
Kansas Governor will call on Mr..
Roosevelt at the White House at IL
am.
| Landon was in Chicago yesterday
with Hamilton, whose resignation the
National Committee declined to accept
at a meeting Thursday. They Travelled
East together. Presumably they went
at length into Republican plans. Lam
don, it is said, has an earnest desire
to retire from public life. and does not
intend to become a candidate for
public office again. But whether he
should say as much in public state
ment at this time is questioned in
some Republican quarters.
II he takes himself entirely out of
the picture, who then becomes the
"titular" head of the Republican
party? Usually that honor falls to
the President. if the party wins. or
Is held by the defeated candidate for
President, If the party loses. II Lam
don steps out Of the picture. does the
leadership 60 back to former Presi-
dent Herbert Hoover? That would not
! be to the liking of some of the Re-
publicans. Yet if Landon announces
he is through" his influence is
likely TO wane.
On the other hand. there are Re
publicans who say that If Landon an
nounces he is not to be a candidate
again. it makes a new picture for the
Republican party. with the field en-
tirely open and the possibility of the
development Of new leadership: that
there will be no return to Hoover.
Shied From Nomination.
Possibly nothing would be more
painful to Senator Vandenberg of
Michigan at this time than to have
himself projected into the foreground
as leading candidate for President
in 1910. He SHE'D away from the
nomination this year He could have
been nominated for Vice President in
Cleveland II he had said the word. But
he withheld it. Nevertheless, Vanden-
berg probably will find it increasingly
difficult to keep himself out of the
discussions OF the future OF the Re-
publican party
The Michigan Senator-senior Sem
ator since the death of the late Sen
ator Couzens-came to Washington
breathing fire and birthstone against
reported plans to revive the Florida
ship canal, at a cost of some S1eS 900, :
900. He took leading part in de-
feating the project during the last
session of Congress. About politics
Vandenberg was cryptic, and at the
same time his remarks might be con-
strued as warning to the Democrats
Nothing" he said, lis certain in
politics today except uncertainty; and
this applies just as much to the Roose-
welt party and the Democratic party
as it does to the Republican party.
If 1910 were hundred years re.
mote it couldn't be any further away
in terms of political prophesy. Sc
please excuse me from dallying with
the imponderables."
Convinced Party Not Dead.
From this it appears the Senator
believes anything can happen between
now and 1910. OF one thing he Is
convinced, however. The Republican
party Is not dead.
In Vandenberg's opinion, the next