Evening star., 1937-12-14
c. O.P. CANVASSES
GROUP NOMINEES
600 Names Are Considered
for Steering Committee
in 9.Hour Session.
Bs the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 14.-By meeting
after midnight the Republican Exec
utive Committee pushed well past the
halfway mark today In its strenuous
sorting OF 1000 nominees for a Policy
Committee of 100, while the party's
national chairman, John D. M. Hamil-
ton, lashed vigorously at his critics.
The conferees made preliminary
canvass of 900 names in alphabetical
order in nine hour session behind
closed doors
Outside observers speculated on at
least four names as possible choices
for chairman of the steering group:
President E. M. Hopkins OF Dart
mouth, James Truslow Adams, the
historian; Senator Frederick Steiwer
of Oregon and John H. Wigmore,
Chicago legal authority.
Mr.. Hamilton said the meeting.
which may possibly decide the fu-
ture of the party and even possibly
the future of the Nation" had ap-
preached no one as yet for commit
tee membership and certainly no
one for the Craftsmanship"
Stream Of Rebuttals.
Aside from the deliberations. Mr..
Hamilton made stream of rebuttals
to Robert w. Johnson, New Jersey
industrialist, and others who have
called for his own retirement.
mo one has the right to read me
or anyone out of the party" Mr.,
Hamilton said as his train arrived.
L challenge anyone to point to
a period when there has been greater
activity in the Republican National
Committee and its headquarters at
SO long a time before a campaign"
he said in formal statement.
He added he could have resigned
his S25,000 year post long ago to
my personal advantage, but I have
never run from a fight" In the Ma
ton Mr.. Hamilton called for replace
ing the New Deal by better deal"
Reminds of Procedure.
Still later he reminded Mr.. johnson
of the procedure by which the ma
tional committee itself is chosen. say
ing each of the l06 members =
was the unanimous choice of more
than 1000 delegates who sat at the
Cleveland convention"
From bulging brief cases the st.
Louis confereeS sorted stacks of cards
on which the personnel of the Steering
Committee had been listed-a card to
each name and a brief biographical
sketch of each person.
We are past the letter M said
Mr. Hamilton. we are grouping
those who have outstanding records
for future consideration. We will not
be limited to final 100 We are more
concerned with fair distribution OF
the interests of the Nation than in a
specific number
1t was generally understood that
strong sentiment had developed for in
clusion Of two of the party's elder
statemen, Herbert Hoover and Charles
G. Dawes, as well as Alf M. Landon.
the 1886 nominee, in the general mem
bership.
Points to Young Men.
Mr. Hamilton took cognizance of
calls for new blood" by smilingtlv
pointing to Samuel F. Pryor, jr., of
Connecticut. who is 38, and Robert M.
Burroughs of New Hampshire, 81, both
Executive Committee men.
There was a brief boom for Thomas
E. Dewey, New York racket buster
and incoming district attorney. as Pro-
gram Committee chairman. but
friends were quick to point out that
While Mr.. Dewey might accept a place
on the general group, he likely would
be heSitant about taking the key post
before his term in public Office even
opens.
In the corridor discussion Of chair
men it was recalled that MIR. Steiwer
had announced that he would not
run for the Senate again and was. in
that sense, without personal interest,
yet he had been associated with the
Cleveland convention as its keynoter.