Evening star., 1937-12-28
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. COULD LINCOLN.

National Committees Executive Com
mittee to serve Is chairman Of the Com
mittee Of One Hundred-which has been
increased In membership to about two
hundred. DR.. Frank has an important
task on his hands. He is to be the
directing head Of a committee which is
to write declaration Of principles for
the G. o. p. Not only must he write
declaration Of principles that will
satisfy the progressive as well as the
conservative groups in the Republican
party, but he must please, II he can,
those Republicans in Congress like
Senator McNary, the Republican leader,
who would like to have DR.. Frank and
his committee say nothing ut all. The
labors Of Hercules were nothing COM
pared to this little job which has been
laid in the lap Of DR.. Frank.
4 +
The former president Of the University
Of Wisconsin, always looked upon rs
liberal, although he did not suit the
La Follettes, may succeed, II he does
this present job well, In getting him.
self into . place In the political sun.
There has been talk Of DR.. Frank As q
candidate for Governor Of Wisconsin,
W. MIA ~60AAAoV VIC A4es AOAACtVCo Cd1lOle
date In 1898. His one hope Of victory
In such contest would be to rally the
Democrats Of the State as well as the
Republicans to his support-in other
words. fusion. The chances do not
look any too bright.
The La Toilette Progressives in Wis.,
consin are not only numerous-they
are clever maneuverers. There is Z
Democratic Senator, F. Ryan Duffy,
from Wisconsin who was elected in 1882
by the grace Of the La Toilette Pro-
gressives-in those days still q wing Of
the Republican party in the Badger
State. In that year the Republicans
succeeded in defeating Blaine, the La
Toilette candidate for the senatorial
nomination. In the primary. They put
up John B. Chapple, jr.. 80 the La
Toilette group Immediately swung in
behind Duffy. That was a bad year for
the Republicans anyway, and Duffy won
almost two to one
Duffy comes up for reelection next
year. The La Toilette Progressives must
make up their minds whether they will
seek both the governorship and the
Senate seat, or be willing to play along
with the Democrats. giving them the
Senate seat and retaining the governor.
If the La Follettes think they are strong
enough, they will go after both places.
In that case the Democrats might make
common cause with the Republicans
and a fusion ticket be placed in the field
The La Follettes, however, have always
had the blessing Of President Franklin
D. Roosevelt In their past struggles
In 1884, when Senator Bob La Toilette
was seeking e-election-this time as q
Progressive-the President smiled on him
and turned cold shoulder to the Demo-
cratic senatorial nominee that year.
DR.. Franks acceptance Of the chair
manship Of the committee to draft
set Of Republican principles may mean
that he Is not considering entering the
gubernatorial fight-or the reverse. If
he had success. it might put him In
the picture for the presidential race in
1910. There are q great many "ifs"
attached to all this.
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According to dispatches from Wis
consin, some Of the Republicans there
are turning interested eyes upon Mai.
Gen. Douglas Macarthur, who It is re-
ported Is soon to retire from the Army
and move back to his old home State.
No one seems to know whether Gen.
Macarthur will be interested In politics
But there are those who would like to
see him get into action In Wisconsin.
believing that he would have as dis
tinguished a career in politics and public
ONCE as he has had in the Army. He
Is young man, still-only 57-and is
retiring. as he has . right to do, after
40 years Army service.
The La Toilette Progressives, since
they set themselves up rs an indepen-
dent progressive party in Wisconsin in
1884, have been signally successful
Republicans, to whom the La Toilette
regime is anathema, sadly shake their
heads when they speak about the
chances OF dislodging the La Follettes
next year. Senator La Toilette continues
to be prime favorite Of President Roose-
welt, an active ally of the administra-
ton In the Senate, and Gov. Phil La
Toilette is believed to be regarded Just
as kindly by the administration. OF
the ten members of the House from Wis
consin. seven are members of the La
Toilette Progressive party and three are
Democrats. Not one Of them is Repub-
Ecan. The political picture in Wisconsin
Is descriptive Of what has happened to
the once proud G. O. p. in the Middle
West. Whether DR.. Glenn Frank and
his Committee of One Hundred plus
can do anything to change the situa-
tion remains to be seen. It looks rs
though only . good old ruction in the
Democratic party would ever upset the
new dealers. And there are those who
expect to see Just such a battle within
the next six months.
Former Gov. ALI NJ Landon of Kansas
has stepped into the limelight very
favorably, in the opinion Of = number
Of Republican leaders, In the last few
weeks. They were pleased by his def
mite announcement that he would not
be candidate for the presidential NOM
nation, which he made here 4 little
more than two weeks ago, when he
came to Washington for the December
Gridiron dinner. They were pleased,
too, by the telegram which he sent to
President Roosevelt pledging his aid In
dealing with the difncult foreign situa-
ton. Those who were pleased by his
remuneration Of any idea Of being again
presidential candidate believed that
the party must have new deal" 50
far as leaders are concerned. They had
hoped that former President Herbert
Hoover would make an announcement
similar to that of Gov. Landon. It Is
true that In his speech in Boston last
fall, the former President indicated very