Evening star., 1938-12-02
Election Of Martin
ToG. 0. P. House Posi-
By Att|amation Seen
Friends Soy He Hos l35
Of 169 Votes for Job
As Leader
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

1r.. of Massachusetts, is practically
certain Of being elected minority
leader in the incoming Congress
with at least 135 of the 169 Repub-
lcan votes.
Friends are confident that he will
become leader by acclamation when
the party caucus is held because
efforts are progressing to have other
tentative candidates withdraw in
the interest of harmony so the
Seventy-sixth Congress will start
with the Republicans solidly united
to put through constructive pro-
gram that will merit the approval
Of the voters in the 1910 presi-
Dental campaign.
However. several State delegations
have been holding themselves un-
pledged to give at least a comph-
mentary vote to favorite sons, sucl,
as Representatives James w. Wads-
worth. New York, the only other
avowed candidate; Carl E. Mapes
of Michigan, who will have served
rs years: Thomas Jenkins of Ohio
as candidate Of the Midwest States
or Harry L. Englebright, California
a Pacific Coast aspirant.
The Republican caucus is expected
to be called for January 2, and the
election Of minority leader will be
the first important step in organi-
zation. There are 169 votes In the
Republican caucus-85 Republicans
were reelected and "a new Repubh-
cans will enter the House.
Tomorrow Representative James
Wolfenden IS expected to announce
that Pennsylvania 10 Republican
members are going to vote for Rep
resentative Martin. Following that
Representative Jenkins Is counted
upon to withdraw his name as a
candidate. This would release IS
Ohio votes. ali of which are ex-
pected to go to Mr.. Martin.
New England's ~ Republican
members have been pledged to
Representative Martin by his fellow
statesman and longtime political
co-worker, Representative Allen T.
Treadway, Republican dean Of the
House. New Jerseys II Republican
votes have also been pledged to him
by Representative George N. Seger,
who made q public announcement
several days ago.
Votes From 30 States.
Leaders in the effort to assure the
election of Mr.. Martin as party
leader claim he has been promised
votes from 80 States-all Of those
that have any Republican Repre-
sentatives. Eighteen States have
solidly Democratic delegations. They
are: Alabama, Arizona. Arkansas,
Colorado, Florida, Georgia, LOU
isiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Ne
vada. New Mexico, North Carolina,
Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas
Utah. Virginia and Washington.
Following the announcement Of his
candidacy by Representative Wads-
worth subsequent to caucus Of the
Republican members of the New
York delegation several weeks ago
Representative Dan Reed, veteran
chairman Of the Republican State
delegation, directed that q poll be
made Of the delegation by Repre-
sentative Hamilton Fish, secretary
Mr.. Reed is expected to announce
the result of that poll any day. It is
we'll known that Representative
Fish and at least five others are not
at all friendly to the Wadsworth
candidacy, and the claim is made
that Representative Wadsworth
would have difficulty in getting a
majority vote in his own delegation
OF course. that cannot be known for
4 certainty until Representative
Reed has announced the result of
his poll. There are 10 Republicans
In the New York delegation.
Michigan Delegation.
Close friends Of Representative
Mapes express confidence that he
will release soon the IL Republican
members of the Michigan delega-
ton and that they will be united In
support of Representative Martin
This delegation caucused more than
10 days ago in Lansing and decided
not to pledge their votes to any
candidate until released by Repre-
sentative Mapes, who is outranked
for seniority and Republican dean
of the House by Representative
Treadway. They both entered Con-
gress on the same day, but
Representative Treadway outranks
Representative Mapes because Mas
sachusetts was a State many years
before Michigan. Representative
Albert j. Engle of Michigan has
been in Washington keeping in close
touch with conditions affecting the
election Of a minority leader.
Other States have votes In the
Republican cancus as follows: Call
fornia. 8; Delaware, l.; Idaho, /;
Illinois, 10; Indiana, 7; Iowa, Z;
Kansas, 6; Kentucky, /; Michigan,
IL; Minnesota, 7; Missouri, /; Mon
tana, /; Nebraska, 8; New York, 19;
North Dakota, 2; Ohio. Is; Oregon,
2; South Dakota, 2; Tennessee, q;
West Virginia, /; Wisconsin, 8, and
wyoming, /.
Scarcely had Representative Bert
rand H. Smell, Republican House
leader in the Congress which is
about to close, announced that he
would retire than more than 50
votes were pledged to Mr.. Martin.
who had been Mr.. SHELLS lieutenant
on the floor. That was more than
. majority Of the then Republican
membership. As chairman Of the
Republican Congressional Commit
tee, Mr.. Martin plunged into the
campaign to win larger Republican
representation in the House. Be-
cause he was in position to aid