The Washington times., 1938-06-27
'QUARRELS SPLIT
BOTH PARTIES IN.
OPENING DRIVES.
Roosevelt and Hamilton
Irk Faithful
BY GEORGE r. HOLMES

Dy OGOAN"G ASs AOANAGO
1.NS.O. Democrats and Re
publicans squared away today for
four months Of political cam
paigning with internal Squabbling
biting deeply into organization
harmony.
President RooSevelt'S frank an
nouncement he proposes to take a
hand in democratic primaries
wherein he considers there is an
issue of liberalism at stake CNew
Deal brand has materially
widened the split between the con-
Servatives and liberals of his party.
GRUMBLING GROWS
This will become more apparent
early next month when Mr.. RooSe-
velt sets out on his transconti-
mental tour to the Pacific Coast
On that trip, he proposes to make
a number of speeches to help his
friends and discomfit those he re-
CARDS as having departed from
the 1885 platform. 1t is causing
considerable grumbling on the
part of those who anticipate being
hit.
The Republicans are having
their troubles, too. The Republi-
cans on Capitol Hill, who consider
themselves, as officeholderS who
survived two Roosevelt landslideS,
the real party spokesmen, are out
of step with the national commit
tee, headed by John D. M. Hamll-
ton.
A number are cunning for
Hamilton. Representative Hamil-
ton Fish of New York, demanded
today the national committee
should meet and declare the chair
manship vacant until after the
election. A number of other Re
publicans are known to feel there
should be a change at the top.
HAMILTON UNDAUNTED
Undaunted by this dissension.
Hamilton assumed the role OF
party spokesman over the week
end and blasted away at President
Roosevelt'S fireSide chat. He &C.
cused Mr.. Roosevelt of "distort
ing" the terms liberal and conser
vative, and of diStorting the ma
ture of the opposition to the New
Deal. He asked who was going &c
pay the cost of presidential inter
vention in the primaries-tlle
Democratic party or the Federal
Treasury?
Since" said Hamiitcn. Mr..
Roosevelt is intervening in
Democratic primary fights as
head of the Democratic party
and not as President, it is to
be hoped the expenses of his
tour next month across the
country, in behalf of Demo
Gratis whose candidates. he
favors, will be paid by the Demo
cratic National Committee and
not by the Federal Treasury"
CASH CAUSES ROW
The row between the Republi
cans on Capitol Hill and the
national committee organization
is partly tied up with the question
of finance. The Republican cam
paign committees in both houses
raise some funds of their own
each year, but they also depend
heavily on contributions from the
national committee in individual
cases. Being none too opulent this
year, the national committee is
preferring to keep control of its
own cash, rather than turn it over
to the congressional campaign
committees.
The June primaries are just
about concluded. The last one is
in North Dakota tomorrow, where
Senator Gerald P. Nye, Repub-
lican, who has supported the New
Deal about half the time, is being
opposed for denomination by Gov
ernor William LANCER. There is no
particular national issue involved.
OKLAHOMA AN ISSUE
July will be a relatively quiet
month, with only three primary
elections, in Oklahoma, Mon
tana and Texas, and only one SEN
atorial seat at stake, that of Sen
ator Elmer Thomas in Oklahoma,
an ardent New Dealer. President
Roosevelt is going through the
State next month to give him a
lift against Governor E. w. Mar
land and Representative Conner
Smith.
The real cannonading will be-
gin in August, when IA States
will ballot.
- E~H 4