Evening star., 1939-12-31
Dr.. Robert e.. Brooks
Named President BY
Political Scientists
Group Decides to Bring
Convention to CopitoI
Every Third Yeur

Electing Dr. Robert c. Brooks, of
Swarthmore College, president to
succeed DR.. Charles Grove Haines,
Of the University Of California at
Los Angeles, the American Political
Science Association late yesterday
laid down policy of bringing its
annual convention to Washington
every third year.
This action, taken at the close of
a business session at the Wardman
Park Hotel, assures the return of
the big gathering to Washington in
1912. Chicago was chosen for the
1910 convention, but the place for
the 1941 convention has yet to be
selected
For some time. it was learned,
there had been feeling among
leaders of the association that the
National Capital was the logical
place for regular triennial ses-
sion of the distinguished body. This,
however, had never been incor-
porated into the official regulations
of the organization until yesterday.
Thomas Vice President.
Senator Ebert D. Thomas, Demo-
crat of Utah, member of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, who
yesterday spoke to the convention
on the Far Eastern situation, was
elected first vice president Other
officers elected were: DR.. H. C.
Nixon. University of Missouri, second
vice president; DR.. T. S. Barclay,
Stanford University, third vice
president, and DR.. Kenneth Cole
grove. Northwestern University, re-
elected secretary-treasurer.
Honor was bestowed also upon
Washingtonian, DR.. E. S. Griffith,
dean of the Graduate School of
American University, who had been
chairman of the committee on local
arrangements for the convention.
He was named a member of the
executive council. Others named to
the council included DR.. r. L. Mott,
Colgate University; DR.. Bessie Ran
dolph, Hollins College; DR.. c. S.
Hyneman, Louisiana State Univer-
sity, and DR.. G. B. Noble, Reed
College, Portland, Greg.
The convention which closed with
the business session late yesterday
afternoon was the largest in the
history of the association, accord
ing to DR.. Griffith. More than l,50O
r,arcnnc attended
Need for Compromise Stressed.
Representative T. V. Smith of
Illinois, who addressed the final
luncheon yesterday noon, empha-
sized the necessity of the principle
of compromise between warning
factions, as a necessary element in
the functioning of a successful de-
mocracy.
In a scholarly presentation of his
subject: The Need for Historical
Perspective in Politics." Represent
ative Smith, a former professor OF
philosophy, warned that Dictator
ships were making glittering prom
ises of government to their peoples,
in competition with the democra-
cies.
Among the collective enterprises"
of the world in the form of govern
ment, he said there never could be a
first best" But, democracy, he
emphasized, was the second best, "
while the third best" existed only
in the imagination Of men and
women who have never tried it out
on their enemies"
THE art of compromise" he said,
when seen from the shining cliff sof
perfection is loWly, dirty, all but un-
endurable but so long as it is
tolerable-just so long will democ-
racy be a success. When seen from
the shining cliff of historical per-
spective, compromise between war
ring elements becomes noble, and
it's practitioners, the politicians, be-
come secular saints in an other
wise doomed society,"
Deplores Spirit of Antagonism.
The speaker praised the newly
1OTlIleu AulcIICdIl oUIicCy AoA oOAAS
Administration, welcomed the par
ticipation of women in public life,
and predicted that so long as the
American people can stand the gaft
of politics." and there are those who
are willing to carry forward the
principle of compromise, in con-
trast to the principles of dictator
ships, democracy would succeed.
Deploring what he described as
the increasing spirit of antagonism,
racial hatreds, conflicts between