The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-01-13
VERMONT COY.
 IN SPOTLIGHT
Fights for State Rights in Dispute Over RoOseveIt's
 Flood Control
BY LYLE c. WILSON United Press Stan Correspondent

(Un1te0 kTeSS Stau COrreSpOm0entD
 Washington, Jan. 1S - (U.P0 - The results of the dispute between Vermont'S Governor George D. Aiken and the Roosevelt adminis- tration over states rights will be important to federal flood control development and politically signifi- cant because the Vermonter is rated a contender for the 1940 Republican presidential nomination.
 He is in relatively the same posi- ton now that President Roosevelt as Governor of New York in chal- lenging some Hoover administration policies. The issues are different but the tactics are similar.
 Woodring For Government
 Secretary of War Harry H. Wood- ring, speaking for the administra- tion, denied today that he was at tempting to interfere with Yer mont's rights.
 T am proceeding, he said in 8 press release, under these (federaD provisions by which the U. s. goy- ernment expends the federal tax payers money for complete flood control by building dams and reser- voirs without the expenditure & one cent by te state. cannot ac- cept lands transferred to the fed- eral government if any restrictions are imposed by the state. I served as governor of state myself and I do not concede to Governor Aiken nor to any other person in the Uni- ted States greater championship of states rights"
 Aiken In Public View
 Aiken came into national view in 1937 with a demand for reorganiza- ton of the Republican National Committee to purge it of the 'bane- full influence of the southern com- mitteemen" and "reactionary ele- ments."
 Soon afterWard he addressed Il Lincoln Day gathering in New York with a warning that unless the Re- publicanS provide the nation with warm. human, understanding. sound" leadership, successful third party would be inevitable. He leans toward coalition with southern Democratic Conservatives.
 Aiken came here and fired few shots at the "millionaires and col- lege professors" who he said were advising Roosevelt, is reckoned val uable here because he usually knows what the prairie folk are thinking, ignored Aiken recently in naming five possible 1940 Republican pres- idential candidates. He named: Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg, Michigan; Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Massachusetts,; Senator Ro- bert A Taft, Ohio, Representative Bruce Baron, New York, and Dis trict Attorney Thomas E. Dewey of New York City.
 1940 G. O. P. Nominee
 The 1940 nominee probably will be the statesmen who most effectively challenges the new deal during the next IS months and obtains the widest popular recognition of his activities. From that standpoint, the possibility that Aiken has started long haul and possibly spectacular fight against the Roosevelt adminis- tration is important.
 But observers expect the nomina- ton to go to a more important po- litical area than Vermont. prob ably to some state where the pres- tige of a home-folks candidate might make the difference between winning or losing its electoral votes.
 Editorial research reports recently estimated political tendencies among the states on the basis of last Novembers election. It reported 20 states with 218 electoral votes as predominantly Republican: g with POT electoral votes as predominant ly Democratic and five states with the balance of power highly doubt full" The doubtful five were: Cali fornia 9, electoral votes; Idaho, 4, Illinois 29, Montana 4, and New York A. If New, York is doubtful New York candidate for the nomin- ation would have a big edge on his opponents. Advocates of Barton and Dewey are aware of that.
 State Behind Aiken
 Montpelier, Vt., Jan. 13 - U.F0 Republican Governor George D. Aiken. backed by the Republican legislature in fight to prevent the federal government from building a dam without the states consent, went to Boston today for a meeting of New England governors, hoping to enlist their aid in his defense of states rights.
 The legislature last night voted Aiken $67 800 to wage court fight against the assault upon our sov- ereign rights" and also passed 8 resolution proffered by .the gover- nor deploring "the growing and menacing ambition of those in au- thority and influence in the capitol of the United States. TaUICu nN pDUNTEDc