Evening star., 1939-12-07
6. 0. P. Leaders
Here Praise
Dewey Speech
Finances Chief Topic
At Meeting Of
Committeeman
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Republican national committee
men, as they assembled here today
for the meeting Of their Executive
Committee, were loud in praise Of
Thomas E. Dewey's speech in Min
neapolis last night opening his cam
paign for the Republican presiden-
tial nomination.
They did not commit themselves
to the standard of the youthful New
York district attorney, but said they
were delighted with the tone and
vigor Of his attack on New Deal
'defeatism." Among those who so
expressed themselves were Walter
S. Hallanan of West Virginia and
S. F. Pryor. jr, of Connecticut.
Il think Mr.. Dewey's speech was
admirable, right to the point and
splendidly delivered" was Mr..
Hallanans comment.
Net all of the comment regarding
presidential possibilities, however,
concerned Mr.. Dewey Senator
Taft's recent swing across the coun-
try, several of the members said,
had made fine impression. And
there were others to praise Senator
Vandenberg OF Michigan and the
constructive work he has done in the
Senate.
The Executive Committee met at
10 am. in the Republican National
Committee headquarters, on Jack
son place. Chief questions for dis
cussion among them, outside of pres
idential candidates, were finances
and date for the party's national
convention next year.
The national committee is faced
with the job of paying off a deficit
of from s650,000 to 100000, coming
over from the 1886 campaign. At
the close of that campaign, the
deficit was s1.200,OO0. Five hundred
thousand dollars of this debt has
been wiped off. What the commits
tee hopes to do, by an intensive
campaign, is to pay the remaining
100000 during the next three
months.
1t is regarded as essential that
all debts be paid before the 1910
campaign is really launched. Usu-
ally the convention city con-
tributes several hundred thousand
dollars for the privilege Of holding
the convention, and this could be
used, If necessary, to help wipe out
the debt.
As the committee meeting began,
behind closed doors, it was evident
a ds@ erepce Of opinion esssted among
members over the question of delay
/ ing the national convention until
perhaps August or September, even
If by such delay the Democrats
might be forced to hold their con-
vention first.
Opposes Change in Plans.
Mr.. Hallanan insisted that at least
four months were required to COM
plete all the preliminary work and
to carry out a national campaign.
Furthermore, he said, the Republi.
cans will name their candidates for
State Office in May in West Vir.
ginia and they would be left for
two or three months without any
national ticket to tie to.
THE New Deal administration"
he said, has made its record. The
country knows it, and it is on that
record we will have to fight out the
campaign. 1 see no reason for dis
arranging Republican plans"
Others believed, however, that
it would be considerable advan-
tage for the G. o. P. to wait Until
after the Democrats had named
their candidates for President and
Vice President and written their
platform before naming their own.
Chairman John Hamilton will
take the consensus of the Execu-
tive Committee on this subject. He
will have to determine the date
Of the call for the Republican Ma
tional Committee, which in turn
fixes the date of the convention.
Only by delaying the meeting of
the National Committee until after
a meeting of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee could the Re-
publicans be certain of fixing a later
date for their national convention.
Delegates to Total 1000.
The total number of delegates in
the 1910 national convention will be
exactly 1000, on the basis of an
unofficial apportionment of dele
gates from each State, it was an
nounced today. A majority will be
SOL, necessary for the nomination of
candidates for President and Vice
President, and the adoption of the
platform.
In 1896 the total number of dele
gates was 1908 in 1882, LISA; in
1928, 1,089, and in 1924, 1,109.
The New York delegation next
year will number 90. In 1886 it was
(see REPUBLICANS, Page A-3D