The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-03-14
(Bv Staff Writer)


pondent has frequently pointed
out. everything that happens OF
is going to happen in Washing
ton between.noW and mldsum.
msr either has a motive behlno
it bearing on Presidential poll
tics. or is subject to the suspl'
cion of being in some way a ma.
noeuver for partisan or persona
political advantage.
Some of the tactics are pretty
crude and obvious, and many o.
the suspicious are pretty 1ar-
fetched. But no man holding pub
lie office these days can say OF
do anything without being sus'
pected or openly accused OF eth
er seeking the Presidency tor
himself or of trying to discredlt
other possible candidates, either
of his own or the other party.
It is no secret to anyone In
Washington that there is strong
political clique of Republican po-
liticians who are determined that
the party's nominee shall not be
Thomas Dewey. These are not
necessarily the same men VINO
are backing either Senator TAFT
or Senator Vandenberg.
There are some masters OF po-
litical intrigue among the minorl-
ty members of both Houses OF
Congress, and certain OF them
have given the impression that
they are working under cover
with state leaders of the party
to bring about a situation which
would result in all three of the
leading Republican candidates
killing each other off, thus fore
ing the convention to nominate a
man who would be more to the
liking of the Republican Old
Guard than any of those three.
Speculation On Hoover
That does not refer to Herbert
Hoover, though the former Presi-
dents recent appearance IN
Washington at a hearing of the
House Committee on Foreign At
fairs, to tell members of Con-
gress his views about the impor-
lance of giving prompt aid to the
people of Finland and Poland,
started the gossips to specializing
as to whether he was not laying
his own plans for the Republi-
can nomination.
It is practically impossible for
political-minded Washington to
conceive of any man who has
once held high office not desir-
ing to get back into the seat OF
power; and when such a man gets
into the headlines by performing
great humanitarian service, the
more sordid-minded political OBJ
servers are confident that he is
seeking the limelight for the
purpose of grabbing off a politi-
cal prize for himself.
Those who know Mr.. Hoover
best are confident that he has no
personal ambition to hold office
again. His friends, however, UNI
derstand that he would like to
have hand in shaping the par
tvs policy, and there seems to
be little doubt that his counsel
and advice are being sought and
acted upon by some of the fore
most party leaders.
More To Contribute
One of the points upon which
there is wide agreement is thai
Mr.. Hoover has more to contri
butte than any of the other emf
nent Republicans in his long ex
perience, deep understanding anc
current knowledge of European
affairs. If international relations
should develop to the stage where
an alarmed public opinion woulc
demand that the next Presiden
must have a broad background
of world politics, genuinely pa
cifist philosophy, combined will
wide experience in the conduct O
domestic affairs, it is not entire
ly, under such circumstances
that Mr.. Hoover might be tn
conventions choice.
But those closest to him hole
that he would have to be literal
ly drafted, and that his recen
visit to Washington had no poll
teal purpose behind it.
Those who consider Mr.. Hoove
as an appropriate nominee of tn
Republican party point first t.
the recent indications OF a stron
Republican trend among the vot
erS of Ohio, which is considere'
almost the index state by which
to measure political tendencies
Both of the two Congressional va
cancies caused by the deaths O
Ohio members have lately beer
filled by the election of Republi
e