Evening star., 1940-08-01
The Political Mill
Democrats Foce Serious Task in Selecting
Sueeessoi to ForIey as National choirmon

present assigned TO Great Britain.
Or he could take Mayor Edward ].
Kelly Of Chicago, who had q good
deal to do with engineering the
draft" Of Mr.. Roosevelt, both be-
fore the national convention and
during that party. He might decide
upon Mr.. Flynn, the New York
member of the national committee,
and leader Of the Bronx.
Mr.. Kennedy is q wealthy man.
He has many connections with busi-
ness, big business. He would know
where to go for campaign funds and
how to get them. He has had some
experience in politics. He is a close
friend of the President and came
out for a third term nomination
more than year ago, when some
people supposed he would be op-
posed.
Byrnes Ideal Man for Job.
The shrewdest, most active politi-
clan of them all. Senator Byrnes of
South Carolina, would probably be
an ideal selection for national
chairman. He has tremendous
driving force, as we'll as knowledge.
His selection might displease some
labor groups-he was opposed to the
sit down strikes-and might not 20
well In Harlem and other colored
centers In the Northern States. But
those are matters which could be
handled, if Mr. Byrnes could be
persuaded to take the job. He has
said he was strongly opposed, how
ever, to being drafted for the chair
manship. One reason is that he
suffers from hay fever and there
are weeks in the summer and fall
when he is sufferer, and goes away
to an obscure place where he can
get relief.
When 1t was widely heralded that
Mr.. Farley would leave the chair
manship. Frank C. Walker, New
York attorney, a long time sup
porter and friend of the President,
who formerly served as national
treasurer for the Democrats and
has done other jobs for the admin
lstration, was trotted out as the
probable new chairman. He still
may be the selection, and many of
the National Committee members
in Chicago believed that Mr.. Walker
was the man. Mr.. Walker has dis
claimed all desire for the chairman.
ship, however.
More recently, there has been
increasing talk of the possibility of
naming Federal Security Admins
traitor Paul v. McNutt as chairman.
Mr.. McNutt has all the qualifca-
tions. He has energy, he has the
personality. he has the political
acumen. He has been Governor
OF Indiana. He has been faithful
to Mr.. Roosevelt, even when he has
had plenty of provocation to break
away. Some of the inner circle
New Dealers dislike Mr.. McNutt.
They thought he was too pushing
too practical. And it has been re-
ported on occasion that the Pres
ldent himself was lukewarm or even
cold to the man he made first
United States High Commissioner
to the Philippines and then Federal
Security Administrator.
Mr.. McNutt as national chair
man, might do a good deal to Offset
In Indiana the candidacy of Wendell
L. Willkie, Republican nominee and
native Hoosier. He might be
especially influential with the
American Legion, of which he was
national commander at one time.
The retirement of Mr.. Farley as
national chairman-f he retires as
is now expected-will not romove
him from the field of politics. He
has said he intends to remain
Democratic State chairman of New
York, an Office to which he was re-
elected earlier this year. 1t will,
however. break up the old political
team of Roosevelt and Farley, which
has won many a political victory.