Evening star., 1940-06-02
6. 0. P. Lines Shifting
As Leaders Work
To Stop Dewey
Simpson Boosts Hoover
AS Speaker, Blocks
Bid to lundon
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

presidential nomination is going
into the final stage, with the party's
national convention only three
weeks away.
Radical shifts in the lines are
being made by party leaders anx-
ious to block the nomination of
Thomas E. Dewey, New York racket
busting district attorney. Re-
publican National Committeeman
Kenneth F. Simpson of New York,
now an arch enemy of Mr.. Dewey,
is boosting former President Hoover
as a speaker at the Republican Ma
tional Convention.
When Mr.. Simpson was first
elected to the National Committee
he announced that "the people look
to the Republicans f leadership
not unSer the 'cmination of Mr.
Hoover. the Liberty League, or some
Of the reactionary influences in the
party"
1t was presume that Mr.. Simp-
son would work hand in glove with
former Gov. ALT NJ Landon of Kan
sas, the party standard bearer in
1896, to bring about the nomina-
ton OF a progressive Republican
candidate. But now it develops that
Mr.. Simpson, who favored the invi-
tation to Mr.. Hoover to address the
convention, blocked similar invi-
tation to Mr.. Landon.
Landon a Delegate.
The suggestion that Mr.. Hoov n
and Mr.. Landon be invited to ad-
dress the convention, made ny
Chairman John Hamilton, came at
a meeting of the Arrangements
Committee in Philadelphia. It met
with favor, and Col. r. B. Creager,
national committeeman for Texas,
moved that an invitation be ex-
tended to Mr.. Hoover, and, accord
ing to reports. Mr.. Simpson Sec
onded the motion, which was
adopted.
Then motion was made by for
mer Senator Hastings of Delaware
that Mr.. Landon be invited. The
motion was seconded by Henry P.
Fletcher of Pennsylvania, former
chairman Of the committee.
1t was then that Mr.. Simpson de-
hvered himself of remarks that
amazed some of his committee as
sociates. He said, in effect, that
there seemed to mistaken assump-
ton that Mr.. Hoover and Mr.. Lam
don are in similar positions.
'Mr. Hoover" he said, sis a for
mer President of the United States.
Mr.. Landon has never been Presi-
dent. Also Mr.. Landon is a dele
gate to the Republican National
Convention from Kansas He is at
liberty to address the convention at
any time he can obtain recogni-
ton"
Mr.. Simpson inferred that Mr..
Landon would have no trouble OBJ
tanning recognition, particularly in
view OF the fact that his friend,
Representative Martin of Massachu-
sets, Republican leader of the
House, is to be permanent chairman
of the convention.
Hoover Not on Record.
The members of the Committee
on Arrangements were taken aback
by the Simpson objection to the
Landon invitation. Mr.. Hastings, a
conservative who had sought to do
the generous thing toward a leader
Of the opposing faction, said he
made the motion in good faith,
but that he did not wish to en-
barrass Mr.. Landon, and that he
would withdraw the motion. His
second. Mr.. Fletcher, consented to
the withdrawal. The incident
passed off.
The net result was that Mr..
Hoover is invited to address the con-
vention-as he did in 1936-and Mr..
Landon Is not invited.
Mr.. Hoover has never gone on
record as favoring the nomination
Of any Of the candidates for the
presidency. It has been suspected
he did not look with favor on the
nomination of Mr.. Dewey, although
he has not made a statement.
Mr. Landon has by no means COM
mitted himself to Mr.. Dewey. Mr..
Simpsons strange procedure, how
ever, is arousing curiosity.
The tendency, since the war in
Europe took on its present deadly
serious form. has been to belittle
Mr.. Dewey as candidate because
of his youth-he is 38 years old
and because of his lack of expert
ence in foreign affairs.
Dewey Seen Losing Ground.
Supporters of Senator Taft of
Ohio and Vandenberg of Michigan
insisted yesterday that the New
Yorker had lost ground So did some
more impartial Republicans.
The opinion was expressed by some
Of New England's leading Repub-
licans that the loss to Mr.. Dewey
had been an advantage particularly
to Senator Taft. Inceed, they in
sisted that Senator Taft was the
strongest candidate among New Eng
land Republicans today.
These New Englanders also voiced
the opinion that Senator Vanden-
berg, by his isolationist speeches in
the past, had hopelessly ditched
IlLllScu. IL uluSG DC uIlQeTSUOOQ,
however, that these opinions hail
from the Eastern Seaboard, where
there is considerable sentiment for
intervention by this country on the
side of the Allies.
The Vandenberg forces are by no
means downcast. They believe that
the experience of Senator Vanden-
berg in the Senate, and as a member
of the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions, has made him the man of the
hour for the G.. o. p and for the
country.
Taft Managers Confident.
The Taft managers are quietly
confident that the situation has
finally turned definitely in favor of
their man. They are counting on
something like S35 delegate votes on
the first ballot and believe and hope
it may 60 much higher They do not
believe that Mr.. Dewey will muster