Evening star., 1941-03-23
Martin S Retention
AS 6. 0. P. Chairman
Forecast by Leaders
House Minority Leader.
Says He Will Resign
And Hopes 1t Sticks
BY GOULD LINCOLN.

Representative Martin of MaSSa-
chusetts, House minority leader, will
be retained as chairman of the Re-
publican National Committee, it was
predicted by committee members
who gathered here yesterday in
preparation for their meeting at
10:30 am. tomorrow in the Willard
Hotel.
| Mr.. Martin has announced he will
submit his resignation as chairman.
He said he would do so at a March
meeting of the committee, soon after
the close of the presidential cam
paign last November. However, an
avalanche of protests against his
withdrawal from the chairmanship
has developed, not only from men,
bers of the committee, but from
leading Republicans in and out of
Congress.
1t is expected, therefore, that a
motion to reject the resignation and
to ask him to continue will be sub
mitted Immediately when the COM
mittee meets tomorrow and that 1t
will be adopted, unless Mr.. Martin
himself declares he will not con-
tinue to serve under any circum-
stances.
May Name Own Assistant.
The committee, 1t is expected, will
authorize the appointment of an as
! SiStant or assistants, to the chair
man-and it is considered likely the
| choice of the assistant will be left
! to Mr.. Martin. 1t would scarcely
/ be wise for the committee to make
its own choice of an assistant and
then say to Mr.. Martin, Here is
! your assistant - make the best OF
him, but understand, he is our
| choice" At least that is the view
Of some committee members.
/ Since Mr.. Martin has heavy duties
/ to perform as Republican leader of
/ the House, if he remains as national
/ chairman, the appointment of an
! assistant to take some of the burden
of the national Craftsmanship off his
shoulders is believed necessary. In
all probability the assistants Office
/ will carry a salary.
! Mr. Martin would not comment on
the Craftsmanship last night. other
than to reassert he would offer his
! resignation and he hoped it would
stick
Midwest to Make Bid.
! If Mr.. Martin should retire as
chairman, the Midwest will make
strong bid for the national chair
manship This was made evident
at meeting of the Republican
State chairmen of dozen Midwest
States, held in Indianapolis Friday
and yesterday. If Mr. Martin re-
mains as chairman, there will be
drive for the selection of Mid
westerner to serve as his assistant
/ If and when an assistant is ap-
/ pointed. There are a couple OF
| State chairmen already regarded as
aspirants for this Office of assistant
Kenneth Wherry. State chairman
of Nebraska, and Arch N. Bobbitt,
State chairman of Indiana. There
are others in receptive mood,
either for the Craftsmanship or for
/ the Office of assistant
The national committee will have
before it, also, the resignation of
c. B. Goodspeed of Chicago, its
/ treasurer An attempt will be made
| to prevail on Mr.. GoodSpeed to
continue in his present Office, which
| he has run with efficiency-and
without a deficit coming over from
/ the last campaign. His health has
/ been bad however, and he may
| insist on retiring.
| Sinclair Weeks, national commit
/ teeman for Massachusetts, and who
formerly served as eastern treasurer
for the Republicans, has been men,
/ toned in connection with the treas
urership. If Mr. Martin remains as
/ chairman, however, it seems unlikely
! that Mr.. Weeks will become treas
urer. 1t would mean that the chair
manShip, the Office of treasurer and
! that of secretary would all be held
| by New England men, for Harold w.
Mason Of Vermont Is secretary.
Three Names Mentioned.
The names Of Edgar M. Queeney
Of st. Louis, James H. Douglas OF
Chicago and Maj. Henry P. Leonard,
/ Colorado State chairman, have all
been discussed as possible success
SorS to Mr.. GoOdSpeed. The MID
west has its eye on this office, as
we'll as on that of chairman. The
strong Republican showing made in
that section of the country in the
last elections, 1t is claimed, war
rants greater recognition in the ma
tional organization.
The meeting of the Midwest Re-
publican State chairman in Indian
apolis was an outgrowth of a meet
ing held several weeks ago in Omaha.
At that time there was a demand in
some quarters that Wendell L.
Willkie, the 1910 Republican presi-
Dental candidate, be slapped on the
wrist, at least, because of his out
spoken support of the lease-lend bill
and President Roosevelt's foreign
policy. 1t did not burst into flame,
however, and the agitation seems to
have subsidized now. Chairman Mar
tin attended the meeting in Indian
apolis Friday and strongly urged the
necessity of organization work, in
preparation for the congressional
and gubernatorial elections which
are to be held next year.
Reasons for Retention.
Two reasons have been advanced
for the retention of Mr.. Martin as
chairman. The first is that he has
made good both as leader of the
House Republicans and as national
chairman, and that, holding both
Offices, he will be in a position to
bring about the closest kind of CO.
operation between the Republicans
In Congress and the national Or
ganization. The second is that If he
is permitted to retire, there will be
desperate scramble for the JOB
among the adherents of the various
1914 presidential possibilities-Taft,
Vandenberg, Dewey, Willkie and
several others. No good could come,
it was said, of such a contest now.
Other members of Congress have
served as their party's national
chairman, 1t was recalled, among
them the late Senator Butler of
Massachusetts, and the late Senator
Fess of Ohio, both Republicans, and
Secretary of State Hull, who was
Democratic national chairman while
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