Evening star., 1942-12-04
The COP Chuirmunship

The 0OP ChuIrmunship
Rising like a phoenix from its own
ashes-or the ashes of some of its
opponents-the Republican party
again has won political Importance.
For decade the COP had been
kicked around-until the November
elections of 1912. AS result of
those elections the Republican party
is in control in most of the big in
dustrial States of the North and the
East, of the great agricultural States
OF the Midwest, and has reached out
to the Pacific Coast. 1t is almost
numerically equal to the Democrats
in the House Of Representatives, and
has materially strengthened its po-
sition in the Senate.
For these reasons the selection of
chairman of the Republican Ma
tional Committee, to be made in st.
Louis on Monday, has aroused more
than passing interest. Rep. Joseph
w. Martin, jr., Of Massachusetts, has
announced his determination to re-
sign that office so that he may de-
vote his whole time to his leader
ship of the party in the House. Cam
didateS and near-candidates for the
chairmanship are numerous. Early
aSpirants were Werner w. Schroe-
der of Illinois and Harrison E. Spang-
1or Of kofk, ~
national committee. Since then,
however, the crop of possibilities has
extended to include former Repre-
sentative John B. Hollister of Ohio;
Frank Gannett, newspaper pub
Usher; Gov Carr of Colorado; former
Senator Townsend of Delaware; Re
publican State Chairman Ralph
Gates of Indiana; Republican State
Chairman J. Kenneth Bradley of
Connecticut, and Republican State
Chairman H. Alexander Smith Of
New Jersey.
Aside from the selection of a chair
man well fitted to carry on for the
Republicans during the next two
years in laying the groundwork for
the national campaign OF 1914. two
issues are involved. The first Is the
issue of isolationism. The second is
the more personal issue Of presi-
dental candidates.. The Republican
presidential nomination has become
a matter of great Importance, a prize
for which struggle already is un-
der way.
Presidential possibilities, including
Governor-elect Thomas E. Dewey OF
New York; Wendell L. Willkie, the
party nominee in 1910, and Senator
Robert A. Taft of Ohio. runner-up
to Mr.. Willkie two years ago, are in
sisting they have no candidates for
the Office. Nevertheless, they and
their supporters will take keen in
terest in the election Of chairman.
Mr.. Willkie has declared his in
terest particularly in the background
of any chairman candidate-the po-
sition of the candidate on the for
eign- policy issue. AS titular head
of the party, Mr.. Willkie and his
hackers insist that the Republicans
must not slide back to the old isola-
zionist attitude He will fight as
vigorously as he can any candidate
with an isolationist record, with iso-
lationist tendencies or with an iso-
lationist environment. For that rea-
son, he has turned thumbs down on
Mr.. Schroeder of Illinois who, wheth-
er he desires it or not, bears the i'm
print of the Chicago Tribune and
Senator Brooks Of Illinois, pre-Pearl
Harbor isolationist.
Many of the Republicans, particu-
larly in the Middlewest, do not look
with favor on the leadership of Mr..
Willkis, or his possible candidacy
for the 1914 nomination. This COM
plicates still further the situation
as the national committee is about
to assemble. The very fact that Mr..
Willkie is a torch-bearer against the
isolationists, gives that issue still an
other unfortunate angle.
1t would be a sad day should the
Republican party and its leadership
turn back the pages to 1920 and the
years that Immediately followed.
Those were the days when the United
States sought to withdraw into its
shell, when 1t was popular to say:
LET the rest of the world care for
itself" The hope of the future is
that the American people will never
again assume such an attitude.