Evening star., 1942-12-09
New COP Chairman
10 Stay AIoof From
Policy Dictation
Anti-WiIIkie Group
Apparently Satisfied
Sponeler Is Neutral
BY GOULD LINCOLN,
Star Staff Correspondent.


raised their own particular star
Spangler banner, the Repub-
hcan hosts faded away from this
city rapidly today. They con-
graduated themselves and each
other on having come out of a
bitter fight, which might have
become more bitter, with the
election Of safe and sane" Har-
rison E. Spangler as national
chairman.
So far As is known, Chairman
Spangler has not committed himself
to any of the present presidential
possibilities for 1914. Nor is he
likely to. He halls from Iowa. which
up to date has no favorite son for
the nomination.
The anti-Willkie Republicans
and there were quite a number OF
them here-were saying that GER
tainly Mr.. Spangler was not a
Willkie man; that he was not the
candidate of Wendell L. Willkie, the
shock-haired, dynamic personality
who has rubbed them the wrong way
during the last year. The Willkie
people on the committee had sup
ported Fred Baker, youthful Repub-
hcan national committeeman from
Washington.
Schroeder Sidetracked.
The most ardent anti-Willkie
members of the Republican Ma
tional Committee went to bat for
Werner w. Schroeder of Illinois for
the office relinquished by Repre-
sentative Joseph w. Martin of
Massachusetts,. They did so because
Mr.. Willkie had turned thumbs
down on Mr.. Schroeder on the
ground he was tarred with the iso-
lationists' brush Not all of them
desired the actual election of Mr.
Schroeder, but they did not like to
have Mr.. Willkie attempt to dictate
to the committee.
1t was obvious from the start
that there had to be a compromise
Or there would have been a rift in
the party which has just come
through an election in better shape
than it has been for IA years. While
1t is possible that some of the men,
bers wish the compromise chairman
might have been a younger, more
aggressive and more glamorous man,
they are satisfied.
Mr.. Spangler is no stranger to the
members of the National Committee
and to members of the Republican
organization scattered throughout
the country. He has been a party
worker for years, and for the last
10 member of the National Com
mittee itself He is, indeed, an Or
ganization man. His job is one of
organization.
At his first press conference, Mr.
Spangler made 1t clear he has no
intention of seeking to lay down
policies for the Republican party.
He intends to stick to his knitting,
which is to prepare the way for
Republican victory at the polls
through organization improvements.
Others to Decide.
The Republicans In Congress, by
their actions. and the next Republi-
can National Convention, and the
Republican candidate for President
IN 1914 will enunciate> as far as
possible the principles and policies
upon which the COP will stand.
This seems to be a sound course
for the national chairman to pursue.
Certainly it should keep him out
of conflict with the congressional
members of the party.
For Mr.. Schroeder, it was a polit-
lcal tragedy that he happened to
be the national committeeman from
Illinois. He had done an excellent
organizing job in his State in the
last two elections. He is a success
full lawyer in Chicago. He has
political ability. He handled him.
self well in ST. Louis under trying
circumstances. But the fact he had
the support of so-called isolationists,
Including the Chicago Tribune, and
the issue had been raised widely
against his candidacy for the ma
tional Craftsmanship, made many of
the committeeman and women shy
away from him.
The Republicans, generally speak
Ing. are not desirous of having the
isolationist label placed on their
party They wish, rather, to be
known as a party devoted to the
successful prosecution of the war
and to lasting peace, even if it
calls for international cooperation
after the war has been won.
To Keep Miss Martin.
Mr.. Spangler. in all probability,
will do some revamping of the head
quarters organization. This will
mean bringing in some new faces,
rather than the elimination of old.
Already he has said that he intends
to keep Miss Marion Martin, the
Maine national committeewoman
As director of the woman's division.
Miss Martin has done a good job.
She has travelled throughout the
country in the last couple of years,
helping to organize the Republican
women in practically all of the
States.
The Importance of the woman
vote was clearly demonstrated in
the November elections. It is esti-
mated-and the estimate has been
borne out by actual figures-that
the woman vote in many places out
numbered the vote of the men. With
millions of men in the armed serv-
ices and others transferred from
their old homes to war plants, it is
easy to understand how this hap
pened.
Nevertheless. the women workers
In the national organization deserve
credit for helping to arouse the
women to vote Republican, and to
vote at all. 1t is said that the
women cast as high as so per cent
Of the total vote in some OF the
States.
May Have Finance Unit.
The chairman will deal also with
the finances for the national or
ganization. In all probability he
will have a special Finance Commit
tee, with an active chairman. A big
party organization must have funds
TO keep going. Representative Mar
tin, while he was chairman during