Evening star., 1943-01-17
Democrats Expected
To Name Walker as
Chairman Tomorrow
Problem Faces Party
Meeting on Supporting
Flynn Appointment
BY GOULD LINCOLN.

slated to be elected chairman oi
the Democratic National Com
mittee at a meeting of the COM
mittee here Monday morning.
Mr.. Walker is the choice of Presi-
dent Roosevelt for the job Judg-
ing from the comment of early ar
riving members of the national com
mittee there will be no opposition
to his election and no other candi-
date will be placed in nomination
Mr.. Walker will succeed Edward
j. Flynn, the present national chair
man, who has been appointed Min.
lister to Australia, with kind of
rowing commission in the Southwest
Pacific.
Mr.. Flynns appointment has
brought an avalanche of criticism
mostly from Republicans, although
there are plenty Of Democrats who
feel uneasy over the matter. The
Democratic National Committee is
expected to adopt a resolution ex-
pressing its appreciation of the serv-
ices of Mr.. Flynn, who has been
chairman since the summer of 1910,
when he succeeded James A. Farley.
Problem Faces Committee.
The problem which confronts the
committee, however, is whether it
should couple with its praise of
Mr.. Flynn as national chairman
some expression that it backs the
appointment to the diplomatic serv-
Ice. There are some members of
the committee who do not believe
the committee should go into that
matter. However, if the trainers of
the resolution should write into it
approval of the Flynn appointment,
the committee could not turn it
down without a serious break with
the President.
Chairman Flynn is not expected
to reach Chicago until tomorrow. It
may be he will relieve the tension
by saying he will be satisfied with
a resolution merely dealing with his
service as chairman. Postmaster
General Walker is reported to be
coming here with Mr.. Flynn.
The Flynn nomination is pending
before the Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations, which has Or
dered an open hearing on charges,
including the case of the Belgian
paving blocks, owned by the City
of New York which were used to
pave the courtyard of the Flynn
country home.
Mr.. Flynn has expressed conf
dence he can answer all the charges
successfully. However, the Senate
committee, controlled by a Demo-
cratic majority, has not yet passed
upon the nomination, and several
of the democratic national com
prefer to leave the whole
matter to the Senate committee
rather than have the committee nut
an oar in at this. time.
Hope fsr Harmony.
At present the Democrats are hop-
ing for an entirely harmonious com
mlttee meeting. They would like to
nave this especially as a contrast
to the knock-down- drag -out fight
which the Republicans had at the
meeting OF the national committee
IN st. Louis to select a national
chairman. The Republicans split
badly over the isolationist issue.
with Republican National Commit
teeman Schroeder of Illinois. a lead
Ing candidate for the cflairmanship.
taking the rap for the isolationists.
The fight ended in a compromise
selection, with Harrison S. Spangler
OF iowa as the new national chair
man.
Several weeks ago it was rumored
that some members of the Demo-
cratic committee desired to have
the election Of new national chair
man an "open" election, with no
dictation from Washington. This
was a result of the uneasy feeling
which entered into Democratic
hearts after the Republican victories
in the 1912 elections.
If there was any such idea, how
ever, it seems to have dissolved.
Further it is reported that Mr.. Far
ley advised strongly against any
effort to run counter to the White
House in the election of a new chair
man, although Mr. Farley has no
love for the present Democratic
administration in Washington.
Mr.. Farley, who was opposed to
third term nomination for the
President, has no liking for fourth
term nomination, either. He is now
in Mexico on business trip. On
his way back to New York it is
understood he may make several
visits in Southern States, where he
has many friends, and where the
New Deal is not as popular as it
once was. to sound out sentiment on
the 1914 Democratic presidential
domination.
Not Anxious for Job.
1t is no secret that Postmaster
General Walker has not been
anxious to become national chair
man. He has agreed to take over
the job, however, and the Demo-
cratic members of the committee
are pleased that he has. They not
only like Mr. Walker personally, but
they also are of the opinion that it
is wise to pick man who is both
widely and favorably known to
head the party's national organiza-
ton.
Mr.. Walker and Mr.. Farley have
been friends in the past, and still
are At one time Mr. Walker was
treasurer of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee while Mr.. Farley
was chairman. 1t is reliably re-
ported that before Mr. Farley
went to Mexico, Mr., Walker called
him on the long distance telephone
and asked his advice about taking
the national chairmanShip. 1t is
also reported that MI. Farley gave
him the go-ahead sign.
Reports that If MI. Walker be-
comes chairman, an executive di-
rector Of the national committee