Evening star., 1943-10-20
WiI|kie Supporters
Reported Confident
of Nomination
BY GOULD LINCOLN.

| ny NOOLD LlNCOLN.
House Republicans who listened te
Wendell L. Willkie at private din.
ner of the ''78 Club" last night ir
the Continental Hotel came away
deeply impressed with Mr.. Wilkes
ability as supersalesman.
The 1910 Republican presidential
nominee is a vigorous, though un-
ANNOUNCED. candidate for the party's
nomination next year. For many
months he has been engaged in
selling himself to the men and wom-
en- who make up the Republican
party organizations in every State
Today his friends say that Mr..
Willkie personally knows more of
these organization leaders and
workers than any other man. More
over, they insist that Mr.. Willkie
will be acquainted with nearly all
OF them by the time the Republican
National Convention meets in 1914.
One OF the tough spots for Mr.
Willkie in the Republican party.
since his defeat in 1910, has been the
Republican members of Congress.
So his meeting with nearly 100 of
the House members last night may
well have been important. The 78
Club Is composed of freshman Re-
publican members Of the House.
Convinced Of Sincerity.
One member, who already was
friendly to Mr.. Willkie, said: Mr..
Willkie convinced those who attend
ed the dinner that he is sincere and
that he knew what he was talking
about"
The Willkie talk to the members
was entirely "off the record He is
understood, however, to have gone
over much the same ground with
them that he covered in his recent
St. Louis address. Beyond that, he
gave them many reports and many
views Of important affairs and men
which were not included, and could
not be included in public address
1t was revealed that he will speak
in the politically important States OF
New York, New Jersey and Massa-
chusetts within the next few weeks
but is not expected by his friends
formally to enter the race until some
time after the first Of the year.
He will speak tomorrow night in
Syracuse, N. Y, at a rally for Joe r
Hanley, Republican candidate fcr
| lieutenant governor in next month S
election. He also will speak soon in
New Jersey for Walter Edge, Repub-
lican candidate for Governor, and
in Boston early next month in a
War Chest drive
The Willkie supporters are su-
premely confident that he will be re-
nominated next year. Indeed, some
Of them insist that 1t is 2-to-1 bet
right now that he will be the party
choice.
Here is the way they size up the
situation. In the first place, Mr..
Willkie is doing all the running up
to date. and he has made great
progress, overcoming much of the
opposition in many quarters that
has existed in the past. Further,
they do not see at present any par
ticularly formidable opponent. They
go on the theory that you cannot
beat somebody with nobody"-an old
political saw that has stood the
passage Of time.
Dewey's Statement Accepted.
They accept the fiat assertion Of
Gov. Thomas E. Dewey Of New York
that he intends to serve out his term
as Governor and is not and will not
be a candidate. They insist that If
he does later become a candidate,
he will have weakened his chances
tremendously by his past state
ments, public and private.
They believed that the candidacy
Of Gov. John w. Bricker of Ohio
has gotten nowhere. Indeed, they
are referring to reports that Gov
Bricker will soon announce he is
candidate for a fourth term rs
Governor of Ohio. Under the State
law, Gov. Bricker could seek re-
nomination and at the same time
enter the Ohio presidential prefer
ence primary and have delegates
/ elected to the national convention
pledged to himself.
Ohio Republican leaders admit
that Gov. Bricker might injure his
chances for the presidential nomina-
ton by entering the primaries for
denomination for governor 1t might,
they say, be a psychological mistake
On the other hand, they report that
Gov. Bricker is being urged to an
nounce for the gubernatorial nomi-
nation in order to prevent scram-
BILE by four other aspirants for that
nomination which might disrupt the
Republican party in the Buckeye
State.
Gov. Bricker is expected to make
an announcement of his political
plans the first week in November,
after the municipal elections have
been held.
The Willkie supporters point out
that Senator Taft of Ohio, who was
runnerup to Mr.. Willkie in the 1910
Republican National Convention
long since has announced he in
tends to run for the Senate again
Senator Taft has given no indication
that he will seek a presidential
nomination next year should Gov
Bricker withdraw from the race.
Macarthur Move Discounted.
They do not take seriously the
move which has been started in
this country to bring about the
nomination OF Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur, nor do they look with alarm
upon the recent efforts Of certain
Republicans to bring former Gov
Harold Stassen of Minnesota, now
a lieutenant commander In the
Navy, into the presidential picture
They point out that Comdr. Stassen
not only is in the service, but also
that he is only So years old.
The way the pro-Willkie Repub-
licans put it is this: Mr.. Willkie is
"in," 80 far as the nomination Is
concerned unless some new figure
emerges, not now in the picture, who
will capture the imagination Of the
people. They see no such figure or
the horizon.
q. So l.