The Wilmington morning star., 1946-04-08
Agreement All Round
BY ARTHUR KROCK

on such subjects nave analyZed the political
meaning of the election on Representative
Reece as Chairman of the Republican National
Committee, and the vote is unanimous. Since
| the group includes the President, many ed-
tors and commentators and number of Re-
publican and Democratic politicians this una
ninity is striking.
The analysts seem to have agreed on the
following appraisal Of the committee election
| (although the Presidents comment was indl-
rect having been an endorsement of an article
on the subject by John w. Owens in The
| Baltimore Sum:
Mr.. Reece was chosen by the conservatives
in the Republican party because they think
he will be a standard chairman, who will not
give committee encouragement to any new
tangled ideas. He will lend no aid to those
Republicans who want to relate the size Of
State delegations in the national convention
more nearly to the number of Republican votes
cast in those States, which would cut down
the influence of the South in the choice OF
Presidential nominees. He will not be sympa-
thetic with the companion idea-that voting in
the national committee should be on weight
| ed basis.
The leaders who picked Mr.. Reece are cer-
tain that Republican victories in 1916 and 1948
will be founded on negative thinking, on the
votes of those who just want change, on
simple and automatic reaction. Believing that,
they see no benefit and much danger in try
ing to evolve a definite program Of progress
sivism to rival that Of the Democrats. Since
| this reasoning leads directly to the view that
any Republican nominee who is not too vulner-
| able and obsolete can be elected President in
1948 they want to be sure the national comit-
tee will do nothing to assist in the development
OF candidate who does not belong to their
group.
Finally, those in control of the committee are
absolutely certain that the issue Of inter-
ventionist versus noninterventionist as of 1885,
1941 will have no decisive effect in the 1s46 and
1948 elections Therefore, it follows that in
their view the party, the committee ard Mr..
Reece are not in the least damaged by the
reminder evoked by his choice that his non-
interventionist record in those years was 100
per cent plus
Whether this analysis, reached in amazing
harmony, is the correct and full explanation
cannot easily be proved because the combina-
ton Of Republican leaders who assembled the
necessary votes are rot likely to certify much
of its publicly But the vote on the three ballots
that were required before Mr.. Reece attained
a majority proves some other things rather
easily. Important among them is evidence
that the progressive and affirmative element
in the party has much more strength than the
ballots indicated and will exert it te3llngly in
the national convention of 1948, however little it
may influence the party committee in the
meantime.
This evidence is supplied by these facts:
The rational committte met last Monday,
several weeks after Herbert BrowneI, Jr.,
the interval the conservative leaders, who con-
troll the committee members in number of
large States and virtually all in the South,
the Philippines and the territories, canvassed
the eligibilities of Mr.. Reece and former SEN
ator Danaher of Connecticut. They were divid-
ed, with the larger number Of pawns marked
for Mr.. Reece, but fully resolved to unite if
the party progressives tried to take ever the
Craftsmanship.
These progressives were unable to make up
their minds tor days what to try to CO, and
with whom to attempt it. Not until last Sunday,
day before the election did they decide to
seek the craftsmanship. And at the same time
they picked John w. Hanes as their candidate.
His consent to the plan was obtained ever the
long distance telephone and twenty-four hours
later he got 81 votes ballot which gave 81
to Mr. Danaher and 46 to the eventual winner.
In all the circumstances that showing is
surprising, among these circumstances being
that this dark horse was high official in the
bers of his family in North Carolina Dem
ocrats of sufficient potency to have caused the
North Carolina national committeeman to de-
plore in open meeting that Hanes should be
suggested to lead the Republican party. But
the possibilities of future progressive strength
in Republican affairs are further indca by
the roster Of States whose committeeman or
commtteewonen, or both, voted for Mr. Hanes
on all three ballots: California. Georgia, Ken
lucky, Maine Massachusetts,, Michigan, Min
nesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South
Dakota Washington and Wisconsin.
L votes in the national committee were
weighted, either on population basis, or the
number Of votes cast for the party ticket in
Presidential elections, the final ballot score
would have been a truer index of the force
which was assembled quickly by the pro-
, gressive element behind candidate not rec
ognized as q fellow w-craftsman by the profes
sional politicians who usually dominate nation
al committees Science Monitor.
Editorial Comment