Evening star., 1948-01-02
Neutrality Declared
BY Reece in 6. @. P.
Presidential Race
By J. A. O'leory

Chairman Carroll Reece of the
Republican National Committee
declared his neutrality today in
the war that will be waged during
the next six months or the partys
presidential nomination.
: He made it clear in letter toI
party workers that the NATIONAL
headquarters is not a part of the
policy-making machinery, but will
continue to assist in the presenta-
ton of the party program to the
public as it takes shape.
Mr.. Reece, a former member OF
the House from Tennessee, pointed
out that the record of the Repub-
lican controlled Congress during
the coming session, will be part of
the party policy, and probably will
become the most important factor
in the determination of Republican
success or failure in the election.
, The letter was viewed by political
observers as bid for harmony be-
tween national headquarters and
the rank and file of COP member
ship on Capitol Hill this winter.
With more hope of winning the
White House than they have had in
IL years, there are more Republicans
than usual anxious to make a try
for the nomination. Some of these
potential standard bearers are in
the Senate and House, and the Re-
publican Senators and Representa-
tives who are not candidates them
selves are likely to have preferences,
seven if they do not express them.
In these circumstances the ma
@tional Republican headquarters
.rnight find itself frequently in hot
water with some group of Repub-
=licans if it did not, at the start of
~1948, declare its neutrality. /
; During the recent special session
Mr.. Reece and his headquarters
were targets of criticism from some
: Republican Senators, who felt the
party should concentrate more on
=. developing a constructive program
=. instead of merely attacking Demo
= cratic proposals.
: Senators Aiken and Flanders of
Vermont, Baldwin of Connecticut
and Smith of New Jersey were
among those who shared this view.
: In his letter today Mr.. Reece rec
sognized that between now and June
a"there will be strenuous efforts to
promote the interests OF various cam |
didates. He emphasized, however,
that by long standing tradition the
national chairman of party and
his headquarters staff must take no
part in the intraparty race for the
nomination.
This standing tradition, he
said, lis being and will continue to
be observed scrupulously' by COP
national headquarters.
The headquarters machinery of
the National Committee exists to
: elect candidates-not to select
, them" he wrote.
Meanwhile. from Capitol Hill
came further evidence of the need
for neutrality at national head
quarters. Representative Allen,
Republican. of Illinois, chairman of
the powerful Rules Committee,
started a one-man drive to boost
Speaker Martin of Massachusetts I
for the presidential nomination.
Mr.. Allen estimated the Speakers
chances of being the nominee at
lone in five" The Illinois member
said the. Speaker knows his friends
are talking him up" but is taking
no part in the move himself. Mr.. |
Allen represented Mr., Martin as
feeling that no one could refuse the
nomination.
The Speakers friends are pro-
ceeding on the theory that Senator |
Taft of Ohio and Gov. Thomas E.
Dewey of New York may knock
each other out of the running at
the Philadelphia convention, as
they did in 1940 They are drum
ming up the argument that Speaker
Martin would be the logical COM
promise. In 1910 the late Wendell .
Willkie captured the nomination
after the Taft-Dewey battle.