Evening star., 1948-12-09
The Political Mil
Republican Committee
Faces Lively Session
New National Chairman in Place
of Scott May Be Demanded
Bv Gould Lincoln


of Scott May Be Demanded
By Gould Lincoln
The Republican National Committee Is ex-
pected to meet here late in January to Ak its
budget for the coming year and attend to
other routine matters
Unless things quiet down. however the meet.
ing may be anything but routine. In the
first place, a lot of members feel that the
committee was forced into Cinderella role
during the recent presidential campaign
They don't like any part of it, they say. The
committee chairman, Representative Hugh
Scott of Pennsylvania had a speaking part in
the campaign-but the policy making and
the MANAGEMENT of the campaign rested with
Herbert Brownell, jr, who was appointed by
Gov Dewey, the presidential nominee, to do
the job
Committee members are now shouting that
this is the irst time that national chairman
and the national committee have been SO
ignored. They seem to forget, however, that
not only was Mr.. Brownel former national
chairman, but that Gov. Dewey also dictated
the election of Representative Scott as ma
tional chairman.
May Ask SCOTS Scalp
The irritated committee members want
something done about It. One of their de-
mands may be the scalp of Mr. Scott, although
it Is admitted that he has functioned we'll
as far as he was permitted to function. AL
ready there has been talk about bakers
dozen OF possibilities for chairman. But unless
there is some crystalization by the time the
committee meets, Mr. Scott may hold on any.
way Incidentally, Mr. Scott was himself re-
elected to Congress-and the State OF Penn
sylvania went Republican in the presidential
election which the States of some of Mr..
Scotts would-be bouncers failed to do.
With the feeling and talk what it Is, Mr..
Scott may ask for vote of confidence He
could if he wished, tender his resignation.
There has been no meeting of the committee
since the campaign got under way last sum-
mer Technically Mr.. Scott could hold on to
the craftsmanship until 1852 and the election
of a new committee But that will depend
upon Mr.. Scott himself and the temper Of
the members of the committee. He might
decide that the national Craftsmanship Is
full-time job and that his duties as member
of the House would interfere with his keep
ing on as chairman.
Kelland's Shipping Recalled.
Had Mr.. Dewey been elected President, the
picture for the committee would be very diff
ferent. No one would be talking about getting
Mr.. Scott out and and putting some one else in
the chairmanship AS it is, it did not take long
for Clarence Burlington Keland, national COM
mitteeman for Arizona, to start shooting at
the New Yorkers, declaring that they lost the
election because they conducted q Snug.
supercilious, arrogant campaign" Mr. Kelland
wants 10 throw them out lock, stock and
barrel-although, of course, New York will
S%~ AvrA akArR xhA
national committee.
Brown Mentioned
One demand that is coming from COMMITTEES
members is that the national chairman be,
from now on, member Of the committee
which Mr. Scott Is not-and that the COM
mittee take on more responsibility In party
affairs. If the latter is tried, the COMMITTEES
may find itself running head on into the
Republicans in the new Congress, who already
are talking about writing the principles and
policies of the COP for the immediate future.
Among those who have been mentioned for
chairman of the committee in place Of Mr..
Scott are Representative Brown of Ohio-who
says he does not want the office and could not
take it because he has to give his time to the
House-Sinclair Weeks of Massachusetts,, Roy
Dunn of Minnesota, all members of the ma
tional committee; Representative Dirksen Of
Illinois, who is retiring from Congress; Carroll
Reece, who was national chairman before Gov.
Dewey's nomination last June, and Victor
Johnston, who played q large part in the pre-.
convention campaign of Harold E. Stassen,
candidate for the presidential nomination, and
more recently worked in the Dewey campaign.
Stassen Might Back Coleman.
Whether Gov. Dewey, Senator Taft Of Ohio,
Gov Warren of California and Mr.. Stassen,
now president of the University Of Pennsyl-
vania, will undertake to mix up in the COM
mttee fight, If it arises, remains to be seen.
They all have friends among the COMMITTEES
members. 1t appears from Mr.. Deweys own
comments that he is not thinking about
another presidential nomination. While Sena-
tor Taft has made no statement, he also
has been considered out of the running.
On the other hand, every one expects Mr.
Stassen to be in there pitching when 1862
rolls around and Gov. Warren may make
another try.
If the Stassenites are casting around for O
national chairman they could turn with good
grace to Thomas E. Coleman of Madison, Wis.
Mr.. Coleman played an important part in
bringing Wisconsin back into the Republican
column during the Roosevelt administration.
and he was warm supporter Of Mr.. Stassen
for the nomination this year.