Evening star., 1948-12-21
The Political Mill

Pow-wow in Middle West
Stimulus for Party Rebuilding Sought
in Area of Former Triumphs
By Gould Lincoln
The Republicans are going to the Middle
West for their hrst big pow-wow since the
presidential election-the meeting Of the Re.
publican National Committee, which National
Chairman Hugh Scott plans to call around
January 20. At least, this Is the chairman's
present plan. The expectation Is that the
meeting place will be farther west than Chi.
cago-lDrhaps st. Louis. Kansas City, Des
Moines or Omaha.
The Middle West-where the Republican
comeback after the early Roosevelt Demo-
cratic triumphs first started-let the Repub.
lcans down in the recent elections. 1t may
be that the determination to 20 West for
the national committee meeting Is to give
stimulus to rebuilding there once again.
It will be at this meeting that the Repub-
hcans will 60 along with Chairman Scott In
his determination to hold on to his chairman
ship or seek to put the skids under the Penn.
sylvanian. There is q growing feeling. how
ever, that Mr.. Scott Is not to be dislodged.
So far the only potential opposing candidate
Tor the chairmanship seems to be Represent
ative Dirksen Of Illinois, who Is retiring volun-
tarily from Congress. Whether Mr. Dirksen
himself would be interested in the ONCE has
not been disclosed. He has been In Puerto
Rico and is not expected back in Washington
until the end OF the month. Mr.. Dirksen
has been forceful member Of the House, an
excellent speaker on the progressive side and
supporter Of the Vandenberg foreign policy
leadership of the Republicans.
Full Time Job Argument.
One Of the arguments which is used by
those who oppose retention of Mr.. Scott as
national chairman is that the job Is q full
time job, and that Mr.. Scott is q member of
the House. MIR. Scott has given no intimation
he will resign from Congress. On the con-
trary, during the campaign, which resulted in
his reelection by large majority. Mr.. Scott
said he would serve his term II he won. There
Is plenty Of precedent for . member Of Con-
gress who also Is chairman Of one of the
major parties national committees Obviously
however, the Republicans are strongly in
need OF better organization, and Of much
detailed work by an experienced man.
If Mr.. Scott Is to remain as both national
chairman and member Of the House, an easy
solution of the problem would be the ap-
pointment Of an executive assistant who would
give his whole time to the problem OF organi-
zation. This would leave the national chair
man free to get around the country-and also
to work at his job in the House. natural
for this office would be "Vic" Johnston. Mr..
Johnston took over the work Of putting Wis
consin back in the Republican column several
years ago. BY the time he finished there,
Wisconsin not only had Republican governor
but two Republican senators, and q solid Re.
publican delegation in the House Mr. john
ston next took up the job of making Harold
Z. stassen leading contender for the Re-
publican presidential nomination. An OUT
standing success was his handling Of the presi.
Dental primary campaign in Wisconsin, where
Mr.. Stassen got the bulk Of the delegation to
the Republican Nation Convention and shut
Gov. Dewey of New York out entirely.
Ability Recognized.
However. If Mr.. Johnston should become an
executive assistant in the Republican National
Committee, he would wear no candidates
collar. He would devote all his time to his
passion for political organization, from ths
precinct up, which the G. O. p. appears to
need. For not only did Mr.. Johnston not see
eye to eye with Mr.. Stassen and the latters
other advisers in the fipal days Of the pre-
nomination campaign, but he was taken on
by the Dewey forces handling the presidential
campaign after the New York Governor had
been nominated. This was in recognition Of Mr..
Johnston's abilities.
Mr.. SCOTS first planned move to stir up
renewed interest in the Republican party is the
holding Of q Republican Policy Conference
q project which he announced more than q
week ago. The reaction to it has been more
favorable than hostile, although some of the
Republicans with whom Mr.. Scott has talked
have been bit skeptical. He has had op-
portunity to discuss the matter with several
of the Republican congressional leaders, among
them Senators Taft of Ohio and vandenberg
of Michigan. Mr.. Taft is understood to have
raised no objection to the project, although
questioning hom much could be accomplished
at such q meeting. In any event, it is expected
that the plan for q conference will be placed
on the agenda Of the National Committee