Evening star., 1949-01-24
Dewey Baekers Seen
Tightening Control
OF Party Leadership
kY the Annotated Press

Republican National Chairman
Hugh D. Scott, jr., appeared today
to have frightened the control Of
Gov. Thomas E. Dewey's supporters
over operations of the Republican
National Committee.
And, barring q successful chal-
lenge Of his authority at meetings
In Omaha Wednesday and Thurs
day, he seemed likely to get away
with his defiance of critics who
have been calling for a new look"
in the party's leadership.
Representative Scott took the Of
tensive in what has become losing
effort to oust him as chairman by
choosing his own 15-member exec
utive committee over the week end.
- Moreover, he put himself in as
chairman of the executive group,
challenging those who had sought to
curb his power over party affairs.
He told news conference at Omaha
yesterday he wouldn't resign either
as national chairman or as a men,
Der of the House from Pennsylvania.
Listed as Supporters.
Denying that his committee lineup
was weighted heavily with Dewey
admirers, Mr.. Scott said that in
naming the members he didn't take
into account whom they favored for
the COP presidential nomination.
Anyhow, he said, Gov. Dewey is not
now a candidate "by his own ad-
mission"
Out of Is named by Mr.. Scott and
10 ex offlcio members, politicians fig
ured that at least II were active
supporters of Gov. Dewey before he
won the party's presidential nomina-
ton at Philadelphia last June. Rep
resentative Scott himself was picked
for national chairman by Gov,
Dewey, after the latter's nomination,
Included in the new committee
group are such Dewey sta]Warts as
j. Russell Sprague, New York COM
nitteeman, and Harry Darby, Kan
sas committeeman who was for
Gov. Dewey as far back as 1910.
Like Mr.. Darby, however, all of
these may not favor a third nomi-
nation for Gov. Dewey. But Re-
publicans generally count them
sympathetic for the time being to
Gov. Dewey's views about how the
committee ought to be run.
Taft Backers Included.
The new executive committee,
with its 10 ex-off1cio members, in
eludes a half dozen members who
have been hackers of Senator Taft
OF Ohio and a couple of precon-
vention supporters OF Harold E.
Stassen.
But critics said Representative
Scott had left out some Of the ma
donal commitment who have not
neen enthusiastic about keeping the
House member at the head of the
Harty organization.
They noted that. Representative
clarence Brown of Ohio, Sinclair
Weeks of Massachusetts, Ralph H.
Cake of oregon and Ralph F. Gates
Of Indiana, all active in the past,
were not included in the committee
enolces.
Ordinarily, the Executive Com
inittee doesn't do much. 1t has the
power, however, to run the National
Committees business between con-
tentions, with some exceptions.
1It can't elect the national chair
man, fill a vacancy on its own COM
mittee. issue a convention call or
pass on the roll of delegates to con-
ventions.
s A report on party finances was
submitted last night by Harold E.
Talbot, chairman of the Republican
Finance Committee. He said the
party has paid all 1948 campaign
BILLS and has a slight surplus, plus
$500, 900 in a reserve fund.
The party is mot broken in faith,
enthusiasm or financially" Mr.. Tai
bott said.