Evening star., 1949-07-14
The Political Mill y>~~ n4
COP, Chairman Gains
Strength With Attacks
Scott Seen Waiting for Showdown
With Party's Bitter.Enders
Bv Gould Lincoln

Bv Gould Lincoln
The embattled chairman of the Repub-
lican National Committee, Hugh D. Scott,
jr. Representative from Pennsylvania.
seems to have as many political lives as the
proverbial cat has feline lives For six months
he has been subjected to attack after attack
by those members of the National Committee
and others in his party who wish to get
him out The latest, growing out OF mys-
terlous meeting in the Duquesne Club in
Pittsburgh, whose instigator seems to have
been Harrison E. Spangler of Iowa, former
national chairman, finds Mr.. Scott still in
office and waiting for showdown if Mr..
Spangler 81 Co. wish to have one. Mr.. Scott.
1t is reported, has greater strength in the
committee today than he did in the Omaha
meeting last January, when he beat his OPP
ponents 81 10 so. The margin in his favor
might today be- 16 votes. it is said.
Mr.. Scott however. is not holding on to
the Craftsmanship just for his own personal
qualification. Although he has made no
statement, it is understood he is willing to
retire if and when an outstanding Repub-
ican, preferably from the Middle West, may
be agreed on by the various factions in the
committee as his successor.
This does not satisfy the bitter-enders
against MI Scott. They apparently want his
scalp. and then the privilege of fighting it
out as they see fit for new chairman.
Leaders Meet Here.
For two days small group of Republican
leaders discussed the national chairmanship
here in Washington this week. Their desire
is to bring an end to party strife without
washing the party's dirty linen in public. In
cluded in the group were friends OF Mr.. Scott
Senator Martin and Republican National
Committeeman G. Mason Owlett, both of
Pennsylvania. and J. Russell Sprague, ma
>tional committeeman from New York, and
Representative Hall of New York. chairman
of the Republican Congressional Committee.
They made it plain they were not there to
ease Mr.. Scott out of the Craftsmanship. The
others in the group were Senator Brewster of
Maine, chairman of the Republican Sena-
torial Committee; Arthur E. Summerfield,
national committeeman from Michigan, and
Col. r. B. Creager of Texas. who has had
the longest continuous service on the Ma
tional Committee.
Mr.. Scott, it is clear, does not intend to
allow himself to be pushed around. Nor does
he intend to resign to make it possible for
his bitter enemies former National Chair
men Carroll B. Reece of Tennessee and for
mer Chairman Spangler of Iowa, or National
Committeeman Guy George Gabrielson Of
New Jersey-any of them-to move into the
Craftsmanship. Mr.. Gabrielson is regarded
as an active candidate for the office One
rumor has it that the New Jersey man has
the backing of Sam Pryor, a vice president
OF Pan American Airways and former Re-
publican National Committeeman from Con-
necticut. Opponents of Mr.. Scott insist,
however. that the injection of Pan Amer
lean Airways into the picture is an attempt
to drag red herring across the track.
Defended in Congress.
The recent attacks on Mr. Scott have
brought several of his congressional friends
into open defense of the chairman. Repre-
sentatives Vursell of Illinois and Jackson of
California took the matter to the floor of
the House, with fiery speeches demanding
that the efforts to oust Mr.. Scott be dropped
and that the Republicans close ranks and
do their fighting against the Democrats.
Also the Republican members of the Penn
sylvania delegation adopted a resolution
backing Mr.. Scott to the limit and approv-
ing his work as chairman. At the meeting
OF the PENNSYLVANIA delegation, Senator
Williams of Delaware and Representative
Beall of Maryland took occasion to declare
themselves opposed to the effort to oust
MIR. Scott. f>f-
In some quarters 1t has been charged that
Mr. SCOTS retention as chairman is making
it difficult to raise funds for the committee.
The committee. however, Is getting contri-
buttons, and Mr. Scott is reported resenting
efforts to force him out by financial coer-
cion.
Although 1t is not now brought into the
open. presidential politics-for 1952-is be-
lieved to play its part in the effort to dis
lodge Mr.. Scott as national chairman. He
was the selection of Gov Dewey of New
York for the Craftsmanship last year. Those
who are backing other presidential possi-
bilities and who wish to see Mr.. Dewey sunk
without trace are in the fight to eliminate
Mr.. Scott.
If and when Mr. Scott retires from the
Craftsmanship, it will be on his own volition
and on his own terms. and for some new
chairman who is not closely identified with
the presidential ambitions of any candidate.