Evening star., 1949-02-09

kEPUbLlCAN LEADEhS Al III
Republican Senators Vandenbel
at the Mayflower Hotel precedi
Senator Taft, dressed informall
Labor Committee.
included House Minority Leader
Martin, Senator Margaret Chase
Smith of Maine and Mrs. Jane
E. Hunter of Cleveland. Rep
resentative Dondero of Michigan,
general chairman of the Dinner
Committee, introduced the guests
at the head table. Representative
Morton of Kentucky was toast
ma aster.
y Also at the head table were Mrs.
Joseph R. harrington, president of
the League of Republican Women;
Mrs. A. Burks Summers, enter
tainment chairman: Mrs. Carroll
Kearns. program chairman, and
Mrs. Henry C. Stehl, correspond
ing secretary.
Discussing the division in the
Republican Party, Gov. Dewey
said, I'VE have in our party some
high minded patriotic people, who
honestly oppose farm price sup
port, unemployment insurance,
old-age benefits. slum clearance
and other such programs. These
people consider these programs
horrendous departures into pa
ternalism.
AT the other extreme are those
in the party vino seem to en-
brace the entire New Deal.
Personally, I disagree with both
extremes. The fact that I dis
agree is not so important, but
what is important is that both
courses are fatal to our party and
would be fatal to the country. II,
as a party. we try to 60 back to
the nineteenth century, or even
to the 1920's, you can bury the
Republican Party as the deadest
pigeon in the country"
Progressive Program Urged.
This brought instant applause,
and also his comment that "On
the other hand We can't out
promise the Democrats you
couldn't out-propise the Demo-
Gratis If you tried. because they
will promise anything to anybody
to get a vote"
What We ought to do is to stop
bellyaching about the past" Gov.
Dewey continued, either the dis
tant past or the immediate past.
and start making it everlastingly
clear to the country where we
stand and why. 1t Is perfectly
clear that only progressive. for
ward looking Republican Party
can provide the leadership this
countrv r>eds and must ultimately
get. ."
Policy In China Criticized.
Mr.. Dewey charged that the
Truman administration had sat
supinely by and allowed the Com
munist conquest of America s
traditional Chinese allies.
Fifteen months ago." he said.
II called the attention Of the
Nation to the onrushing tragedy.
The Republican Congress forced
an appropriation for the aid OF
China. But the administration
failed utterly in its policy and
it's irnplementation of that and
succeeding appropriations
Gov. Dewey said that similar
perils threaten here if social
progress is to be left in the hands
of the administration.
Mr.. Martin. in his talk, said the
Republican party-the party OF
Abraham Lincoln-is the party
of freedom-dedicated to save this
country from slavery to Govern
ment."
1--WE do not intend to submit to
the police state-or the total
state" he continued. "Our pro-
gram is to improve and perfect
the state of this Union"
Why Republicans Lost.
In bluntly worded speech, Mrs.
Smith said the Republicans lost
the last election because the peo-
pie do not like "do nothingism."
This included a slap at the 80th
Congress of which she was a
member.
when a party ceases to be
party of the people. the people
throw them out" said Mrs. Smith.
That's what happened to the
Democrats in 1916 and to the Re
publicans in 1948."
Mrs. Smith proposed creation
of Republican policy committee,
composed of three Senators. three
Representatives. three Governors
and two members of the Republi-
can National Committee. She
said that in the Senate group
should be some one identified with
the liberals"
To win in the future. she said.
the Republicans must go back to
the moderation of Abraham Lin
coin. She called President Tru-
man a minority President" and
said what Is left of the Republi-