Evening star., 1953-03-24
The Political Mill

Review Of Roberts Case
Shows He Didn't Lobby
Purty Leaders Have Confidence
In Integrity Of COP. Chairman
BY Gould Lincoln
The case for and against c. Wesley
Roberts, chairman of the Republican
National Committee, growing out Of
charges that he "lobbied" through the
sale Of hospital to the State of Kan
sas for fee of $1,000, when the
building already belonged to the State.
has been thoroughly aired. A review
Of the testimony before an investigat.
ing committee Of the Kansas Legisla.
ture shows that Mr.. Roberts did not
lobby that he acted only In the
capacity Of public relations counsel.
SO far as the ownership Of the building.
a hospital erected by an insurance
company on State-owned ground at
Norton, KanS., the issue has been taken
into the courts for final settlement
on suit instituted by the State Attor.
ney General.
Inevitably. the initiation of the
charges against Chairman Roberts led
TO the suggestion in some quarters -
particularly those attacking Mr.. Rob.
erts - that he, Roberts, should be
eliminated from the Office of Republic
can National Chairman. As matters
stand today. the supporters of Mr..
Roberts, including the highest placed
Republicans in the Eisenhower admin.
lstratlon, say they have every conn.
dence in Mr.. Roberts and his integrity
Iano that he will stay on as national
chairman. Senator Taft of Ohio. Re-
puoIcan leader Of the Senate, has
taKen no stand against MIR. Roberts
quite the contrary, he has been willing
70 go along with him, as chairman.
No DiScredit.
!ne circumstances surrounding tha
sale OF the hospital building clearly set
!ortn by Mr.. Roberts in his appearances
before the legislative committee reflect
creolt ana not diScredit on the Repub.
mean chairman. In the first place. at
the suggestion Of Mr.. Roberts. It was
agreed by Judge Edgar Bennett. presi-
dent Of the AOUW, the insurance com.
Pany owning the building, and Mr..
ROBERTS employer that the State, not
tne insurance company, would set the
!alr value OF the building and establish
1tS own pr1ce-for the AOUW to take
or leave. That being the case, the fee
paid to Mr.. Roberts by the Insurance.
company had no bearing on the amount
OF money paid by the State.
Second, Mr.. Roberts had q firm I'm.
derStanding he was not to "lobby" with
the members Of the State Legislature
ana the evidence given by members of
the Legislature themselves was that
he had not done so.
The fact that Mr.. Roberts had been
Republican State chairman and active
In poItlcS In Kansas was used to give
color to the charge he had been EN-.
p!oyed and acted as lobbyist. In 1851.
at the time OF the purchase of the hos.
pltal building, Mr.. Roberts was no
longer State chairman nor did he hold
any political Office. He had set up as a
public relations counsel.
Had the State not undertaken tina
purchase Of the hospital building. Mr..
Roberts would have received his same
fee Of $4,000, for there was an alter.
native proposition requiring his serv-
ices. The alternative was that the
AOUW would undertake an expansion
program for patients at the hospital
and that he would serve as public re.
latlonS counsel in this and other work.
1t is Mr.. Roberts contention that the
states interests were not only pro-
tected but benefited. Also, the State
set the price for the building.
Idle Argument.
The argument that the LEGISLATURE
bought building already owned by the
State seems not only incredible but
idle. Reversion of the building to the
State, it is pointed out, could only come
II the AOUW abandoned the building
which it had no intention of doing.
Tor 1t planned an expanded use Of it for
its patients if the building were sold to
the State. Legal opinion in Kansas Is
said to hold that the sale was proper.
and will be so decided by the courts.
Republican factional strife in Kansas
has been responsible for the attacks on
Mr.. Roberts. Indeed. as one Repub-
hcan leader in the Eisenhower admin.
istration said, had Mr.. Roberts, a mem
ber Of the faction which has been
dominant in Kansas in recent years.
not been named chairman of the Re-
publican. National Committee, nothing
would have ever been stirred up about
the sale of the hospital building.
MIR. Roberts, one of the early Eisen-
hover supporters in Kansas, served
first at Eisenhower headquarters dur
ing the preconvention campaign, and
during the national campaign as cam
paign co-ordinator and director. This
took him to every part of the country
and into communication with party
leaders and workers everywhere. His
efficient work led to his selection last
January as national chairman-with
the acquieScense of President Eisen-
hover. He was elected by the commit
tee without opposition.
Republican leaders here are saying
that If Republicans in important office
are to be let out every time charges,
however ill-founded, are lodged against
them, a sad state of affairs will de-
velop.