Evening star., 1953-01-17
Republicans Meet
To- Elect Chairman
And Hail Victory
By Gould Lincoln


tory was the theme song of the
meeting of the Republican Ma
tional Committee in the May
flower Hotel today.
Retiring Republican National
Chairman Arthur E. Summer
field. who is to be Postmaster
General in the new administra-
ton, told the committee the
country had elected "one of the
great men of America, Dwight
D. Eisenhower, as President" ="
Mr.. Summerf1eld's statement was
greeted with enthusiastic ap-
plause.
The chairman, who is resign
ing this afternoon. will be sue
ceeded in that Office by Wesley
Roberts of Kansas, Gen. Eisen-
hoWer's selection for national
chairman.
Miss Adkins 10 Get High Post.
In addition to electing Mr..
Roberts as chairman. the COM
mittee is expected to elect Miss
Bertha S. Adkins of Maryland
as assistant chairman. Miss
Adkins will succeed Mrs. Roy f.
Priest of Utah, who is to be
Treasurer of the United States.
In his address to the commit
tee. Mr. Summerf1eld spoke of
the glorious victory for the Re
publican Party and for the coun-
try last November" He expressed
his thanks to all the members
and party workers for the sue
cess of the campaign. The Eisen-
hover election, he said, had
brought new hope to the people
of America and to those beyond
its shores.
He predicted that the EiSen-
hover administration would be a
great success. but said there must
be continued unity on the part
of the Republicans in the admin
istration, in Congress and in the
national committee.
1854 Victory Urged.
The committee was addressed
also by Mrs. Priest, by former
Representative Leonard w. Hall
of New York, chairman of the
Republican Congressional Cam
paign Committee; by Senator
Dirksen of Illinois, chairman of
the Republican Senatorial Com
mittee. and by Wayne j. Hood
of Wisconsin. executive director
of the Republican National Com
mittee.
Mr.. Hall said it was of great
Importance that the Republican
Party work for a victory in 1854,
when the House is elected again.
The narrow margin held by the
party in the House today-22l
to 213-might be destroyed by
deaths and by special elections
to fill vacancies.
Tonight. Mr.. Summerf1eld is
giving reception and dinner
for Eisenhower cabinet appoin-
tees and other new adminiStra-
ton posts and to congressional
party leaders and their wives.
Mr.. ROBERTS is a former Kan
sas State chairman. He was
made executive director of Gen.
Eisenhower's national headquar-
ters here last year when the
general announced he would ac-
Cept nomination. He served un-
der Senator Carlson, Republican,
OF Kansas, whose successful Sem
ate campaign he had managed
in 1850.
CO-Ordinated Citizens Group.
After Gen Eisenhower's NOM
ination, Mr. Roberts was named
director of organization of the
National Committee. He also
co-ordinated activities of the
National Committee and the In
dependent Citizens for Eisen-
hover.
Mr.. Roberts was born Decem-
ber IA, 1908, at Oskaloosa, KanS.,
maJored in journalism at Kan
saS State College and became
co-editor and co-publisher of
three weekly newspapers with
his father and brother. j. w.
Roberts. He entered Kansas
politics in 1886 as campaign
manager for a losing candidate
for Governor. He was secretary
to Gov. Payne Rather Of Kansas
for two terms.
MIR. Roberts was an intelll-
gence and operations officer in
the Marines in World War II.
attaining the rank of major. He
moved from Topeka to Holton.
Kans.. in 1916. He is married
and has one son Patrick, 16.
who attends school in Holton.