The Daily Record

Taft Asks GOP To Move Into Southern States

WASHINGTON (P) - Sen. Robert A. Taft R-O. believes the Republican National Committee should move into some southern states to supervise party conventions or primaries.

That is Taft's prescription for building a Republican Party in the South. He made the suggestions to editor T. R. Waring of the Charleston, (S. C.) News and Courier. Waring came here to discover what plans Republican leaders had for building a southern party on the foundation of last year's Eisenhower showing among southern states.

"The National Committee should assume some responsibility" Taft told Waring, in states where the party organization is unable to make any showing with local or congressional candidates.

"The Committee should supervise the conventions or the primaries, and it should invite, especially, the participation of all persons who supported Eisenhower."

POINTS PROBLEMS

Taft's suggestion points up the problems created for the Republican Party by National Chairman C. Wesley Roberts' troubles back home in Kansas. President Eisenhower told his news conference Thursday that he will not consider Roberts' future as chairman until Kansas courts have decided a dispute involving his receipt of a fee in connection with sale of a building to the state of Kansas.

Legal processes frequently consume much time. Meantime, such incidents as Waring's visit to Washington for guidance and election of two Republicans to county office Wednesday in Georgia are among evidence that now rather than later is the time for the Republicans to begin building in the South. Diversion of Roberts' attention from committee headquarters

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Taft Asks

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to his trouble in Kansas may slow party action.

BRASS INTERESTED

Waring found that high brass of the Eisenhower administration generally interested in the opportunity which seems to be offered Republicans in some southern states. But he found they were not doing much thinking about it. Cabinet officers generally were too deeply involved learning their new jobs to be doing anything else.

Waring could not discover, for example, with whom the national party intended to deal in South Carolina on jobs, if any. His investigation added up about to this:

National party leaders would like to develop an organization in the South, but they have not gotten around to it.

Waring reported that he called on Sherman Adams, Mr. Eisenhower's chief White House aide.

Adams declined to comment on southern politics. Under pressure he said: "I shall make no statement."

To his readers in Charleston, Waring reported:

It sounded like a military command.

Thereafter, Waring went home.