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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 21, 1963)
MEDFOHD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEpFORD, OREGON - THURSDAY. MARCH 21. 1963 J Birch Society Threatens Capture of Young GOP, Leaders Claim By DE VAN L. SHUMWAY United Preit International Sacramento, Calif. -TCPD- On Jan. 24, President Harry Kea ton of the 13,000-member Young Republicans Organiza tion of California called a news conference. What he had to say hit the California and national GOP right in their political hearts. 'The Young Republicans of California face a power grab by the leadership of the John Birch society," Keaton said. "Evidence supporting this con clusion has steadily mounted for over a year." In the middle of February, former Kansas Gov. Fred Hall, who had migrated to California and become presi dent of the 10,000 -member California Republican assem bly, launched his own cam paign against the Birch soci ety. . "The Birch society is the closest thing we've had to a fascist party in America," he said. And he warned that the Birchers were threatening to take over control of his large volunteer organization. Major Inue What precipitated those two changes-and the part of the Birch society in California politics - has become a major issue in the state. And it could have a large effect on who gets the nod for California's huge delega tion to the Republican Nation al convention next year. As a general rule, members of the Birch society and other strong conservatives favor Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater for the GOP presidential nom ination. But other elements In the party lean toward New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller. Keaton's statement set the stage for a rough and tumble fight at the Young Republi cans' 1963 convention in Fres no between GOP moderates and conservatives. Three'Compete, The major battle was over presidency of the organization between Kenneth Davis, 30-year-old Pasadena stockbrok er representing the moderates, and two other candidates. One of these was Ronald Garver, 31, of Los Angeles, who acknowledged member ship in the Birch society. The other was Robert Gaston, 32, of La Canada, who openly en couraged support from the Birchers but was not a mem ber himself. Casper W. Weinberger, a San Francisco attorney and chairman of the regular par ty's state central committee, for the first time took a strong position against Birch leadership. He said the election of a Birch-backed candidate to the leadership of the Young GOP group would have a "very un fortunate effect" and would convince independent Voters not to vote Republican. Birch Liability ' Davis put it bluntly: "The label is controversial. The Birch society can be a liabil ity to the Republican party." But on the eve of the elec tion Garver withdrew dramat ically in favor of Gaston -which Keaton had warned would happen-and asked his supporters to do likewise. The roll call vote the next day gave a narrow victory to Gaston, 189-170. He immed iately charged the press had "greatly exaggerated" faction alism in the Republican party. Shortly afterward, officers of the 4,000-member College Federation of Young Repub licans bolted the state organ ization and asked their mem bers to follow them. President Harold Phillips of Burbank, Calif., said the "extreme con servative position" of Gaston was "not representative" of the young collegians. Virginia Savcll of Los An- FAB DETERGENT GIANT SIZE 3J SNOWDRIFT SHORTENING 3 LB. TIN .4$ ONLY COTTAGE FLOUR ALL PURPOSE 10 LB. BAG 69c CRATER LAKE COTTAGE CHEESE PINT TUB . 25e CAMPBELL'S SOUP ALL VARIETIES 10V2 Oz. TIN 13c BANANA CAKE DONUTS GLAZED DOZEN 49' 400-Count.. 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Brown, a Democrat, had this to say: 'This state will suffer if moderate elements of the Republican party do not move -and move quickly- to close ranks against the Birchers and their iron age thinking." Thomas A. Launcella Jr., newly elected president of the New York Young Republican club, called it a plain take over by the Birch society and charged the Birchers "can do nothing but retard the prog ress of the Republican party in California and throughout the nation." i Josiah Bccman of San Francisco, president of the California Young Democrats, said his party would "wave goodbye to the Young Repub licans as they move back to the 18th Century." And in Los Angeles attor ney William King announced formation of a group calling itself the commitce for re sponsible Republicanism. He said.it would promote "mod erate liberal Republican views." It was In this atmosphere that Hall spoke out to warn that Birch-backed candidates were trying to take over his organization - the California Republican assembly. N we have sounded the alarm all over the state," said Hall. "If our delegates are here we should have suffi cient strength to defeat them (the Birch candidates)." The conservatives had two major candidates for presi dent-Harry Waddell, a 52- year-old retired Navy Com' mander from Salinas, and Fred Nagcl, a S u s a n v 1 1 1 e rancher who had made an un- sucessful bid for Congress And the night before the election, Nagcl issued a state ment throwing his support be hind waddell so that respon sible Republicans" could pull together "for the best inter ests of our party." But Hall favored William Nelligan, 54, a San Francisco telephone technician and la bor leader. And he predicted the moderates would win by 50 votes. Nelligan told newsmen that the assembly should not "pro- vide the stage for the extrem ists to perform the dance of destruction for the Republican party." Weinberger - still smarting from the Young Republicans setback-sent his regrets. Ku chel, who won re-election last November by 700,000 votes as a liberal Republican, sent a letter calling upon the large volunteer organization not to turn to the right. Former U.S. Sen. William '. Knowland was the keynote speaker at a Saturday night banquet-the evening before the election. And he surprised party regulars, fighting to re in control. "There are millions of ded. icated conservatives who be long to no organization other than the Republican or Demo cratic parties," he said. "They are needed and have no inten tion of being liquidated from political activity. "Every time a conservative! leader arises there is an at tempted smear to tar him as reactionary or a member of the Birch society. This is the guilt by association technique tne liberals bitterly obiected to during the investigations by Sen. Joseph McCarthy." At a news conference. Knowland said: "It's unfair to say that all members of the Birch society agree with (JBS President Robert) Welsh any more than all teamsters agree with (teamsters head Jimmy) Hoffa." The next day. Feb. 24. came the election-and Nelligan won by a little more than 50 votes, 273-212. It's the turning point against the conspiracy of the Birch society to capture con trol of our party," a joyous Hall told newsmen. What happens now? The record for the conserv atives, including those who Deiong to tne Birch society, is i in caiifornias GOP for 1983. There is no other major party element with an elec tion this year. But-and this worries Darty regulars -the conservatives have threatened to put ud their own candidates next year in state assembly and state1 senate elections. agle Point School lection Slated Eagle Point - Residents of the Eagle Point school district will vote on the extension ot the school board to nine mem bers at the election May 6. A petition carrying more than the required number ot names to get the proposition on the ballot has been turned in to the Eagle Point school clerk. The signatures repre sent the Eagle Point, White City, Shady Cove, Elk Trail and Lake Creek areas, all ot which are included in . the school district. The reorganization law per mits the change from a live to a seven or nine member board If the specified legal proced ure is followed. This proced ure includes the filing ot a petition presented to the voters. It the voters approve the proposal at the May 6 election the nine member board would asume office one year from the election. k- ... KANSAN OPPOSES - Former Kansas Gov. Fred Hall, a mi grant to California, has given a "verbal boot" to the Birch Society, terming it the "closest, thing we've had to a Fascist party in America." Now head of a 10,000-mcmber California Republican volunteer organization, he has warned that Birch Society adherents are threatening to take over Its control. (UPQ
