Scribner Reviews GOP Position, Says Election 'Not Encouraging'

Fred C. Scribner, Jr., General Counsel of the Republican Party, gave Graduate Young Republicans an insider's view of party fortunes yesterday, and concluded that the last elections were "not very encouraging."

The former Under Secretary of the Treasury for Taxation said that a recent survey of the 1960 elections by the Republican National Committee showed "crucial" GOP weaknesses throughout the country.

"We lost the areas around the cities, areas we should have had," Scribner reported. In addition, he observed that the GOP did poorly in urban areas and Negro districts. "We lost among Germans, Italians, the Irish, and...Jewish groups. When you get through," he sighed, "there isn't much left."

In addition to the loss of the White House, Scribner said the GOP will have a "rough road to travel" because of a big campaign debt, the control of only 16 governorships, and "a generally unfriendly" press.

Scribner, who is a candidate for GOP national chairman, predicted that the 1962 Congressional campaign will be fought mostly on "local issues." He also hinted that Kennedy's approach to defense planning might come under partisan fire.

He declined to say what Nixon's role might be, but warned that "the people of California would not sincerely want Nixon to run for Governor with the intention of quitting in two years." He added that "Nixon doesn't have a lot to gain by running."

Throughout his remarks, the former Eisenhower Administration official sprinkled sharp criticism of Kennedy. Boasting that "Eisenhower acomplished much more than Kennedy in his first 75 days," he challenged the Democrats to "begin to fulfill some of their 200 campaign promises."

He observed that the Democrats had attacked Eisenhower during the campaign for personal diplomacy, but "after bringing in Rusk, Bowles, Harriman, and even McGeorge Bundy, they found the only one who could do the job was Kennedy himself."