'Advance' Blast at Congressional Leadership Arouses Republicans

A sharp attack on the Republican Congressional leadership in the current issue of Advance has drawn an "encouraging" response from Party higher-ups, Bruce K. Chapman '62, publisher of the progressive Republican magazine, said yesterday.

One Republican Congressman told Chapman that the attack and Advance's suggestions for constructive programs caused "three days of excitement on the Hill." In a "Dear Bruce" letter, former vice-President Nixon called the magazine "commendable" and praised its "judicious appraisal of our Party's future success."

Nixon added that "on the general principle--either the Republican Party presents and 'sells' a positive image to the American voter or it becomes a permanent minority, withers, and dies--I think you are absolutely right."

The magazine said that House Minority Leader Charles Halleck (Ind.) and Senate Minority Leader Everett M. Dirkson (III.) are conducting "a holding operation pure and simple."

It called Halleck "lethargic intellectually," and added, "he lacks a sense of his historic responsibility as leader of a major party.... The essence of the Halleck leadership is (a) sort of equivocal lip service, of endorsing somewhat the cause of formulating a positive program even while neglecting it or discouraging it."

Furthermore, "Republicans gain little and lose much" from Halleck's frequent cooperation with Southern Democrats, Advance charged.

Under Dirkson's leadership, the magazine said, "Republican Senators leave little impact on legislation or the national course and purpose." A key element in this failure, according to Advance, is the virtual non-existence of professional research and planning personnel to develop Republican alternatives to Democratic legislation rather than simply opposing it.

But Advance levelled its strongest criticism at Sen. Barry M. Goldwater (Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Campaign Committee. Goldwater's conservatism is "suicidal" to Republican success at the polls," it claimed.

To Chapman's surprise, Goldwater wrote him: "I am pretty much in agreement with your general thesis of what is wrong with the Republican Party" and asserted that policy papers he prepared have not received attention "from what we call leadership here."