Raskob v. G. O. P.

Senate Republicans last week failed to squeeze John Jacob Raskob, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, into a political hole quite so uncomfortable as the one into which Senate Democrats had placed Claudius Hart Huston, chairman of the Republican National Committee (TIME, March 31). Mr. Huston had been caught lobbying on Muscle Shoals. If Mr. Raskob could be caught lobbying on Prohibition, the score between the party leaders would be even.

Indiana's Republican Senator Arthur Raymond Robinson prepared for Mr. Raskob's appearance before the Lobby Committee by digging up contributions of $64,500 in three years by Mr. Raskob to the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment. Next day Mr. Raskob, twitchy with apprehension, took the "torture seat" before the Lobby Committee.

Two hours of violent political horseplay followed. The sum of Mr. Raskob's testimony: he had contributed $66,000 to the Wet association; he was ignorant of its detailed operations and expenditures; he had never lobbied; he had carefully kept separate his personal position on Prohibition and the position of his party.

These facts did not satisfy Senator Robinson. He tried to snare the Democratic chairman with insinuating questions. Democratic Senators Caraway and Walsh on the Committee stormily protested such crude and obvious political maneuvering. Spectators mocked with loud laughter. Senator Robinson asked Mr. Raskob if he did not take his Democratic chairmanship to help fight Prohibition. Cried Senator Walsh: "Don't answer that question! Don't answer it!" Senator Robinson tried to build up an "important point" by revealing the anti-Raskobism of North Carolina's Josephus Daniels, oldtime Democrat, onetime Secretary of the Navy. When Senator Robinson was forced to abandon this line due to his ignorance of Mr. Daniels' career, spectators whooped with derision. Senator Caraway, chairman of the committee and as Dry a Democrat as Mr. Daniels, remarked: "Don't laugh, good people. This is Senator Robinson's show and please don't spoil it."

Two political impressions Senator Robinson tried to piece together from Mr. Raskob's testimony: 1) money the Democratic chairman gave the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment was used to elect Wet Republicans, to oppose Dry Democrats; 2) the Democratic chairman "threw his money to the four winds" in his opposition to Prohibition.

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