Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 150, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1918 — WILL H. HAYS ENTHUSIASTIC [ARTICLE]

WILL H. HAYS ENTHUSIASTIC

SAYS PATRIOTISM IS FIRST,— WIN THE WAR CHIEF AIM. * ' Wilf H. Hays, republican national chairman, who has visited a number of the states in the union, east, middle and west. He is reported to be enthusiastic about Republican prospects for this year, and says that he finds Republicans everywhere who are patriotically"' at work for the winning of the war. “I’ve been about a good deal,” said Mr. Hays, “and I thank God that there is no geography in our patriotism. Republicans everywhere are 101 per cent behind this war. In every state in which I have been, the supreme purpose of the party, just as it is the supreme purpose of the entire nation, is to do everything in our power, in every way possible, for the winning of the war.

“The Republicans I met were determined that there shall be no politics in anything that touches the war. There is politics everywhere, and properly so, but it has nothing to do with the war. “We are fighting in France in order to make certain that men shall •forever have the right to govern themselves. We will exercise this privilege now in this country where we already have it. We want not less politics, but more attention to politics that good candidates may be nominated, good men elected, and that consequently good government may result. There mu-3t be no politics in anything that touches the war. This is the purpose of the party everywhere.” Mr. Hays was asked about conditions in Michigan, where the Democratic organization has taken an interest in Republican affairs to the extent of suggesting that Henry Ford be made the nominee for Senator.

“I have noted with interest,” saic Mr. Hays, “that the Democratic state committee in Michigan, a state which is 106,000 Republican, has passed a resolution directing the Republican state committee in that Republican state to withdraw all the candidates from the Republican primary except such as the Democratic committee indicates.” This was all the comment Mr. Hays had to make of the Michigan situation, except to smile broadly. Mr. Hays conferred with leading Indiana Republicans while in Indianapolis. '