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August 11, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR TOM EVANS
Vice-Chairman/Republican National Committee
FROM Rose Mary Woods
Secretary to the President
Sometime when you have a few minutes after we return from
California the first part of September, 1 would like to talk with
you about the ideas Charlie Barr has given to the National
Committee and to me concerning the absentee voters both
here in the U.S. and abroad.
Thanks.
August 11, 1971
Dear Charlie:
Only the pressure of a busy schedule here and traveling
has kept me from replying before this to your letter of
June 3rd following our most interesting lunch.
While I have not written, I did have the tape transcribed and
think it is excellent and have passed it along with the hope
that our people will push the National Committee people into
having this program put into motion so that we not lose these
votes.
1 hope I will have the pleasure of seeing you again soon.
With warm personal regards.
Sincerely,
Rose Mary Woods
Secretary to the President
Mr. Charles R. Barr
Standard Oil of Indiana
910 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60605
Charles R. Barr
910 S. Michigan Ave,
Chicago, Illinois 60605
OF
ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN
LAND
UNCOLN
STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
*
*
VICTOR L. SMITH, Chairman
RAYMOND H. SCHUMACHER. Sergeant at Arms
WILLIAM F. SCANNELL, Secretary
WILLIAM D. STIEHL, Treasurer
state
ILLINOIS
GWEN SHERRICK, Chairman, Women's Division
JAYNE PRICE, Asst. Chairman, Women's Division
OF
ROBERT E. BRADFORD, Executive Director
June 3, 1971
State Central Committee
Miss Rose Mary Woods
1st District
WILLIAM O. STEWART
Secretary to the President
Vice Chairman
Chicago
The White House
2nd District
WILLIAM F. SCANNELL
Washington, D. C.
Chicago
3rd District
EDMUND J. KUCHARSKI
Dear Rose Mary:
Chicago
4th District
CHARLES R. BARR
Matteson
I enjoyed our lunch last week more than any
5th District
experience that I have had in a long time. As you
RAYMOND J. KAHOUN
Chicago
may have noticed, when anyone gets me talking about
6th District
SEN. JAMES C. SOPER
vote fraud and/or absentee voting, I get carried
Cicero
away. I have very strong feelings on these subjects,
7th District
PETER C. GRANATA
as I know you also do.
Vice Chairman
Chicago
8th District
RAYMOND H. SCHUMACHER
I am sending along a tape recording which I
Chicago
made extemporaneously for. John Rowe of the
9th District
FERDINAND J. ZENI, JR.
Republican National Committee when he was in my
Chicago
10th District
office recently. You might find it worthwhile
MARSHALL A. QUANDT
Forest Park
listening to.
11th District
CARL V. WIEGAND
Chicago
You will recall, I told you I became interested
12th District
in absentee voting in 1940 when I was working my way
SEN. ROBERT COULSON
Waukegan
through law school in the office of the Governor of
13th District
DAVID E. BROWN
the State of Kansas. On the day after Election, 1940,
Vice Chairman
Wilmette
we found that we had been defeated by 1600 votes,
14th District
yet we ultimately won by 430 votes out of approximately
WILLIAM C. IVES
Vice Chairman
9,000 votes that were cast absentee in Kansas that
Hinsdale
year. Thus, my interest in absentee votes was
15th District
CLIFFARD D. CARLSON
created and I have since observed many instances, in
Vice Chairman
Geneva
nearly every election, in which one or more races
16th District
DAVID L. MARTENSON
were decided by the absentee votes, usually in favor
Rockford
of Republicans.
17th District
JAMES E. ANDERSON
Vice Chairman
Woodland
Having been substantially involved in the Absentee
18th District
Vote Program in behalf of the Republican Party in both
RAY A. NEUMANN
Peoria
1964 and '68, both domestically and abroad, I can say
19th District
categorically that the absentee votes tend to favor
WILLIAM A. GETZ
Moline
Republicans throughout the country. In the early 60's
20th District
I did some research in this area and found there are
DON ADAMS
Vice Chairman
Springfield
very few states in which you can get anything very
21st District
specific. However, I did find enough evidence in
JOSEPH R. HALE
Vice Chairman
8 states to give me the conclusive idea that in these
Ridgway
states, absentee votes favored Democrats very narrowly
22nd District
LYLE C. VAN HORN
in only Alaska and Arkansas.
Cerro Gordo
23rd District
VICTOR L. SMITH
Robinson
24th District
WILLIAM D. STIEHL
Belleville
2
The person who is likely to be traveling and
away from home in early November, is usually out
on business or in the pursuit of his profession.
He therefore tends to be conservative, and if he
votes, he tends to vote Republican. The trend
toward voting Republican is even more pronounced
among Americans living overseas.
Until we began Republican operations overseas
in 1964, the Democrats had the field pretty much
to themselves. I believe I can say with pardonable
pride, that in 1968 we significantly outdistanced
them -- we were better organized, did a better job
in getting out our vote, and raised more money than
they did.
I was distressed to learn a few months ago at
the Republican National Committee, that apparently
someone in the Amdinistration has taken a dim view
of our absentee vote programs. I hope this is a
misunderstanding. I am sure the Democrats will
have a good program. The Armed Forces already have
in being a very comprehensive program to get out
their vote, and if we leave a vacuum by doing nothing,
or by not doing the job vigorously, it could be costly
to us in states with a close vote.
In conclusion, as stated above, it is my opinion,
based on my own experience and study, that the absentee
vote tends to run heavily in favor of the Republicans
and that everything that needs doing should be being
done now.
Sincerely,
Charles R. Barr
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS PROJECT
AUDIOVISUAL COLLECTION
Withdrawal Sheet
MEDIUM/CATEGORY
PA NUMBER
ITEM NUMBER
PA 78-3.90
Motion Picture Film
ORIGINAL LOCATION:
Sound Recording
File Group WHSF.
Video Recording
Subgroup PRESIDENT'S PERSONAL FILES
Still Photograph
Series - RMW Alpha NAME FILES
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Folder Title Charlis Bin - Absenter voting
Box Number
.95
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: (Provide whatever information is known about the item.)
Event/Title Remarks it Cirl, Pan regarding ab: itee 20/mg
Participants (e. to r.) Linerie between John Rowa Political Division
04 the U. National Coninitee. 2nd Mr. Charles A
Bare, of Standard Oil 10. ableme value Transcret in folder]
Geographical Location
Date(s) May 17, 1971
Other Identifying Marks/Title Record ledky WHEN,
Classification:
Yes
No
For Mary Acher full Tian 7.5 ips
Level:
1200P Donsided
PRESERVATION:
Preservation Copy/Copies Made
Yes
No
10-78
pac
PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL
CHARLIE BARR
STANDARD OIL
(INDIANA)
Schedule of Events
Roundtable for Public Affairs Officers
the Hotel Sonesta May 25-27, 1971
Tuesday, May 25
5:00 p.m. REGISTRATION
INFORMAL RECEPTION
6:00
Remarks: JAMES J. KILPATRICK
Wednesday, May 26
8:00 a.m. Coffee
8:30
Welcome: GERALD W. VAUGHAN
8:45
Address: HON. JAMES L. BUCKLEY
9:30
Panel:
HON. ROBERT J. DOLE
HON. PETER H. DOMINICK
HON, BOB WILSON
10:30
Address: HON. HAROLD E. HUGHES
11:15
Break
11:30
Address: HON. LAWRENCE F. O'BRIEN
12:15 p.m.
Luncheon
1:30-4:45
Special Briefings on Foreign Affairs
Dolf M. Droge
Dr. F.G. A. Kraemer
6:00
Reception
see reverse side
Thursday, May 27
8:45 a.m.
Address: HON. WILLIAM PROXMIRE
9:45
Address: STANLEY E. COHEN
10:45
Break
11:00
Remarks: BRYCE N. HARLOW
12:15 p.m. Luncheon
1:15
Commentary: MARK RUSSELL
2:00
Roundtable Adjourns
Remarks of C. A. Barr regarding absentee voting
An interview on May 17, 1971 between John Rowe of the Political
Division of the Republican National Committee and Mr. Charlie
Barr of Standard Oil.
Mr. Rowe: Mr. Barr is going to relate to us some of the
experiences he has had, some of the things he learned, particularly
during 1964, on the absentee ballot project that he headed up, and
also in 1968.
Mr. Barr: In 1964 there was the first organized effort to obtain
a Republican absentee vote in an organized way in Europe. A
gentleman from Chicago offered to fund it; and somebody said,
"who wants to do it " and things weren't going so well in the
campaign as you may recall - I held up my hand as a volunteer, and
that's the way I happened to become involved in absentee voting.
I went to Europe with Col. Leon Mandel of Chicago, and there we
met Clare Boothe Luce, and later on Mrs. Coleen Moore Hargrave,
who had been a movie star in the silent days and who was the widow
of a prominent Chicago broker. We went to Paris and set up an
office, hired a tri-lingual secretary and organized a headquarters
there just like one would organize the headquarters of a state.
We had previously been in contact with people that had been writing
the Republican National Committee or the Goldwater Committee, or
what have you, saying they wanted to become active in behalf of the
Republican Party or its candidate; and so we had individuals lined
up in countries like Spain, Italy, France, Germany, the lowland
countries. After we were there a few days we had a meeting in
Paris which was extremely well attended -- I think most of them
came because of Clare Boothe Luce and people like that not
because of Col. Mandel or what Charlie Barr might have to say --
so we got along extremely well. We set up an organization and,
believe it or not, we were able to raise considerable money; the
operation became self-financing, and we took advertising in such
magazines as the Overseas Publications of the American magazines;
the Tribune I believe there were two daily newspapers over there;
and there were letters to the editor; people were interviewed by
the local radios and TV; there were clubs set up; and a real nucleus
for the Republican Party was begun in Europe.
In 1967 the Party began to have some very serious talks with me
about setting up an operation, not only in Europe but domestically
and world-wide, including the Asiatic area with special emphasis on
the troops in Vietnam.
- 2 -
This operation in 1968 is what I want to talk about because it was
a rather quiet operation; it was amazingly successful; very little
publicity was given to it.
So when I talk about the absentee vote campaign in 1968 I'll be
talking about three different segments. I'll talk about the one that
received the most publicity first although not necessarily the
most successful - and that's the one in Europe.
We began because we had a nucleus out of '64, with people who had
gotten involved at that time, so we didn't have to start from scratch.
We had some good people there. I had gone to Europe on other
missions from time to time and kept up and developed my contacts
in Europe with leading businessmen, such as Mr. Brown and
others. Mr. Brown became and is now the chairman of the
European committee. We had attended conferences and had been
a member of panels with some of these people in Brussels and
places like that, and each time I would go and take some time to meet,
particularly in Paris, with Mr. Brown and his committee, etc.,
about the Republican operation. So finally by the time of the
Republican National Convention in Miami Beach in 1968 we had a
going operation, thanks to the preliminary work which we had been
doing since March of 1967 before the Republican National Committee
had ever put a dime in to it or had ever officially become involved
in it. At that time they funded us with a little money, something like
$3,000, and we never used a dime of it. We did have headquarters
and organizations set up by then in Spain, Italy, Zurich and several
places in Germany, Belgium, as well as in England and in France;
but the general headquarters, like a state headquarters, was in
Paris under the Direction of Clem Brown that I have mentioned before.
They were like county offices in these other cities. Believe it or
not there was estimated (some people said) as many as two million
people in the European theatre, including that periphery of Africa
and Asia Minor around the Mediterranean; military people, their
dependents, American business people, retired people over there.
An amazing number of people. And from all reports they tended to
be Republican, and I think most of us agree to that to this day.
We then began considerable activity. I know that to attract people
you have to have name people. So the first trip we made I took
Shirley Temple Black and her husband and we made the rounds.
We went throughout Europe, including Rome, Paris, Frankfort,
London and Brussels, etc., and spoke to large crowds, raised
money, and generally talked up the Republican candidate.
- 3 -
We got along amazingly well. We had good crowds. Shirley Temple
Black does an amazingly good job with the press. The press was
not always friendly, but before we got through with them she had
them eating out of her hand. She did a tremendously good job --
it made us a lot of friends and we ought to send her back in the
1972 campaign, in my opinion, just because of the friends she's
already got over there, and because she was SO well received in
1968.
We had other people, like Bill Buckley, who went over there.
Clem Stone, an insurance man and friend of President Nixon from
Chicago, went over at my request to cover a meeting where for
some reason some other speaker couldn't go, and we were fortunate
in getting Clem who went over and did a meeting for us in London.
So we had a going operation over there which accounted for con-
siderable money coming in. Unfortunately, there got to be some-
thing of a dispute because some of it went direct to the Nixon
headquarters and some of it came to the Republican Committee --
I never really got into that just so the money got here - and I
never got involved in that conflict about who was going to get the
credit or anything like that but we did get a considerable amount
of money and a big increase in the absentee votes from the European
area as well as substantial monies one way or another from our
enterprise over there.
Now I want to talk about the Asiatic area. This was a letely
different operation because I didn't feel that we dared go to Saigon
or to Bangkok and set up an operation in the same manner that we
did in Europe for fear that we would be accused of campaigning or
of bringing politics into a war zone. So we went about it in an entirely
different way.
I didn't know just exactly how to proceed but one day I got a lengthy
letter explaining an idea from a lady by the name of Dorothy Fancher
who was at that time the Co-Chairman of the National Young Republican
Federation. Mrs. Fancher was from Phoenix, Arizona and she had
given a lot of thought to this sort of thing.
I asked her if she would come to Washington and run it and we made
an arrangement whereby she came to Washington and ran what they
called the Asiatic Operation.
- 4 -
I might say that we had also hired a fellow by the name of Richard
McAdoo for the Republican National Committee. Interestingly
enough, he was a grandson of the late President Wilson -- a son
of Wilson's Secretary of the Treasury who married one of the
Wilson girls -- and a grandson that was a Republican. I saw him
last week in San Francisco at a seminar. Dick's job was to direct
the overall operation that I am talking about, including the
European and the Asiatic one, and the third one which is domestic,
which I'll be talking about.
Dottie Fancher had an idea, and I hope that the members of the
Committee will call in Dottie, because she is in Washington -- she
is working for the State Department -- and hear from her in detail
just how she put this operation of hers together.
This operation was so quiet, but basically involved getting literally
thousands of Young Republicans and college people writing their
friends who were in the service overseas, and sending literature
over there by airmail, air freight, every way we could get it ove r
there not just in bulk so much but having it come from some
friend or some member of the family saying you ought to vote
for Dick Nixon this year. It has an entirely different effect when a
soldier gets something from somebody that he knows and respects
or who is dear to him and asks him to do something specific -- to
be sure and vote. Just getting a soldier to vote takes some doing
because oftentimes he is not inclined to vote.
Well Dottie did a wonderful job, and we got a tremendous response
from that area of the world, and we did it in a way that was ethical
and legal.
I don't know of anybody in the country that could have done as good
a job of it as Mrs. Fancher did in this particular thing. She had
been well-trained in the YRs and other things, and she knew so many
people that were willing to help her just because of their previous
experience with her.
The third phase was the domestic phase, which was at least as
successful as the other two phases because we had so much help
from other organizations who were trying to get out the vote, parti-
cularly the National Association of Manufacturers who had prepared
wonderful kits which organizations could buy and distribute to people
showing them how they could vote absentee.
- 5 -
To show you how important it is, the American Hotel and
Restaurant Association had told us that something like a million,
four hundred thousand people would be in hotels and motels on
election night in 1968, and most of them would be people there on
business, being sent away by their employer, or by themselves
if they were self-employed, because not too many people are away
on vacation the first week or two in November - -- they have had
their vacation. So it became imperative that we notify people well
in advance that they ought to take advantage of the absentee vote.
The third person that was involved who did this domestic thing
was a fellow by the name of Tom Novatny from Chicago. He is
also in Washington, and works in one of the departments here.
I would highly recommend that the Republican National Committee
interview Tom to see what he did.
But I'll tell you here in a nutshell what he did because I was
responsible for the direction and for the idea. We picked out the
500 top corporations the Fortune list -- and decided that we
would hire a man and have him go to each of these corporations
and ask them if on a non-partisan basis, using the NAM kits, they
would send out a memorandum to their people asking them to be
sure and vote absentee if they were going to be out of town.
Tom Novatny had amazing success. I remember of the first 90
corporations he called on -- he had 88 acceptances -- people
said, "yes, we will cooperate." One refusal was from a firm here
in Chicago who had some internal problem, and another was an
eastern firm that had a new President who wasn't quite sure what
was legal; but the other 88 did it. The prize of all, we thought,
was the General Motors Corporation where the top executive officer,
we were told, sent out 180,000 letters over his personal signature
urging General Motors' employees who might be away from home
at the request of their corporation to be sure and cast their
absentee ballots. Now, from our standpoint this was a wonderful
thing because it is something that companies could legitimately
do.
We were taking our chances on the arithmetic, because we felt that
most of the people were going to vote for a Republican in 1968 and
that the bigger the vote of these people who normally would be
travelling in November, the more likely we were to get our share.
- 6 -
We were very gratified when we saw the election returns from
Missouri and some other states, when we saw that the absentee
votes did indeed make a difference for Mr. Nixon. They did make
a difference in the Senate outcome in, for example, Oregon, and
we can point out many, many other examples where you can make
a case that the absentee votes very likely tipped the balance,
generally in behalf of the Republicans, because we had by far and
away the best operation on absentee votes in 1968. And I think that
it was greatly to our advantage in state after state, not only for
the Presidency but for some of the Governor races and lesser
races, and at least one Senatorial race that I have just pointed out
in the case of Oregon.
So I say in conclusion here that it is extremely important that the
Republican National Committee, that Bob Dole and Mr. Evans
and all of you, give a top priority in your thinking to what you are
going to do in '72 with respect to the absentee vote, because you
need to start a program at least a year in advance. You need, for
example, to get everybody conscious of what they are going to
do. It is a patriotic duty I think for people who are employers,
who may influence people as far as being away from home, that
they prepare programs that urge them to vote.
Interestingly enough I know there is some trepidation in some
places about the absentee voting, I suppose because maybe they
think that the youth will make a difference.
But one of the greatest drives there will be for absentee voting is
going to be in the military. That is already decided. The Defense
Department has a tremendous program, and I have participated
with Mel Laird himself in this program, and with his staff members.
I have worked on an educational program to get more legislatures
to improve the absentee voting program, and there has been substan-
tial progress and will be more before several legislatures in 1971,
so there will be a bigger absentee vote. And you can count that the
other side is going to do a better job than they did in '68 and notwith-
standing what some of the critics have said, I think we had better
give this some very, very serious thought.
Somebody ought to be in charge. I think we have some people with a
lot of good experience. I think that if you would go to Mr. Novatny,
who did the domestic thing; and to Mr. McAdoo and Mrs. Fancher
those were my three people when I headed this thing up as a civilian --
the whole project - I think that you will find that these three
- 7 -
people can give you a great deal of detail, willingly so, and
will be glad to come in and give you any kind of help that you think
would be of worthwhile assistance.
In the meantime, Iurge the Republican National Committee to do
everything they can to enhance and improve the absentee vote
campaign. You've got to remember this -- and I hope every
politician happening to hear this tape or reading a transcript of
it - - will just remember that the Census Bureau, if I remember
correctly, says that one family in 6 moved in the 1960's and
possibly one in 5 will move in the 1970's -- that we are a mobile
society. The party that does the best job with this absentee vote
program is going to win an awful lot of these close elections.
Thank you very much for the privilege of giving this interview.
#######