Republicans in the state of New York seem to find that the best way to avoid the claws of the Tammany Tiger is to indulge in squabbles among themselves. The setting is usually on Long Island and the action rages at the cocktail hour when polo is the chief rival in discussion. This time, however, the children have completely lost their temper and the action has been transferred from pillared terraces to the dank halls of Rochester where the Convention gets underway tomorrow.

The comedy this time has a serious basis in spite of all its humor. Kings-land, Macy, the Republican State Chairman, has had a fit of hysterics which hinder any chances for the governorship that the G.G.P. possesses. A man of force and sincerity, Mr. Macy possesses the unfortunate characteristics of stubbouness and suspicion. He is imbued with the idea that he must carry on in the Hughes and Theodore Roosevelt vein of reform and has selected utilities as the animal which will bring him fame. Aside from the fact that this issue has no live interest today, it has given him two unfortunate ideas. The first is that the new deal should not be discussed in any form during the campaign. The second is that the Republican Party nominate Samuel Seabury, an avowed new dealer, on the fusion ticket. The result would be to break down any vestiges of the G.O.P. which remain in New York.

But Trubee Davison swung into action two weeks ago. He organized a Committee of 400 to choose a Republican for Governor and to discuss the new deal. If Mr. Macy had so desired, he could have regarded this slightly unusual procedure as an attempt to cooperate, but it was then he took to hysterics and became a mad man. His invective against James Wadsworth, whom the Committee planned to choose, was counteracted by a lucky break. The same morning the Committee announced that they wanted Robert Moses, the park commissioner who designed Jones Beach and the Northern State Parkway and an ardent anti-new dealer as their candidate. Young and forceful, Mr. Moses possessed none of the Old Guard characteristics which Mr. Macy bombarded. The Committee stood so high that they defeated Mr. Macy utterly at the pre-convention meeting and named Clarence Hancock as Temporary Chairman who will discuss national issues.

The prospects for tomorrow promise the complete rout of Mr. Macy. Possibly in a last minute attempt he will throw his support to Mayor Marvin of Syracuse. But beaten he will resign the chairmanship and will probably be succeeded by Eaton. Moses undoubtedly will be nominated for Governor. The senatorship is in doubt with John Lord O'Brian coming into prominence as Ham Fish fades out, or there is a slight chance that the convention might indorse Breckinridge with his Constitutional Party. Then the fight will be on with small chance of victory. With the party in a bad mess anyway, Mr. Moses happens to be a Jew but not an orthodox Jew. The fact that he is a Jew makes him weak in upstate New York and the fact he is not orthodox damages him with the synagogues. But at least the G.O.P. led by Moses promises to show new life and in its probable defeat to release itself from the strain of social teas in the country.