Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-05
bORAH IS At HELM
OF G. 0. P. MACHINE
Idahoan Prefers Guiding Par
tisan Policies to Portfolio
in Cabinet.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Senator Borah of Idaho has been
talked of for Secretary OF State, but the
role he will play in the next administra-
ton is better exemplified by what he
now is doing in the Senate. He has as
sumed the leadership of his party.
Senator James Watson of Indiana
may be chosen leader and Senator Jones
Of Washington probably will do much
of the work on the steering committee
for the new administration, but the man
who will control will be the Idaho Sen
ator.
This development is the result of an
unusual chain Of events. Mr.. Borah
has been "off the reservation" most of
the time in preceding administrations,
but he became the most regular of regu-
lars in the last campaign, and made
some of the most powerful speeches on
the stump that were made by anybody
in behalf of Herbert Hoover. In a
sense he committed the Hoover admin
istration to an extra session on farm
relief and to a progressive course of
action on major policies.
Now Senator Borah as the defender
of the Kellogg anti-war treaty has re-
vealed himself as able to withstand at
tack though for the most part he has
been on the offensive himself. People
said he would not enjoy being the
spokesman and defender Of any admin
1stration, but today he Is bearing the
hTlIY1t nf fhn offonk onoiV1cf tho Ka11Any
treaty.
Against Cabinet Post.
Mr.. Borah could be Secretary of State,
but has passed the word along that he
prefers to remain in the Senate. 1t is
reported that Mr. Borah favors the ap-
pointment of Dwight w. Morrow, pres
ent Ambassador to Mexico and a former
partner in j. p. Morgan g. Co.
Mr.. Morrow's record in Mexico has
earned him the respect and admiration
OF many members of the Senate, who
would ordinarily oppose confirmation
on the ground OF connection with an
international banking house. His dedi-
cation to public service has been ac-
cepted here, and the fact that Mr..
Borah favors him Is likely to be point
OF no small Importance when Herbert
Hoover considers the portfolio of Secre-
tary of State.
Mr.. Borah as spokesman for the
Hoover administration could make him
self the most powerful force in the Sem
ate in this generation. For nobody has
in the last 10 years felt able to recon-
Gle opposing groups in the Senate.
Future of Borah.
For one thing the party majority has
been slender and nobody from the in
surgent group has been in the saddle.
The Eastern conservatives have usually
tried to dominate party affairs. Senator
Curtis enjoyed a measure Of success
as leader because he came from the
West. The experiment is being pointed
to as added evidence of the wisdom of
entruSting Borah with the job of han
ding the administrations problems in
the Senate. This does not mean that
Senator Borah would swallow hook, line
and sinker every administration Sugges-
ton, but it does mean that If he and
other members of the Senate are con-
suited in advance on important policies,
the chances of getting such legislation
approved by the Senate will be greatly
increased.
Certainly the effect of Borah leader
ship in the treaty fight has been sig
niflcant. If Mr.. Borah were on the
other side. he could have delayed and
defeated the Kellogg pacts as easily as
the League covenant was beaten. There
is ammunition enough for the irrecon-
cilables in the British notes of comment
on the treaties. but Mr.. Borah stands
four-square with the administration
against reservations. and the treaty will
be ratified with only handful of votes
in opposition. Senator Borah Is already
leading the Senate
(CopvriSht 1Q2Q1