Evening star., 1935-12-23

Senator Borah's decision to permit use
of his name in the Wisconsin presidential
primaries in a way marks the formal
opening of the 1886 campaign. With
certainty of President Roosevelt's re-
nomination, the scramble for the Re-
publican prize becomes the real pre-con-
vention contest. 1t promises to be red
hot one. Avowal of the Idahoans readi-
ness to fight for delegates is expected to
induce other hitherto shrinking G. 0. p.
violets similarly to announce their aspira-
tions, either directly or through friends
acting on their behalf. Landon and
Knox are regarded as likely to take the
lead in this direction, with supporters OF
Vandenberg and Dickinson sooner or
later following suit. Borah'S hackers pro-
dict that if he gets off to flying start
in Wisconsin, band-wagon trend in his
favor will speedily develop in other States.
There is scattered support for Borah all
over the country. The problem OF the
liberals" whose colors he flies is to or
ganize his boom on effective lines. A
happy-go-lucky Borah movement" is
not likely, in these days, to get very lar.
Although word comes that Borah men
are ready to move in his interest in New
York and Massachusetts,, the WeSterner'
cause is weakest in the industrial and
financial North and East, because Of his
monetary and prohibition views. The
Senator's recent demand for truSt-bustlng
as a paramount issue augmented his un-
popularity in big business quarters. Old
Guard Republicans of the Hilles and
Roraback type have never generated any
Borah enthusiasm. They are expected to
offer stoneWall resistance to the Senator'S S
ambitions to be next years presidential
nominee. Once upon time Borah would
have snorted at the mere suggestion OF
his being the choice of a Republican Ma
tional Convention. Those were the days
when the stand-pat elements were in in
yincible control. AS HilleS' setback at
last weeks national committee meeting
indicated. his crowd is no longer omn1p-
otent. BorahS admirers are confident
that formerly insuperable conditions no
longer exist.
Friend and foe alike acknowledge that
there is no other Republican as capable
as Borah of making popular appeal or
of dramatizing the issues of the day. At
10 he is still colorful platform figure,
with unimpaired oratorical power. over
the radio he is just as effective as when
he functioned as chief Hoover SPELL
binder in 1923. AS an exponent Of con-
Stitutionalism, now so much to the fore.
the Idahoan has few equals in public life.
A national campaign in which he would
be one of the two protagoniSts would be
lifted, because of his silver tongue and
emotional drive, to the level of an old
fashioned political contest, reminiscent OF
Lincoln Douglas days.
Borah throws his hat into the ring at
a moment of revived American hostility
to "internationalism," because of disgust
with double diplomacy In the
Italo- Ethiopian conflict. The presidential
plans of the Idaho irreconcilable, who
was in the forefront of the fight against
the League of Nations, coincide with re-
galvanized American purpose to maintain
rigid aloofness from European entangle-
ments. If he hoiStS the iSolationlst BAN
ner to his masthead, Borah undoubtedly
will make a timely appeal to wide Sec
tions of public sentiment.
AS Herbert Hoover's interest in the
political situation reputedly includes,
among other things, fierce determina-
ton to head of Borah's aspirations, the
sage of Palo Alto may now feel impelled
to venture an outright showdown with