Evening star., 1935-12-02
THE POLITICAL
MILL
By G.. Could Lincoln.


unless the Senator takes q firm stand
against having his name entered in that
primary. An announcement from the
Idaho Senator, however, that he will
permit his friends to enter his name in
some of the presidential primaries has
| been looked for The only question
seems to have been how soon should the
announcement be made. If MIR. Borah
becomes an avowed candidate so early
in the preconvention campaign, he also
becomes target of attack. His every
| move in the coming session Of the Con-
| gress will be watched and interpreted
as having a bearing on the race for the
| presidential nomination-and the later
race for the presidency itself.
Probably the attitude OF the Idaho
| Senator will be scanned closely on all
public questions whether he announces
| himself a candidate or not. II he makes
| no announcement, he still remains q
| potential candidate. The same close
examination of the position and the
| speeches of Senator Arthur H. Vanden-
berg of Michigan may be expected. Van
denberg has so far been the real shrink
| ing violet OF the group whose names
have been mentioned in connection with
the Republican presidential nomination
He has avoided all suggestion that he
was himself candidate, like the plague
| His friends, however, still see in him the
ultimate choice of the Republican ma
tional convention. They believe In his
star OF destiny. AS a matter of fact, the
next session of Congress is likely to be
| full of politics for both the Democrats
and Republicans. The word from Warm
Springs that President Roosevelt hopes
to keep the session program to a limited
number Of measures might have been
expected. The administration has had
enough money at the hands of Congress
to carry on its many activities for relief
during the next year. 1t is always pos
Sible to call Congress into special session
next November or December to obtain
more cash If it be necessary.
If Borah can 60 into illinois, the home
State OF Col. Knox, and win the prefer
| ential primary vote. it is said that he
may make the leap also in Ohio which
comes shortly thereafter. The Illinois
| primary takes place on April IA and
the Ohio primary May 10. However, to
| enter the Ohio primary Borah must be-
| come an avowed candidate for the presi-
| Dental nomination. In Illinois his name
may be put forward by his friends with
| out the Senator himself giving the move
| ment his blessing. Senator Borah's
| friends up to date have had a hard
time making him plunge into the presi-
Dental pool, although they have led
| him to the brink.
There seems no slightest doubt how
ever, that Borah has a big following in
many of the StateS-that goes for the
East as well as the West. 1t is true that
many interests and business men may
| oppose his nomination. 1t is true that
supporters of the proposed Federal anti
| lynching law may object to him because
| he has said that he would veto such
measure II 1t were presented to him
| because he believed it unconstitutional.
Nevertheless, the Idaho Senator has an
appeal to millions of voters. The proof
of the pudding is almost always in the
eating. II his name is presented in the
| preferential primaries in some of the big
States and he outStripS other candidates
some of them favorite-Son candidates
| it ought to be clear to the powers in the
Republican party that they have po-
tential candidate Of real strength. On
| feated in the primaries. or in some of
the principal primaries, the reverse would
be true and they would have to look
to some other candidate.
Whether Senator Borah will make a
| statement this week is problematical.
| 1t may come next week. or next month.
| But sooner or later he is expected to
/ rlo rifv ofnncnhara razor ordinU hic
| position. The demand for his candi-
dacy comes from a great many persons.
In fact it is greater demand than has
come for any other Republican to make
the race for the presidency. There has
been a good deal of talk too. about Gov.
| ALT M Landon of Kansas, the Coolidge
| of the Middle West" Landon is, how
ever, an unknown to millions of people
| who know all about Borah Landon Is
| no orator. Borah has O wonderful gift
| Of speech.
1t was a foregone conclusion that the
soldiers bonus would get into the coming
| political campaign. Whether President
| Roosevelt and the Democrats can get it
out and tucked away before the voting
begins is question. Certainly lot Of
his followers are in favor of paying the
bonus without further delay and taking
| 1t out of the approaching contest. They
do not like the idea of facing the veterans
Of the World War over the top of q
| presidential veto Of immediate cash pay
| ment of the bonus. On the other hand,
| there are administration leaders who do
| not like the idea of facing the wrath
of a very considerable number of people
who believe that this is no time to
saddle the Government with an addi-
tional $4,000, 100000 of immediate debt.
| The bonus will knock at the door of
| Congress almost Immediately after it re-
convenes January 8. The main ques-
ton, then, will be what kind of bill
shall be passed.
Supporters of the Patman green back"
bill, vetoed by the President at the last
session, still hope to put a measure OF
that kind across. They hope to avoid
the criticism that they have increased
the public debt by the passage of such
| bill, which would only require the
issuance of sufficient Treasury notes to
| pay of the veterans. But the charge
| of Imitation" of the currency is some
thing else, which would follow the enact
| ment of such a law.
y II
When Col Frank Knox, expected con-
tender for the Republican presidential
nomination, said that he favored the
immediate payment of the soldiers bonus
out of the 1880, ,OOO, 900 relief act passed
| hu Canorocc re 10 CT eoSSiny, ~ G