Evening star., 1935-12-29
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

N
- If Candidacy" is the word
for the Republican presidential
- nomination, is affected disad-
tageously by uncertainty. in the
minds Of the public, about the Sen
ator's own attitude. The circum-
stances that have attended it from
the beginning have led to speculation
whether it is an honest to goodness"
candidacy. There is wonder whether
Senator Borah really is a candidate
or a possibility or an aspirant or
whatever is the word; whether SEN
ator Borah is available in the same
sense that. for example, Gov. Lam
don and Col. Frank Knox are avail
able. Mr.. Borah's illusions to him
self in this connection have been
cryptic. Hardly anybody-not even
the shrewdest Washington CORE
SpondentS nor the most experienced
political leaders in either party-is
able to be certain just what Senator
Borah's status is. A common feeling
among persons who watch the situa-
ton closely is that Senator Borah Is
not certain in his own mind.
The facts about Mr.. Borah's rela-
ton to the Republican nomination
begin with, or at least include, his
situation in the Senate and in Idaho.
He will have been a Senator, by the
end Of his present term, 80 conSecu-
tive years. He Is now the oldest Sen
ator In point Of service. His term
ends in January. 1897: therefore, If
he Is to continue In the Senate he
must be reelected next year-in the
same election in which q President
Is to be elected. He cannot run for
both Offices. Many surmise that the
Senator, because Of his long service
and his e,ninence in that body. would
really prefer to remain In the Senate.
1t is in the Senate that his whole
experience In public life has taken
place. The Senate is not an admins
trative body and Senator Borah has
never had administrative experience,
either in public life or in private life
when he was a lawyer. This gives
rise to the thought that Mr.. Borah
may be both inexperienced In admin
istration and, because Of inexperience,
i'll adapted to 1t; and consequently
that the presidency might be irksome
to him, and that the work of the
White House might be better done by
some one with some experience in the
extremely difficult kind Of admins
trative work which the presidency is.
This thought Is emphasized by Mr..
Borah's age, which will be II next
June.
Hardly Needs Testimonial.
Entering into this sort of specula-
ton is an occasional surmise that Mr..
Borah,s half-receptive hah-reluctant
attitude toward the presidential nomi-
nation may have the purpose Of in
creasing his chance of being reelected
Senator from Idaho; that he may ex-
pect the talk of him for the presidency
to increase the esteem In which he is
held in Idaho. Probably this surmise
has little or no basis, for Senator
Borah,s standing in Idaho, the dis
tinction he has given that State for
80 years, Is such that he hardly needs
to try to increase it by getting testi-
monial In the shape Of public evidence
that a large number Of Americans
would like to see him President. Mr..
Borah can hardly need to practice that
sort Of strategy.
Another surmise Is that Mr.. Borah,
In being at least part way receptive to
the presidential nomination, may have
q purpose of influencing the nomina-
ton rather than of getting it for him.
self; q purpose perhaps Of preventing
the nomination Of one or more Of the
other possibilities and q purpose Of
having q strong hand in the writing
Of the platform. This purpose, indeed,
Mr.. Borah almost ayowed himself
when, In his statement to the Wiscon-
sin Republicans he said that the "pri-
mary objective Is convention Of lib
eral delegates which will write liberal
platform and name liberal candidate.
If, however, it is thought better
to pledge the delegates to some other
liberal, shall cooperate fully"
All these conditions operate to the
detriment Of Senator Borah's getting
the nomination. As the fight grows
warmer, little local leaders everywhere,
who are disposed to favor the Senator,
will be held back by uncertainty
whether their efforts may be nullified
by the Senator's own reluctance. When
the primaries are on, when interest in
the race Is keen, local leaders will want
to feel that the candidate for whom
they are working Is as earnest as
themselves; and that the political
gamble they make by throwing their
hearts into the struggle has normal
chance Of winning and Of bringing to
them the. rewards that come to any
worker who makes hard and success