The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-25
BY LYLE c. WILSON
United Press staff Correspondent

| United Press Stan Correspondent
WASHINGTON, May Is
Gov. ALT M. Landon of Kan
sas is so close to the Repub-
lican presidential nomination
today that many observers
believe only a political miracle
can stop him.
The miracle most discussed would
be well-managed coalition of other
G. o. P. candidates in an effective
stop-Landon movement. There
would be a touch of the miraculous
about such a coalition, because OF
the difference separating most other
Republican factions.
Trailing Gov. Landon in the race
toward Cleveland, where the Re-
publican national convention will
meet June 9, are Frank Knox of ILL.,
nois, Senator William E. Borah Of
Idaho, Senator Arthur H. Vanden-
berg of Michigan and Senator Lester
j. Dickinson of Iowa.
Steiwer Also Possibility
There are darker horses than
some of those. Senator Frederick
Steiwer of Oregon has been named
keynote speaker for the G. o. P. and
thereby becomes presidential posi-
bility. Former President Herbert
Hoover still is the nominal leader of
the Republican Party and must be
counted among the potential norl.-
neeS although last week he an
nounced in Chicago that he was not
a candidate.
If the miracle came to pass, bring
ing Mr.. Knox, Mr.. Borah, former
President Hoover and the. other
potential nominees together in an
anti-Landon movement supported
by such Eastern leaders as Charles
D. HilleS of New York and j. Henry
Roraback of Connecticut, the Kar.-
saS Governor would be in real polit-
ical trouble.
Mr. Hoover insisted in his an
nouncement of last week that he was
not opposing any candidate for the
nomination.
Coalition Seems Unlikely
Some politicians who had dis
cussed G. o. P. plans with the
former President had previously
felt that he would do what he
could to prevent the Governors
nomination. That assumption evil
IDENTIFY was mistaken.
Mr.. Hoover will not exercise great
influence at Cleveland for or
against any one. His principal con-
tribution to the 1886 campaign was
in his series of eight addresses on
the New Deal in which he sought
to state the issues against Presi-
dent Roosevelt.
If Mr.. Hoover is left out of it.
the stop-Landon movement would
need the cooperation of Mr..
Knox, Mr. Borah and the men who
control the big, uninstructed dele
cations from the East. Such CO.
operation is unlikely.
Knox. Borah Far Apart
Mr.. Knox has a background Of
Theodore Roosevelt progressivism
but there has been no indication
he would satisfy Mr.. Borah as
1886 candidate. Similarly, there
has been no hint from the Knox
camp that Mr.. Borah would fit into
their plans in any way. About the
only tie between these two rivals
is that neither will get anywhere
unless something is done about
Gov. Landon.
In several statements during the
latter weeks Of his campaign for
the nomination, Mr.. Borah has APP
peared to challenge Mr.. Landon in
directly on the ground that he rep
resented certain Interests" to
whose detectives the Senator is op-
posed. Mr. Knox has not personally
attacked Gov. Landon But from
former Senator George H. Moses, a
close associate of Mr.. Knox, there
came on April % an intimation that
the methods by which Gov. Landon
was picking up delegates was at
least unethical.
Without naming Mr.. Landon, Mr..
Moses deprecated Gov. Landon's
delegate strength on the grounds
that is was built up by ballyhoo
and propaganda, and developed by
methods which certainly will I'M
dergo investigation by the Se:sate
Committee already set up for the
purpose Of scrutinizing election
practices"
Other Candidates Weak
But beyond a certain similarity
Of attitude toward the progress Of
the Kansas Governor there is no
indication of -mindedness be-
tween Mr.. Knox and Mr.. Borah.
Other candidates could be
brought into a stop-Landon move
ment with less difficulty. none Of
them having much to offer nor
much to lose. But the prospect
of a Knox-Borah coalition is re-
mote. The stop-landon movement
in any serious form. therefore, will
depend on such men as MIR. Hilles