The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-01
Landon Friends See
Convention Victory
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER

NOPEKA, May Friends of Gov Landon now
= regard his nomination by the Republican ma
ton convention in June practically certain Natur
ally they are prejudiced in their judgment. Never
theless it seems to this observer that they will be
fully vindcated at Cleveland.
Landon leaders here believe the Massachusetts
primary result gives their candidate the final push
necessary to put him over. Whereas $40 Repub
lcans wrote in Landon's name, there only
1885 other write-ins, scattered among Hoover
Borah, Vandenberg and Knox.
Here in Topeka they state the delegate lineup as
follows: Landon, 2l6 delegates already sure; Knox
60; Borah, Al and Vandenberg, 38 Michigan dele
gates. Some $50 delegates already chosen are I'M
pledged. Nearly 400 still to be selected.
The figures alone are inconclusive. Yet they indi-
cate two things: First that among the working Re-
publicans who participate in party primaries Lam
don is favorite; second, that his organization has
been more effective than rival organizations in lining
up instructions in state conventions 1t is that
a candidate comes through a national convention
without having both of these elements of strength
Landon more than any other candidate has DEM
onstrated that he has both.
But that only carries the picture through the
national convention. 1t tells practically nothing as
to what Landon's strength presidential nominee
will be. For instance remarkable the Massa-
chusetts writein campaign was, all five candidates
received total vote of only s22ss whereas in the
1882 campaign Hoover and Roosevelt polled total
vote of l,537,107. The result merely demonstrated
that among those active party workers who turn out
then, for instance, of 10000 Republicans voting in
Boston, only one-third marked in a presidential
preference. Therefore, Landon leaders will be
deluding themselves If they take his unquestoned
popularity the Republican organization favorte
as any index at all of his strength in the election
race proper.
T~HERE is every indication here that the Landon
forces fully realize the great difference between
the contest for the nomination and the contest for
the election-that one is internal organization
fight among active politicians and that the other is
q question of vast mass strength with the public at
large.
One evidence that they are awake to this here
in Topeka is the private satisfaction taken in the
large votes which Borah is getting. These votes it
is hoped here, will warning to the extreme
conservatives in the party.
Landon's role is difficult. lifelong progressive
Republican, sympathetic to the early start of the
New Deal but not to its later management of affairs
Landon undoubtedly recognizes that a Republican
campaign on the type Hoover would like to make is
hopeless. Yet he will have a large extremely con-
sentative element in his party TO deal with His
position Is somewhat like that of Hardings in 1920
when the task was to hold pro-League of Nations
and anti-League Republicans together but the diff
ference Island 1t is vital one-that Hardings cleo
ton never was in doubt and his only task was to
preserve party harmony and keep every one happy
This time the Republicans have strikes on them
md must make an aggressive fight to win. They
[H not N1n ~ saying whole lot 81 nothjne