The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-06-08
PARTY'S HOPES
OF VICTORY
SOARING
Elephant Ready to Give
Roosevelt Real Race
in November
BY EDWIN C. HILL
Copyright, 1885, by International News
Service)

The old elephant has his ears laid
back. No fooling. His little,
shrewd eyes are all aglitter with
the lust of battle. His warlike
trumpetings shrill out over the rip
ping blue of Lake Erie.
The Republican jumbo is him
self again, ready to launch his
ponderous bulk against all the
massed heresies of the New Deal.
From afar off his ears detect the
swift, sure coming of his new
mahout from the maize fields of
Kansas, and he visions, with
fresh-born hope, the welcoming
portals of the White House.
Hopes Run High
AS recently as May, the old
party was giving a first rate imi-
tation of Max Baer preparing to
step into the ring for massacre
at the hands of Joe Louis-hope
abandoned, courage down to the
dregs, chin stuck out all ready for
the knockout punch, defeatism
everywhere.
But not any more, Susanna!
Something has happened to the
old chap. He's got his fighting
blood up, and if he keeps it up
and boiling hot Mr.. Franklin
Delano Roosevelt will know he's
been to the races.
And that is the most arreSting
piece of news of the whole con-
Vention scene, this surprising up
lift Of combative spirit and re-
surgence of hope.
The last Republican convention,
four years ago at Chicago, was
a conclave of saddened mortua-
rians.
Scribes Favor Landon
But today, as the gay strains
of "Oh, Susanna" echo along
Euclid Avenue, keeping time to
the hoofbeats of battalions of Ian
don delegates, as the hotel Hobbies
resound to excited clamor, as they
slap each other on the back and
whoop, you can't help but sense
thatsomething has inspired them
something. let us say, like a
bunch.
The bunch is that the Kansas
governor has been tagged by des-
tiny. People get that feeling. you
know, and for no reason based on
logic, cold figures or even horse
sense; and once in a while it works
out.
Take the veteran newspaper
men here on the job-the old
timers who have been covering
national conventions since heck
was a pup.
Almost to a man they see Ian
don winning in an easy Canter-
the nomination, that is; and many
of them have queer, inexplicable
feeling that the gentleman from
Kansas may turn out to be the
one to give Mr.. Roosevelt a first
class Shellacking.
Leaders in Conference
The leaders, the Republican
yellow-jacket mandarins are in
seclusion, holding those whis-
pered, corner-of the-mouth pow
vows so dear to the heart of a
political manipulation. That Pc
tronius of Republicanism, the
suave, courtly national commit
teeman from New York, Charles
Dewey Hills, was consulting the
augurs, not yet gone over to
Landon, but knowing that a
sizeable bunch of his 80 New
York janissarieS are Landon men.
j. Henry Roraback, Connecti-
cut leader, was around and about,
proudly waving a reserved seat
on the Landon bandwagon. So,
too, are a few other oldtime
State leaders like George H.
Moses of New Hampshire, he
who once fleered and flouted the
Western liberals as sons of the
wild jackass."
But DR.. Moses, devoted to the
waning fortunes of Col. Frank
Knox, is saying little, and that
with exceeding softness. Walter
F.. Brown, eX-Hoover captain-gen-
eral; Frank L. Smith of ILL
nois, Ralph Williams of Oregon
and Bert Smell of New York are
on the fringes of the picture,
crowded out of the limelight by
newer men, freSher personalities,
Landon lieutenantS.
LandOn Aides Active
Preeminent among these are
John Hamilton, of Landon's home
town, Topeka, and Roy Roberts,
publisher and managing editor of
the Kansas City Star. Red-haired
Lawyer Hamilton is the big chief
of the Landon movement. Highly
intelligent, up to all the tricks of
the game, Suave, quick on his
mental feet, always courteous and
with lovely sense of humor, that
man Hamilton is a fellow to watch
in action.
Months ago Roy Roberts began
the groundwork which, largely, re-
suited in lifting Alfred M. Landon
from prairie obScurity to national
celebrity and first-ClasS shot at
the presidency.