Evening star., 1936-06-08
STRATEGIC MOVE
STARTS BIG DRIVE
Roy Roberts Launches Tum-
bIeWeed Which Rolls Up
to Huge Haystack.
BY SAMUEL G. BLYTHE.

CLEVELAND, June 8 (N.AN.A9.-
The big news of this convention is old
news, not new news. 1t is year old.
1t is not the present demonstrations
and position of the Landon boom, i'm
portant as that may be. 1t is the
genesis of the Landon boom. and the
vast implications that rest on the de-
velopment of Landon strength in the
coming convention to its present great
proportions.
To listen to some of the voluble,
even vertiginous, Landon enthusiasts,
the Landon boom began as product
of the plains, political tumbleweed,
rolling over the fiat surfaces of what
Jim Farley calls the typical prairie
State of Kansas, that rolled on and on
to Cleveland until now it is gigantic
haystack full of delegates, planks,
platforms, orators, and general Sun
flower boosters, with Bill White Of
Emporia sitting topmost on the stack,
announcing that now there is nothing
whatever the matter with Kansas and
that everything is jake.
The casual minded speak of the
landon boom as phenomenon of pol
itics, a marvellous demonstration of
that popular political combination of
ability and availability Admitting
both, so far as Landon is concerned,
it is nothing of the sort. The Landon
boom is the manufacture of a saga
cious and strategic seizure upon a sit
Efrt,i fI,a
.ion at Springfield last June made
concrete, and the able political devel-
opment of that basic situation into
the present Landon convention sup
port. There was no phenomenon
about it. 1t was extremely able pol
itics by Roy Roberts and his enlisted
KanSans. 1t never could have hap
pened if the country had not been
prepared and eager for it. and it never
would have happened if the Grass
Rooters had not marked the way.
Dramatized G. o. p. Needs.
The Grass Rooters did not create
anything, but they dramatized some
thing, which was that the Republican
party is dead at the top, and that it
must be built up again from the
ground if the party is ever again to be
an important factor in American pol
;tics, which, of course, is American
government. They declared inde-
pendence of the old guard, the old
order and pointed the way to the re-
suscitation and regeneration of their
party. The old guard and the ex-old
IndiOyanf
abusive, cynical and derisive. Being
politicians, they picked flaws in pro-
cedures, assailed motives, claimed
direction, imputed graft and all thus
and so, but they could pick no flaws
in the basic situation, which was
that Republicanism, in its organiza-
ton, in political control and direction,
in many of its policies and practices.
is obsolete. with a historic past, but,
also, with hamstrung future.
To use one of the oldest political
cliches, the time was ripe for exactly
what is now happening at Cleveland
1andon's managers, having good
available material to work with, went
to work. Wherefore, witness Landon,
party and strengthened by the situ-
alton in the opposing party. Where
fore, witness the old guard, such few
remnants of it as are left, vainly seek
ing for smoke-f1lled room, but not
finding either smokers or smoking
materials. Wherefore, set down the
fact that, no matter who is nominated
here this week, that nominee will not
be a representative of old repub-
hcanism and will be the nominee of
new republicanism.
Alternatives Are Cited.
If that nominee is not Just that.
supported by a platform that cuts
off the withered tops of the past and
waters the living roots of the present
with a declaration of principles and
policies demanded by the political,
economic and sociological conditions
OF the times, this convention will be
historic as the most complete political |
failure in our national politics and its |
nominee the most badly beaten man
who ever ran for President, not even |
excluding President Taft, who carried |
only two States in 1912.
Otherwise, the convention prelimi- |
naries are proceeding in the usual |
fashion. Landon is away out in front |
in the race for the nomination and |
the managers of the other candidates |
are shooting at him from every angle, |
hoping for the best and fearing the |
worst. There is constant talk of |
combinations to stop him. No feasible
stopper has yet been found, but, in
such managerial face-saving tactics, |
hope always triumphs over experience.
They let themselves down easy. They
'put up a good fight" Then the
band wagon makes its last trip around
and they climb aboard.
1t is all usual and ordinary. The
crowds are coming The hotel lobbies
are abloom with badges, a new rumor
comes out every Is minutes. The
bars are filled. The women politicians
take themselves most seriously Man
ayers of the candidates shed state
ments, claims, counter claims, denials
and statistics as Sycamores shed leaves
in the Fall. There Is the usual de-
mand for and yawp about tickets.
Even this early, all is hurry, hustle,
hum and huggermugger. Particularly
the latter.
(copyright 1886. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance. Inc.)
Convention