Evening star., 1936-06-12
BORAH DECLINES
TOG|VE STAND ON
LANDON VICTORY
Preserves Enigma, Barring
Comment on Fitness OF
Candidate.
SILENCE MAINTAINED
ON REELECTION PLAN
Given Square Deal at Cleveland,
He Says-Not Clear on Kan
sans Message.
BY JOHN G.. HENRY.

Senator Borah. Idaho Republican
continued his faVorite role Of cam
paign enigma this afternoon, declin-
ing to reveal whether he would take
the stump for the Republican presi-
DENTAL nominee, Gov. ALI M. IAndon
of Kansas He also refused TO COM
ment on the Kansan's fitness for the
presidency or the nominees interpre-
tation Of the neWly-adopted platform
and at the same time declined TO dis
close whether he would be = csndi-
date for reelection 10 the Senate
from Idaho.
On one issue only did the veteran
Senator commit himself TO any sub
stantial degree, that being TO the ef-
feet he feels reasonably well satisfied
with those parts of the Republican
platform in which he Is most inter-
ested.
Received Square Deal"
As for his own candidacy Tor tbe
presidential nomination, he said he is
willing TO admit he received square
deal"
Meeting the press en- masSe, after
g. morning OF suspense about his &C
tion, Borah first talked informally
along lines OF a prepared statement
which he handed out later. The
statement follows in full:
II have no statement to make, and
shall not have, until I return TO
Idaho with reference to the campaign.
have not had time to study the plat
form as a whole, but with reference to
the planks to which I gave most con-
sideration T am quite in harmony,
particularly the foreign policy and
monopoly and the omission Of any
pledge to return TO the gold standard.
ST do not care to comment upon
Gov. Landon's message TO the con-
vention. I am not clear as to what
it means. If it means he is for the
gold standard, Of course, am wholly
in disagreement with that. But he
says he is not in favor, ~ under
stand it, Of returning TO the gold
standard unless it can be done with
out penalizing our Democratic econ
omy, and without injury to our pro-
ducers Of agricultural products. But
it can not be done without doing
both. There can be no greater threat
to the producers Of this country than
pledge to return to the gold STAN
dard. We had the gold standard, the
world had the gold standard, and
it was one of the great contributing
causes TO Vhe utter Generalization
OF agriculture, as well as to the gen.
eral economic breakdown. There
ought not to be any DOUBT about
that matter, and there isn't any doubt
about it so far as I am concerned.
Wanted Specific Pledge.
IT should like to have had the mo-
nopoly plank more specific as to the
methods by which we are to accom-
pliSh what we propose, and ! pro-
posed more specific methods. But,
nevertheless, that can be developed
later. The general pledge is there.
IT said many times prior 10 the
convention that I was primarily in
terested in issues, and that is my
present attitude, and that win be my
attitude from now on.
"As TO my failure to secure the
nomination, 7 need hardly mention
it, because I can say with entire can
dor that I was not surprised at the
action Of the convention. And the
action Of the convention in that re-
spect will have no bearing whatever
upon my position upon public ques-
tions.''
In discussing the platform, the Sen
ator expressed himself as most COM
pietely satisfied with the foreign pol
icy section.
"At last we have a foreign policy
expressed as it should be-" he said,
Il got exactly what wanted on that
point.
Asked to elaborate on his wishes in
connection with the monopoly plank,
Borah said he would have provided
that Congress should define the terms
and conditions for interstate COM
merce.
Such devices as interlocking d.
rectorates, holding companies, price
fixing and price discrimination would
be specifically 1egiSlated against" he
said.
Outmaneuvers QUestioners.
Although the Senator said in his
prepared statement that he had 20
(see BORAH, Page o.