The Washington times., 1936-06-15
BY ROBERT HUMPHREYS

BY ROBERT HUMPHREYS
TOPEKA, Kans., June IS
0NSO-Had anyone told Gov.
ALI M. Landon and his small
group Of supporters a year ago
that his name would go before
the convention at Cleveland with
the greatest delegate strength OF
any candidate for the Republican
presidential nomination, the Ian
don forces would have been in
credulous.
The original Landon strategy.
related here for the first time. was
on an extremely modest scale.
The plan was to build public
sentiment by publicizing the gov
ernor's record and his availability
as possible nominee. He was to
stay home and saw wood, possibly
making a speech or two.
Small Beginning
Because his supporters had
neither money nor organization,
Landon would only seek delegates
in Kansas and her bordering agrl-
cultural States. The East, with its
heavy delegate strength would be
left to other candidates. Landon,
the independent, had no banker
ing for Eastern political bosses.
Twelve months ago, the hope
Of the KanSan was to enter the
convention with so to IS votes
gathered in the Mississippi Valley
That would place him third OF
fourth in the candidate standing
at Cleveland. In the event the
leaders failed of nomination, the
party, particularly the Eastern
wing, might unite behind a man
from the farm States. It was to
be Q Ozark horse" campaign,
But IS the name L'andon was
spread over the country, some
thing about this sane, calm Kan
san caught public fancy.
Newspaper and magazine edi-
tors sent writer's Scurrying to
Topeka. These writer's arrived and
departed to write pieces about the
horse and buggy governor, the
kansas Coolidge" and "Budg-
et-Balancing Alfred"
Parade to Topeka
So, the editors went to have a
look for themselves. Economists,
financiers, industrialists, farm
leaders and politicians followed.
The stream Of visitors to the Ian
don hearth became an overnight
political phenomenon.
Met at the train by the Cover.
nor's secretary, loose-limbed, Will
lard Mayberry a professors son
from western Kansas who sported
a 10-gallon hat, visitors were
taken out to the house." Likely
as not, Landon himself answered
their knocks on the door Of the
executive mansion.
There IT. the Governors study.
strewn with books and newSpa-
pers, guests settled back to find
out how much Landon knew. Be
fore long they usually discovered
that instead Of interviewing Ian
don, he was interviewing them.
He was finding out how much
they knew.
On many a late afternoon last
winter, not a few guests found
themselves walking along the
streets talking to Landon while
the Governor pulled his two
young children, Nancy 10, 3, and
John Cobb, 2, on their daily sled
ride.
Plain Food Always
# they stayed for dinner, they
found themselves eating plain
food, much as if they had dined
with a neighbor across the street
in Yonkers or Akron. There was
no fuss or fancy stuff whether
the guest was an industrial giant
or an Iowa dirt farmer with a
plan for agriculture.
In Theo Cobb Landon, the Gov
ernor'S 38-year-old wife, guests
quickly discovered a woman with
much charm and poise who her.
self had more than a passing
knowledge Of the world and Its
affairs.
What these visitors to Topeka
had was a first hand view of a
man who, twice successful can.
didate for governor, had simply
said to the people of Kansas:
81 am no SOrcerer, no wizard
who can make dollars jump
into the treasury have no