Evening star., 1936-05-18
EVENING STAR. WASHINGTON, D. c. MONDAY,
the conditions are not formidable.

the conditions are not formidable.
still they exist.
There are not many delegates who
afflrmatively and strongly oppose
Landon, not many whose attitude Is
anybody but Landon" OF such dele
gates-if there are any at all-prob-
ably the largest number is the group
supporting Senator Borah. These
number but little more than so.
There are delegates for Col. Knox
and for Senator Vandenberg and for
some minor candidates. but probably
all these would regard Landon as a
satisfactory alternative to their own
favorites. OF the whole body Of dele
gates, large majority are still OPEN
minded and in all respects free to
exercise whatever may be their judg-
ment Of self interest at the time the
convention meets.
The picture as whole seems strongly
promising for Landon. Nevertheless
a complete summary Of the facts
would say that supporters Of other
candidates continue in energy and
confidence, and there are competent
observers who still think the nominee
will be some one other than Landon.
Most of such thought centers about
Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg Of
Michigan. Quite certainly, If Landon
is prevented from winning on an
early ballot, the next to be, In the
political phrase, "given a run" would
be Vandenberg. If this condition de-
velops at all, Vandenberg might be
strong enough to win, or he might
merely be strong enough to check
ton into a new phase.
Knox Busy Again.
Friends Of Knox have renewed
their activity in spite of the setback
he received when Borah made a
strong showing against him in his
own State of Illinois. Knox carried
his State, though he did not carry it
as convincingly as candidate Is ex-
pected to carry his own State II he
is to be formidable contender in
the convention.
Yet another possibility whom some
take seriously is Senator Frederick
Steiwer of Oregon. Senator Steiwer
has been chosen as the keynote"
speaker who opens the convention
oratory. Assuming that Steiwer makes
a favorable impression on the con-
vention, and assuming also that the
convention passes into a phase of
prolonged balloting, Steiwer might
readily be possibility.
AS to misadventures that might be-
fall Landon. there are none in sight
1t is the nature of misadventure that
it is not foreseen. Landon has
passed through one in California that
was seriously dangerous. In that
State Landon was adopted by Will
liam r. Hearst, who, with allies, set
up slate of Landon delegates. Gov
Landon's good fortune was that this
slate lost. The loss of the delegates
was immaterial compared to the fact
that he lost also, to a large degree,
the label of Hearst. Yet Landon did
not come through that California in
cident without damage, and some of
the damage remains.
Oil Taint Denied.
The fact that Landon, in private
life, is in the oil business, has given
rise to a questioning which says the
mere word ''oil" has taken on, in
politics. the same smudgy quality that
it has in nature. There is little in
this. II any one seriously charges
that Landon's association with oil is
of kind to be politically dubious,
there are Democrats in Kansas and
Oklahoma who will defend him. It
may be that some oil men in that
territory have allowed their local
pride to lead them into being i'm
prudently over-energetic and over
conspicuous in pushing their neigh
bors political fortunes. But all the
organized activity centering around
Landon personally has been of q sort
to pass the scrutiny of the con-
siderable number of progressives, such
as William Allen White. who have
been back of Landon from the be-
ginning.
tCopyright. 1850