The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-04-21
Senator Borah's Threat Puts
Money In Campaign Picture
Idahoan Was One Who In
troduced Resolution Dur
ing 1920 Which Created
Unit On Expenditures
By HERBERT PLUMMER
(Dy Associated PFesNI

ny 1ENDENI FLOmmEK
(Dy Associated PFesNI
WASHINGTON, April 2I.-
Politicians who remember the tur-
bulent days preceding the Re-
publican national convention of
1920 perked their ears at the
threat of Senator Borah to tell
the whole story" of the "vast and
astounding amounts of money"
being spent to prevent his no.
mination.
While the Idaho senator did not
disclose publicly what informa-
ton he has, the manner in which
he made his threat was sufficient
to cause those who know Borah to
do anything but take his charges
lightly.
1t was Borah who introduced
the resolution in 1920 which re-
suited in the creation of the Sc
nate campaign expenditures COM
mittee. The disclosures of that
committee were largely respon-
sible for the famous Lowden-
WoodJohnson- deadlock in the
Republican convention that
brought about the nomination of
Warren G. Harding and his SUBJ
sequent election to the presidency.
Defeated Leonard Wood
Il was this committees dis
closure that a war chest of more
than a million dollars had been
raised to obtain the nomination
for General Leonard Wood that
spelled defeat for him.
Evidence also was obtained of
how political strings were pulled
in Missouri to line up delegates
for Frank Lowden. Lowden him.
self disclaimed any knowledge of
such maneuvering, but it contri-
buted to his downfall.
Borah declares now that "be-
fore this campaign story is over,
the use of the money and where
it came from will be we'll known,
because 1 was instrumental in
creating Washington committee
which will disclose it,"
Borah's claim to being "instru-
mental in the creation of the
senate campaign expenditures
committee this year is disputed
by the Democrats. The record J
shows that Robinson of Arkansas.
Democratic leader of the senate,
is author of the resolution. Borah,
however, did confer with Robin
son on the subject.
1t was not until after the Idaho
senator had made his current
charges of excessive spending that
the administration leaders in the
senate got around to naming the
members of that committee.
Such committee is set up in |
every campaign year as a matter
of routine. Senator Borah's
charges. however. may life its
duties this year far above routine. |
Hint Relief Spending Probe
The activities of the expendi- |
lures committee may not be con-
fined wholly to Borah's charges of
pre-convention spending once it |
gets under way.
Whispers behind the scenes
have said that if the senate did !
not order special investigation of
alleged politics within the admit
nistration's relief and other emer-i
gency expenditures, that angle
might be explored by the COM
mittee on campaign expenditures.
Democrats, of course, will con-
troll the committee since they will
be in the majority. The greatest
interest at the moment, however,
lies in what Borah has to say in
of his charge that "cor-
poration powers are putting upi
to control the Cleveland
(Republican) convention" and in
the effects the statement will have
on that convention.