Evening star., 1936-06-08

he is an un- D-;a 1,roo.
worthy candidate,
but an unknown candidate. He is
being called by his opponents "the
man that nobody knows" But. it
might be added that this is con-
yention that nobody knows.
For there is not only complete
absence of bosses, but an absence of
leaders, too. 1t is a convention which
appears to be trying to run without
a rudder. There are plenty OF
would-be helmsmen, but the situation
Is so full of criSS- crosses and counter
currents that until the platform dis
cusSion starts leadership of opposing
forces will not really come into
evidence.
The Landon managers have played
their hand shrewdly. They have
given an impression of confidence and
sure victory. Whatever there is to
the psychology of convention dele
gates, who are quick to recognize a
'bandwagon" when they see one is, OF
course. accruing to the Landon boom.
The chances of anybody blocking the
LduOUA
The best prediction at the moment is
that Landon is 60to-40 certainty.
but with elements lying around which,
If brought together under a common
cause as in a platform fight, may
mean defeat for Landon.
Avoids Controversy.
The Kansas Governor thus far has
avoided positive statements on con-
troverSial points of party policy. The
effort now will be to smoke him out
He still remains the likely choice for
the nomination for President. As for
Vice President, the chances Of Sem
ator Steiwer of Oregon will become
rosy, if his keynote speech tomorrow
night makes a favorable impression.
The first day of national conven-
ton week might well be called the
day for the verif1cation Of the claims
and counterclaims of the managers of
the various candidates.
AS the delegates arrive, the canvass
begins to determine whether the dele
gates are really as loyal to their can
didates as they have profeSsed to be.
Some idea of what the game means
can be derived from a study of the
behavior of the different managers
themselves. They claim everything
but privately they concede what their
minimum strength really is.
Thus, check-up of various dele
cations and heart-to-heart talk
with some of the managers would
seem to indicate that Gov. Landon
has at least $50 votes for the first
ballot. His supporters claim as high
as $40, which is more than enough
to nominate.
Bandwagon Talk.
Any candidate who has $50 votes
as a minimum is within striking dis
tance of the goal, and if his managers
can develop bandwogan psychology
they can easily get the remaining
votes. So the Landonites have been
busily engaged in creating an atmos-
phere Of immediate triumph.
AS a matter of fact, all that can be
said at this stage is that Landon
is in the lead, that many delegations
'have heard" that he is good man
and would make good candidate, but,
apart from that, they are for the
most part not particularly devoted or
tied to anybody's cause. There could
be, for example, quite a lot Of friction
over platform planks, in which case
the Landon hand would have to be
shown and enmities and factional
strife could be developed which would
be reflected in the balloting. For
it must be borne in mind that the
platform fight will come first and then
the nominating.
Every convention may seem to be
different from its predecessor, because
faces change, and 50 do issues and
personalities contending for power
This convention reveals some unusual
aspects, but it is too early yet to
say that fundamentally the Repub-
ucans have undergone a rebirth.
There is, of course, very de-
termined and intense feeling on the
part of many delegates who want
only to beat the New Deal an
anitpathy to so-called "old guard" or
so ultra-conservative forces and a
rather aggressive disposition to make
o liberal or progressive platform.
Clash Over Liberalism.
Looking over some of the dele
cations, there are some of the old
faces, former Senators and former
members of the House, who look upon
liberalism" as so much "hooey" and
as the arousing of false or impossible
hopes. Then there are the young
enthusiasts who venture to believe
that much can be accomplished in
the way of reform If the party will
only start to travel in that direction.
Platform making is, to be sure, the
center Of all controversy and it does
look as If the Eastern and Western
concepts, the so-called progressive
and the so-called conservative views,
will clash. Actually, the difference is
one of approach. The politically
minded writers Of platform planks
want to promise as much as possible
and catch votes. The realists want
to write platform planks that have
some prospect Of being fulfilled by
the candidate if he is elected.
The wording of these platform
planks will mean much to the future
of the battle. The principal bones of
contention at the moment are the
agricultural, the tariff, and the cur
rency planks, though there are signs
of a debate over the suggestion that
the convention declare itself for
minimum wage for women.
What seems likely on the last point
Is that the platform will declare for
a subsistence income based on an
American standard of living, the
same to be made possible for every
individual, regardless of age or sex,
who is willing to work. But whether
this can be obtained by writing COM
prehensive State legislation without |
any new amendment or revision of the |
Constitution or whether the plank |
shall declare for the principle and say