Evening star., 1936-02-16
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

EVELOPMENTS during the
last two weeks have carried
l the Republican presidential
situation into new and
more active phase Still, it is not GER
tain as yet that there will really be
fight" for the nomination. Almost
certainly there will not be fight in
the sense of a conclusive contest in
the primary elections.
As of today, it would seem that each
Of the five or six men will come to
the convention with relatively small
numbers Of delegates. Senator Borah
may come with scattered blocks, ag-
gregating as much as 200 or $50 out
of the total Of l,00l. Gov. Landon
may come with a similar number,
most Of them in a comparatively solid
geographical block from his own mid
Western neighborhood. Col. Frank
Knox of Chicago may come with
considerable number. Senator Dick
inson of Iowa may come with a
smaller block. Senator Vandenberg
Of Michigan may come with his own
State and q few besides Though Mr..
Hoover is not a candidate, he is pos
sibility: he has large following. and
there will be delegates hoping strongly
to nominate him. There will be yet
others with delegates. The aggregate
of all the committed or instructed
delegates may be not more than TOO or
SO out of total Of 1,001. Probably the
largest block Of delegates will be the
uninstructed ones who come without
any commitment or supporting some
local "favorite son." Besides, many
of the delegates who come supporting
the active candidates will have only
loose attachments to them.
It still seems probable that the
decision will not be made until after
the convention meets. 1t still seems
probable also that most Of the sup
porters of the active candidates will
not come with q truculent emotion,
not with q last-ditch determination
to nominate their man, not with any
strong emotional opposition to the
other candidates. 1t still seems prob
able that the nomination may go to
any one of the existing possibilities. :"
Borah Breaks Precedent.
The new and more active phase of
the Republican situation was brought
about by the first formal announce
ment by one man that he Is an active
candidate for the Republican presi-
dental nomination. Curiously, this
announcement and this precipitation
Of o more active phase came from
Senator Borah. BY s1 past precedent
Senator Borah should have been the
last to announce that he would con-
tend, formally and aggressively, for the
nomination.
For nearly 80 years, ever since Mr.
Borah emerged into public life as a
newly elected young Senator from
Idaho, 1t has happened, in practi-
cally every one Of the intervening
seven presidential years, that Mr.
Borah has been mentioned as q presi-
Dental possibility or candidate. Al
ways, however, he has remained a
possibility; never until now has he
been a Candidate" The mention o1
him that came forward every foul
years was merely an expression Of be.
lief, strongly held by individuals ol
numbers Of people, that Senator Borat
would be q good candidate, and Il
elected, q good President. Always the
mentioners, If they carried their prof.
ect far enough to come to Senator
Borah with 1t, found him smiling arlc
humorous, yet conclusively reluctant
Sometimes the solicitations to Senator
Borah that he become candidate
were pressed upon him urgently. But
during the whole 80 years, until ths
present Senator Borah never said tt
any man that he would be candidate
never given any individual permission
to enter his name in the primaries o.
otherwise make q night hl his behalf
Because Of this history Of reluct'
ance, known to every politician ant
newspaper writer. it was supposed tina
in the present year Senator Boral
would live up to his precedent. Fo
| that reason, the early mention OF Sen
ator Borah In the present situation
was not taken seriously. Even whel
the Present talk about Senator Boral
reached the point where he gave ai
informal and qualified assent to tn
entry of his name In one or two States
the disposition Of political leaders ant
newspapers was still to regard tn
Senator'S attitude as not differing from
| his attitude in the last. Now. how
! ever, Mr.. Boraii, In the most forms