Evening star., 1936-04-11
|BORAH WEAKNESS
| LAID TO BACKERS
Old Guard Advisers Take
Punch Out of Speech
Written for Ohio.
BY JAY G. HAYDEN.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April IL (N.A.
N.A) The question as to what ails
the campaign of William E. Borah for
presidential preference in the Middle
West is answered by the division Of
counsel that exists between the Sem
ator and his leading supporters in
Ohio.
As the story is told here, Borah
came to Youngstown month ago, all
what he termed the combination of
big business and politics in the Re-
publican party. However, when he
dictated summary of his prospective
speech, to be given in advance to the
newspaper reporters, and showed 1t to
his Ohio hackers, there was a storm
of disapproval. These men were quite
willing that Borah attack Walter F.
Brown, and other party bosses in the
State, as subservient to special in
terests, but they objected to him, say
ing anything that might offend the
business men, who are the backbone
of the Republican party.
In the end, Borah revised his speech
and SO pulled his punches that it
failed to make any marked impress
sion on the rank and file of voters.
True in Other States.
What is true here is true in the other
States of this section, where Borah is
seeking presidential Endorsement. In
order to build a prairie fire Of popular
support, it was necessary for him to
offer something distinctly different and
more progressive than was being
offered by the other candidates for
Republican nomination. But the men
who are sponsoring the Borah cam
paign almost without exception are
Old Guard politicians, differing from
the men who are against him only in
particular that they are outside the
existing Republican organization and
seeking to gain control of it, whereas
the others are in the saddle and want
to remain there.
In Ohio the principal sponsors of the
Borah candidacy are former Senator
Roscoe McCulloch, Daniel E. Morgan,
&OL AASi NAty AidAAo6Oi Va SASfCidAAAt dA1d
John S. Knight, newspaper publisher
Of Akron. The underlying purpose Of
these men is to oust Walter F. Brown
from his Republican National Commit
tee membership and Ed D. Schorr
from the State Craftsmanship and to
place men of their own choosing in
these positions.
Similarly in Wisconsin, where Borah
won the bulk of the delegates, the
Nelson-Gettleman group, which spon-
sored his candidacy, chiefly used him
as means of winning control of the
party organization in the State. The
only certainties are that this group
win elect the Wisconsin members of
the Republican National Committee
and that it is not very different in its
political views from the men and
women who backed the uninstructed
slate in that State. 1t remains to be
seen how long Borah can hold his
Wisconsin votes in the national con-
vention.
Brown Fight Interesting.
In Ohio, the most interesting phase
of the Republican presidential primary,
to be held on May II, Is the drive
that is being made against Walter
Brown, who is candidate for dele
gate-at-large on the slate pledged to
vote for Robert A. Taft The feeling
against Brown by no means is con-
fined to the Borah group. The hope
of his opponents is that Brown indi-
vidually may be beaten or his vote so
reduced as to cause his defeat for re-
election to the National Committee
post. State Chairman Schorr's fate
is wrapped up more or less with that
of Brown. The question is whether
the Republican party in Ohio is to
have New Deal in management for
the approaching campaign.
Despite the encouragement given
his supporters by the Wisconsin result,
Borah's prospects in this State do not
look very bright. In four districts
his candidates for delegate failed to
qualify. and one Of his delegates-at-
large has withdrawn, thus giving his
opponents nine of the total of 50 dele
SdCCo W2OAAOoO O SOllOCot. &llC SOIl-
sensus here is that Borah will prove
a serious contender in not more than
seven congressional districts and that
the maximum he possibly can win is
Is delegates. Few people believe he
will win that number.
After Taft, the anti-Borah dele
gates are expected to divide between
Frank Knox and ALT M. Landon.
There is some underlying sentiment
for Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg
and one or two votes might 60 to
Herbert Hoover.
Breckenridge Watched.
Ohio is unique among the primary
States in that it has a contest for
Democratic presidential preference.
Henry Breckenridge, former Assistant
Secretary of War in the Wilson cabi-
net and Lindbergh attorney, is en-
tered against President Roosevelt. 1t
is improbable that Breckenridge will
make much of a showing and he has
no chance at all to win, but there is
basis for belief that there is a more
definite anti Roosevelt feeling among
Ohio Democrats than in neighboring
States. It Is significant that such
outstanding Democrats in times past
as Newton D. Baker, James M. Cox
and former Senator Atlee Pomerene
are not participating in the present
canvass and that all of these are
more or less at odds with the New
Deal.
Also there is a sharp contest for
the gubernatorial nomination between
the Democratic incumbent, Martin l..
Davey, and Representative Stephen M.
Young of Cleveland. Young is charg-
ing graft in the highway and liquor
control branches of the State admins
tration and is making campaign ma