Evening star., 1936-09-27
WHEAT AREA FIGHT
PUSHED BY c. 0. p
Kansas Republicans Center
Landon Campaign on
Two Districts.
BY CLIFF STRATTON,
Special Correspondent Of The Star.


TOPEKA, September 26-Backed
by Gov. Landon's farm speech at Des
Moines, Iowa, last Tuesday, and his
attack on the Canadian reciprocal
trade agreement Thursday night at
Minneapolis, the Kansas Republican
State. Committee plans to center its
national attack In this State on the
sixth and seventh congressional dis
tricts the remaining five weeks Of the
campaign.
The sixth and seventh are the big
wheat districts of Kansas. From all
reports, they probably would give
President Roosevelt lead-very slight
in the sixth, somewhat larger in the
seventh-if the vote were taken to-
day. Federal funds. in relief checks,
wheat benefit checks and F. c. A..
loans, admittedly have STAYED OF fore
closures of thousands of wheat farms
in these districts in the past three
years.
Frank Todd, State chairman, Is
confident a vigorous campaign the
next month, using Senator Capper
and Representative Frank Carlson to
lead the attack, can swing enough
votes to give Landon a several-thou-
sand lead in the sixth. Efforts are
being made to get Representative Cliff
ford Hope Of the seventh released
from his job as head Of the agricul-
tural division of the national head
quarters in Chicago, to campaign the
last three weeks in the seventh dis
trict.
Republican leaders scott at the
claims of Democrats that Landon Will
lose Kansas in November. They re-
gard these claims as clever propa-
ganda. but admit generally that the
Spring estimates of a 100000 majority
for the Republican presidential NOM
inee were little high.
The situation today seems to be
that Roosevelt will carry one OF the
seven congressional districts, the
fifth, and that odds are Representa-
tive Jack Houston, Democrat, will be
reelected in that district.
The sixth, seventh and third
districts are regarded as close, with
Roosevelt holding the edge in the sew
enth, possibly in the sixth. and Lam
don a few thousand to the good in
his home district. the third.
In the third district, Harold Nc
Gugin is waging vigorous and vo-
ciferous campaign against Repre-
sentative w E. Patterson, Democrat,
for reelection. McGugin defeated
Patterson in 1882. but lost to him in
1884 by a narrow margin.
Kansas City for Roosevelt.
The agricultural counties in east"
ern and central Kansas are expected
to overcome the Roosevelt strength
in Kansas City, second district, and
give Landon a 10000 majority in the
first district, despite the apparent
Roosevelt strength in Topeka, the
largest city in the first. Ordinarily
Topeka and Shawnee County roll up
9, 900 to $4,000 Republican majorities;
indications today are that the Landon
majority in Shawnee. including To-
peka, will be closer to 1000. But
he apparently is stronger than ever
in the rest of the first district.
Representative Randolph Carpenter,
Democrat, refused to run for re-elec-
ton in the fourth this year. Two
newcomers are out for his place-State
Senator Ed H. Rees of Emporia, on the
Republican ticket, and D. C. Hill, a
young attorney, of Wamego, on the
Democratic ticket.
The Democrats are centering their
efforts on President Roosevelt and
Walter A. Huxman of Hutchinson,
their candidate for Governor against
Will G. West of Mcpherson, Repub-
lican nominee.
Summarizing-and subject to change
the presidential race looks like Lam
don holds lead from $4,000 to $4,000
in the first, second, third and fourth
districts, with Roosevelt perhaps 10000
to 10000 to the good in the three
wheat districts, with a Landon trend
on in the sixth and seventh.