Evening star., 1940-04-01
Burke Favored 10 Win
In Nebraska Contest
With Gov. Cochran
But Three Mcnths Ago
Senator's Chances to
Triumph Seemed Nil
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,
Star Stan Correspondent.

| HldIl . CIldLlCC III MS race 1OT TeNOml.
nation. Now the professional gam
blers-and some who are not profess
Sional-are betting on him.
If Senator Burke wins this contest
against Gov. Roy L. Cochran-who
has been the States chief execu-
tive for the last six years-it will be
a tribute to the Senator and his
rugged (the word is becoming more
popular) independence. He took his
political life in his hands when he
fought President Roosevelt's court
bill In 1887. And he did the same
thing when he promptly went to
bat Tor the Presidents plan to repeal
the arms embargo in the neutrality
law fight last fall.
l. the first instance, he courted
the opposition of the New Dealers in
Nebraska. In the second, he laid
himself open to opposition from the
large block of German American
voters, estimated at 65, 900 to 100000
On the surface, the odds appear
to be too great for Senator Burke
to overcome. Not only does he have
the opposition of the 100 per cent
New Dealers and the German
American voters they overlap
somewhat-but the opposition of
organized labor, as represented by
local labor unions, and by some of
the railroad labor organizations. His
championing amendments to the
National Labor Relations Act is re-
sponSible. Mace Brown, former
head of the Omaha Central Labor
Union, Is making speeches denounc-
ing Senator Burke.
Beneath the Surface.
Gov. Cochran is appealing to the
| farmers against Senator Burke on
the ground that the Senator last
year voted against the farm parity
appropriation. However Senator
Burke was paired for the bill carry
ing that appropriation this year.
There is more than meets the
eye, however, in this contest. In
the first place, organized labor as
such does not cut great figure in
Nebraska. Omaha is regarded as
an open-shop town. Furthermore,
Mace Brown was removed from the
union presidency by William Green,
! president of the American Fedora
ton of Labor, because he appeared
before congressional committee
and opposed any amendment to the
Labor Act. The A. F. of L. had
gone on record nationally as favor
| ing amendments-andt the Fedora
tion's amendments had been intro
duced.
AS for the New Dealers, some Of
them may go to the support of for
mer Gov Arthur J. Weaver-run-
ming for the Republican nomination.
Senator Norris, independent and
strong supporter of the New Deal.
has declared his preference for
Mr.. Weaver over Gov. Cochran and
Senator Burke. Mr.. Weaver, al
though a Republican in the past,
is regarded as New Dealer. If it
looks as though Senator Burke has
q real chance to defeat Gov. Coch-
ran, the New Dealers may decide
to plunk for Mr.. Weaver. hoping
to nominate him on the Republican
ticket and so have chance for
victory in November.
Party Shift.
The German American voters
will have to decide whether they
prefer to go into the Democratic
primary to vote against Senator
Burke. or into the Republican pri-
mary to support Senator Vanden-
berg in the presidential preference
primary. Only in the cities of some
10000 population or over is there
party registration. In the rural
sections the voters may ask for any
ballot they desire. In other words.
some three-fourths of the voters in
Nebraska are at liberty to vote
either ticket they prefer. 1t goes
hard. however, for longtime Re-
publican or a longtime Democrat
to step up and ask for ballot in
the party he has been opposed to.
Senator Burke has good num-
ber of Republican admirers in the
State. Some of them are even going
to the length of changing their
party registration to vote for him
but these cases are not many. More
of them in the outlying districts may
ask for Democratic ballots on April
9 and give Mr.. Burke a hand.
Two years ago, when the presi-
Dental purge was under way against
Senators who had incurred the
wrath Of the White House because of
their stand against the court bill,
Senator Burke probably would have
been singled out for slaughter in the
primary. This year, however, the
purge has not been revived.
Feeling Altered.
Several things happened which
may have altered the feeling of the
administration toward Senator
Burke. His immediate advocacy of
the Presidents plan to repeal the
arms embargo when Congress was
called into special session for that
purpose last September was one.
Although he halls from section of
the country which has been re-
garded as peculiarly isolationist in
sentiment, Senator Burke went down
the line for the President in this
| NOAAeOoC, 0OCAA oPCoAAA6 dAO NotAA6
for repeal of the ambargo. Also, as
chairman of judiciary committee,
he speeded favorable action on the
Presidents nomination of Frank
Murphy to be associate justice Of
the Supreme Court.
Gov. Cochran did not take any
stand on the arms embargo repeal
and he has not yet, although
efforts have been made to smoke
him out.
Gov. Cochran has been q good
governor. His handling Of the
States financial affairs has been
excellent, and Nebraska has kept
out OF debt-a white spot in the
country due to remaining "in the
black" He had some support among
the Republicans in 1898 when he
was running for reelection support
which he is not likely to have
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