Makings of the 72nd (Cont.)

While party headquarters shouted political invective back and forth at each other in Washington, three primaries and one convention last week added their measure of nominees for the 72nd Congress. Developments :

Idaho. For the fifth time Republicans assembled in convention at Idaho Falls nominated Senator William Edgar Borah for the Senate. One vote was cast against him. Senator Borah rested 2,000 mi. away in the Maine woods. Idaho's two Republican Congressmen, Burton Lee French and Addison Taylor Smith, were renominated. To John McMurray of Oakley went the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Idaho Democrats gathered at St. Anthony first thought they would not put up a candidate to oppose Senator Borah, largely because nobody wanted such an empty nomination. Then they changed their mind, named John Tyler of Emmett for the Senate. Nominee Tyler, 55, a grade school teacher turned farmer and smalltown politician, declared: "If elected, I will not be found voting with the Republicans as Borah has been with the Democrats." Democrats nominated for Governor G. Ben Ross, Mayor of Pocatello.

California. Republicans renominated their ten Congressmen, Democrats their one. Mayor James ("Sunny Jim") Rolph Jr. of San Francisco, won the Republican gubernatorial nomination over Governor Clement Calhoun Young (see p. 18).

South Carolina. Senator Coleman Livingston Blease sought Democratic renomination over James Francis Byrnes, onetime (1911-25) Congressman, and Leon W. Harris. As a "drinking Prohibitionist" Senator Blease openly condoned lynching, declared: "When the Constitution comes between me and the virtue of a white woman, I say to hell with the Constitution!" Candidate Harris, solicitor at Walhalla where he is prosecuting a lynching mob (TIME, May 5) ran a poor third in the primary. Senator Blease and Candidate Byrnes will enter a run-off election next week. Six years ago Senator Blease defeated Candidate Byrnes in a similar run-off for the Senatorial nomination after a whispering campaign had revived the fact that Byrnes was born and brought up a Roman Catholic in Charleston only to leave that faith when he entered politics. South Carolina's seven Democratic Congressmen were all renominated. Eight candidates sought the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Olin D. Johnson, 35, on a pledge to stop work on the State's much-needed $65,000,000 road program, led the field, will enter the second primary.

Mississippi. Democratic Senator Pat Harrison and seven Democratic Congressmen were renominated without opposition. Congressmen Ross Alexander Collins won renomination after a close contest. The Senate Slush Fund Committee held a special meeting at Fargo, N. Dak., to investigate charges that Chicago detectives were trailing its chairman, Senator Gerald Nye of North Dakota. One detective admitted that he had been assigned the task of looking up Senator Nye's "life" but insisted he was not trying to get something on him. Asked by newsmen if he thought the detective had been employed by friends of Illinois' Republican Senatorial Nominee Ruth Hanna McCormick whose campaign expenditures the Committee has been scrutinizing, Senator Nye declared: "I don't see how you can assume anything else." The Committee was asked to make two other inquiries: Massachusetts. Conrad W. Crooker, counsel of the Liberal Civic League, charged that onetime Senator William Morgan Butler & friends had already spent $500.000 to "steal" the Republican senatorial nomination. Likewise Mr. Butler, good friend of Calvin Coolidge, was accused of securing endorsements of Labor by putting labor leaders on his political payroll.

Colorado. Republican National Committeeman Clarence Clark Hamlin wired Senator Nye: "It is openly charged and I believe with much foundation that an effort is being made to purchase the Republican Senatorship in this State. . . ." Chief contestants for the Republican Senatorial nomination: George H. Shaw, William Van Derveer Hodges, onetime treasurer of the Republican National Committee. Shaw supporters charged Candidate Hodges with excessive expenditures. Another accusation is that Candidate Hodges bought 300 shares of Fitzsimmons Oil & Leasing Co. stock from Rev. Arthur V. Finchis, superintendent of the Colorado Anti-Saloon League and received a "satisfactory" (Dry) rating from the League whereas Mr. Shaw who refused to buy such stock was rated "unsatisfactory." Prohibitor Finchis was said to get a 25% commission on all stock sold. Many another Colorado official, rated Dry by the Anti-Saloon, was suspected of having bought Fitzsimmons stock through Mr. Finchis.

At Headquarters. Party leaders in Washington supply the campaign words-&-music which candidates repeat on the stump throughout the land. Chief Republican composer: James L. West, director of publicity. Chief Democratic composer: Charles Michelson, director of publicity. They write the statements that are issued under the names of party leaders. So sharp have been Composer Michelson's attacks on President Hoover that last week Chairman William Robert Wood of the Republican Congressional Campaign cried out in hurt protest, charged the Democrats and Mr. Michelson with a "plot" to slander the President and undermine his influence. The Democratic New York World promptly turned up the fact that G. O. Pressagent West was admitted to President Hoover's press conference in open violation of the rule excluding all but accredited newsmen.

Pressagent Michelson dug through old issues of the Congressional Record, found where shortly after the War Mr. Wood himself had assailed Herbert Hoover, had called him an expatriate and "the most expensive luxury ever fastened on this country," had warned that he was "unfit for a responsible position of trust."

When Pressagent West brought out a fat statement listing all the party's 1928 pledges and how the G. O. P. had carried them out (except for an anti-lynching law), Pressagent Michelson, under the name of Congressman Cordell Hull, guyed him for omitting the party platform's preamble assuring the country of continued Prosperity, raised anew the deadly cry of "Hoover Panic," on which the Democrats this year have founded their campaign.

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