SENATOR BORAH

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 53, 4 March 1922, Page 11

SENATOR BORAH

A MAN WHO DOES THINGS

HOW THE WASHINGTON'CONFERENCE WAS BOJIN.

President Harding, Secretary Hughe3, Mr. Elihu Root, and Senators Lodge and Underwood naturally may claim credit for the Conference and the programme for limitation of armaments, but, after all, the idea of ita origin lies with Senator ' William Borah, of Idaho, whose chief energy has long been directed 1 to this question among the aiany progressive caupes for which he has "contended. He is a large, powerful man with a great chin and jaw and a wide south, hair still blasl-, eyebrows heavy and black over clear blue-grey eyes. Quick to fell and laugh, ha might be a born actor and humorisP, writes H. W. Nevinson, to the Manchester Guardian, from Washington. He i'epresents a perfect hereditary type of the best from the South or West of Ireland. He reminds one much -n app_earanc3 of Daniel O'Corinell, and probably speake with similar eloquence. He Uves mainly alone and U seldom seen in, society. He rides aiona every morning- in the beautiful Creek Park, works ail day and far into the night in the Senate, or in,'the fine suite of roome provided foi; each senator, far superior to any privilege granted to our Lords or Commons. . .

Th«3e so-called offices are in the vast, building close- to tho Capitol and connected with the Senate House ny a sull--terannean passage. _ There.Senator Borah sits and works, visited by many of his constituents from the distant State of Idaho, where his home is— a, wild, mountainous, 'argely pasture and cattle-breed-ing State, perhaps suited to Borah's nature. His reputation for wildnees arises from his "extreme" yiews and his dangerous or so-called Liberal opiniors, for, amazing _as it appears to the English mind, Liherals are regarded as dangerous here. In England, perhaps, he would ally ■with Wedgwood and Kenworthy. Here ha is considered perilously Asquithian. .

In politics he lives alone, as in life, a party to himself. The Mirror of Washington calls him very dangerous as a liability,- and continues: " The report that Borah is on the carnpage affects the Republican leaders very much as a run on the bank affect.3 financial leaders." Honesty, earnestness, and eloquence make politicians incalculable., So last December he proposed in the Senate a resolution enacting a naval pause for five years. This was rejected. He tacked it to the Navy Bill of last \April and passed it. Notice of the subject then became compulsory, and the Conference, is the result.'

He considers the mere Conference an immense advance for all mankind. In any case, the spirit among the nations will gain in the direction of peace. He probably never thinks of the Presidency, nor can one suppose any machine would adopt such a man, though he is said to be less feared now than formerly, which one hopes is not true. Certainly he shows no sign of declining vigour or senile moderation. And he exercises a subtle influence on all Congress, as honest, impeiubus reformers sometimes will.

Hi 3 great object,- as has been said/ has been disarmament, but he has now given notice of a Bill restoring civil liberties, a measiure more, needed here than even in England since the war. No greater benefaction could be bestowed upon either country. Senator Borah's Irish descent has naturally sot him at enmity with England, but if the Irish settlement be accomplished, advanced Liberals could gain ho truer or more valuable' ally in America.