AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19042, 16 June 1936, Page 2

AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE AN AVERAGE AMERICAN .MAN OF SIMPLE TASTES Searchers for the average American might well choose Mr. Alfred M. London, says a writer in the Literary Digest, concerning the Governor of Kansas who' has been chosen by the Republican. Party as its nominee for the Presidency of the United States of America.

Mr. Landou stands five feet nine, weighs 1701 b. is married, has three children, smokes a pipe, likes the movies, plays bridge and poker, has never been abroad, takes a highball occasionally and belongs to. the Elks-, CkM Fellows ' and Masons, lie is 48, has brown eyes, a likeable smile and silvering hair. 'Mr. Landou walks lo his office at 3.30 every -morning, lunches at. homo on soup and salad, and, in the evening may sit oa the verandah swing and talk polities) with his neighbours. Another writer says' of Mr. London that be is fonder of old clothes than of new. and wears the same shiny blue serge suits and battered felt hat. in public that he wears in private; also that'he* likes his acquaintances to call him "All" OPPOSER OF NEW DEAL

Mr. Landon studied law at the University of Kansas and graduated I'.L.H. in 1908. .Since 1912 he bus been interested in oil, and, has established a very successful business. During the Great War he. served as First Lieutenant in the Chemical Warfare Service. Before his election in as Governor of Kansas. Mr. Landou was unknown outside that State. His election was noteworthy, however, for the fact that he was one of the few successful RepnblicMi supporters at a time when the Democrat. Party was in the ascendant. Two years later lie was re-elected against, strong Democrat opposition, and Intel" lie was able to anno.nice that under his. control the State of Kansas laid Tinlauced its Budget. Mr. Landou is a strong opposer of the new deal with iis "aimless experimentntion," its •'unworkable'" Social Secnrrity Act. and its "waste and cxtravtagaiiee." The Kansas Budget was balanced by reducing the expenditure relentlessly.' cutting salaries, merging departments and abandoning building programmes. NOT A POLTSHED riRATnr;

".'According to an indepen-denl DemoCl'ait paper. Mr. Landon reconciles the shrtrply conflicting interests within the fie] Mimical) Party. His proposals for heljoing the farmer are rather vague, but as be lives in a State which is predominately agricultural, his .sympathies ■vrifch agriculture are to he taken for granted. Anil his insistence on strict. economy in public expenditure is enough to satisfy the business interests. (In the other hand opposition newspapers Charge him with balancing the Kansas Budget by shifting the burden of relief «n to the [federal Government. and Slffirm that his capacities are too limited rfor the position of President. The Governor of Kansas is . not. a [polished orator, but be. has been hailed (.as the '•common-sense candidate." and .his constructive, clear-thinking speeches have made an undoubted impression. He has urged recovery before reform, and staled that unemployment must be solved by business recovery based on !; confidence.