THE CRIMSON FENCE

Like Janus, the two-faced god of the Romans, the Crimson is looking in both directions during the period preceeding its straw vote. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, until October fourteenth, editorials will appear by Hellanthus and Mulus, two Crimson editorial writers of opposing political views. The former tends to look in the general direction of Kansas; the latter veers toward Washington.

One vital fact in the coming election which has been conveniently glossed over for some time by the Republican high command is the question of the personal qualifications of its nominees. Who are the men underneath the medals and ribbons? What are their records? Why are they being presented to the American people as candidates for high office?

Perhaps it is just as lucky that the G.O.P. has never dwelt too long on this phase of its bid for power. When the shouting dies away and the cold light of reason is applied to the record and personality of the nominee fro the presidency--Alf M. Landon--one is surprised that the American public has ever been cozened into accepting as a candidate for its highest office a man whose record is one of drab mediocrity and whose personal qualifications keep him as far removed from being a presidential possibility as Kansas is removed from the Atlantic seaboard.

His record in Kansas is known to all. Prohibited by State laws from incurring any debt whatsoever, he has, therefore, "balanced the budget" there:--that is if one passes quickly over the matter of $400,000,000 worth of Federal relief funds poured into Kansas. As was admitted last week by William Allen White, Landon's chief apologist, the state ranks 48th out of 48 in regard to State help for State schools, a situation which may in part explain Kansas' miserable record in the matter of education.

Nor are the other leading figures in the Republican set-up of much sounder calibre. Frank Knox, a bombastic publisher and bitter foe of William Randolph Hearst, has called a truce in the Chicago newspaper war for the duration of the campaign, bearing out the old saying, "politics makes strange bed-fellows". Ranging next in importance behind the standard bearers one finds a line of mid-western politicians:--hardly men of cabinet timber or potential leaders in the government of the United States. Roy Roberts, Lacy Haynes, William Allen White, Hill Blackett, Robert P. Taft: these are the men who, presumably, will be prominent members of the Landon regime should it ever attain office.