BORAH, WILLIAM ED GAR ( 86 s-194o). American politician, was born at Fairfield, Ill., on June 29, 1865. He studied at the Enfield academy, Ill., and entered the University of Kan sas with the class of 1889, but did not finish his course. He was admitted to the bar in 1889, practised at Lyons, Kan., 189o— oi, and later at Boise, Idaho. He was elected to the U.S. Sen ate in 1906 and re-elected in 1912, 1918 and 1924. At the time of the split in the Republican Party in 1912 he opposed the nomination of President Taft, but refused to follow Roosevelt, although in sympathy with his policy. He favoured woman suffrage and in dependence of the Philippines, but was opposed to the League to Enforce Peace on the ground that it tended toward interna tionalism. He strongly opposed many of the measures of Presi dent Wilson's Administration, and in particular the League of Nations, of which he was always an active opponent.
Always a strenuous advocate of disarmament, Borah proposed a resolution in the Senate in favour of opening negotiations with Great Britain and Japan for a mutual reduction in the naval programmes of the three Powers. Though rejected at first, it was ultimately adopted by Congress in 1921. He suggested also a world economic conference to consider disarmament, and it was in part owing to his efforts in this direction that the Washington Conference on the limitation of armaments (Nov. 1921) was held. He endeavoured unsuccessfully to persuade the Senate to recog nize the Soviet Government of Russia. At the time of the coal strike of 1922 he favoured the operation of the mines by the Federal Government. He was opposed to the World Court, on the ground that it was an adjunct of the League of Nations. Opposed as he was to the United States joining the League of Nations, he prepared an alternative plan to "outlaw" war, which he placed before the Senate in 1923.
At the Republican national convention held at Cleveland, O., in 1924, Borah was urged for the office of vice president, but refused to permit his name to go before the convention. Both on the platform and in the Senate he continued to take an active independent interest in foreign affairs as they affected the United States, freely criticizing the policy of the Government. He con stantly urged that pressure be brought to bear upon the Allied nations to pay their war debts owed to the United States. He be came chairman of the committee on foreign relations in 1924.
Always an independent, Borah supported Hoover in the 1928 election, but became one of the President's severest critics later. He also fought most legislation of the New Deal, especially Roose velt's proposal to enlarge the Supreme Court. An ardent isolation ist, he was author of the plan for a five-year naval holiday in 1931 and was one of the leaders in the Senate who attempted unsuc cessfully to block repeal of the Neutrality act in 1939. After announcing his willingness to accept the presidency in 1936 he launche dan attack upon monopolies. Borah died Jan. 19, 1940.