The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-05-18
NO FORD SHOWING.


10 virtually non-existent. there was no
showing for Ford in the primaries. a re-
suit Republican leaders pointed to as
Significant considered in connection with
the heavy vote cast for the Detroit man
In States and sections of States with
large German populations.
The View Of the Republican leaders is
corroborated by conspicuous German
propagandists. No secret was made by
these last night Of the fact there IL a
concerted movement among German
American voters to support the Detroit
pacifst.
whether the position IL one that
pleases Ford or whether he occupIes Il
unwtllinglys Republican leaders do not
attempt to say. What is indisputabIe,
they assert. Is that the German anti
preparedness plotters In this country
who want to hamstring the United
States In the face OF possible war with
for President. selected him to be the
vehicle of the anti-preparedness pro-
test. hoping to hold a club over the
Chicago convention.
With the returns not yet all in. Il 10
yaniA It is believed II will run above
5000 despite the fact the men who
voted for Ford had to attach .'stickers''I
to their ballots. as his name was not
printed In the forms as distributed in
the polls. But q million OF Ford stick
ers'' were sent into the State and the
result showed they were widely used.
Where Ford Ran Strong.
The party leaders nave discovered
BY a scrutiny OF the returns that
Ford was strong in the strong Ger
man localities and that his vote was
negligible in districts where the Ger
man element was absent or numerl-
cally unimportant.
It Is not known yet whether the
German anti preparedness propagan-
dists bore the expense of the distribu.
tions of the Ford "stickers." but II Is
not doubted such will be found to be
staats-Zeitung. organ of the German
race In this country, recently pre-
dicted that the Ford vote In Pennsyl-
vania would furnish q surprise" for
certain persons. The. Staats-Zeitung
article referred to the possibility of
Ford carrying Pennsylvania as "A
miracle" but added that It hoped for
a miracle.
Republican leaders believe that the
German anti-preparedness plotters
behind the Ford candidacy sre not
foolnh enough to think he can be
nominated but that their principal
hope and purpose Is to influence the
tone Of the Republican platform.
The Kaiser's agents here. II Is said.
evidently feel that IL they could mako
II appear that strong element
among the electorate In widely sspa-
rated parts of the country opposed
preparedness and the men standing
for Il. 1t would not be without effect
when. the Republican convention
reached the work of enuncIating a
declaration Of principles for the Pres
idential campaign.
Aim Of German Agents.
Nor would 1t have been without It's
effect, the party leaders say. IL the
German agents in their desire to make
a good showing had not disclosed
their hands. thus overreaching them
selves.
AS things stand, now that the Ger
man interest In Ford has been re-
veaIed, II Is not at all probable, II Is
SAID that the convention VIII pay the
xiphonse q. Koelble, head of the
German American Societies In New
York city and honorary president OF
the German American Alliance of New
York state, WSuid not admit FORD
Americans alone. He said German
voters preferred Ford to Wilson or
Roosevelt or Elihu Root.
"The huge Ford vote" Koelble said.
sis maze OF a combination, Of laboring
men. ,paeifists-of whom. by the way;
those opposed to extreme prepared
ness, the pseudo-preparedness in
tended to beneft the munition makers.
What percentage OF the vote repre-