Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-19
MAY USE PERSH|NG
TO DEFEAT WOOD
G. o. p. Leaders Get Better
Choice by Accumulation of
Presidential Booms
WANT HARDING OR L0WDEN
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT
Staif Correspondent Of the Evening Public
Ledger


Washington, Dec. 19.-The chief re-
action to the Pershing movement is
one of pleasure among organization Re
publicans, the men who are promoting
the "favorite sou" booms in order to
insure their control of the convention.
Their motto is "the more the mcr
rier."
Moreover, Pershing is another string
to their bow.
If they cannot nominate Harding or
Lowden, if neither of these two is
enough of national figure to head off
General Wood, the party managers will
probably prefer Pershing to Wood. At
any rate, his entrance into the race
improves their chances of making the
kind of bargain they like on the floor
of the convention. He will be at least
trading argument.
The one thing the professional poll
tician does not like is a candidate
chosen by the people at the popular
primaries whose nomination is all but
settled when the convention meets.
Such candidate owes nothing to the
machine. 80,
The little details that the bosses like
to ettles in the hotel rooms at the con-
yention, as soon as eneough delegates
are gradually delivered to effect nonl l.
nation, are not subject of bargaining
when the peoples choice comes along
| with votes enough or almost enough tC
nominate already in his pocket. :,
1t is hard to guess at Pershing
strength. but the mere fact that he VII
accent the nomination. no matter wha
modest disclaimers are put forth by MN
or in his name, is regarded as enougt
70 ~o't""in any preconvention stamped'
to Wood.
a culating politician might sa!
to himself that neither Lowden mol
Harding was big enough to. be ''pu'
over" and that it would be the part O.
wisdom to join forces with Wood, whil'
the joining was good. Now ne WI
think twice. He will not ask himself
whether the country, if it is going tt
nominate a military man, will no
choose the commander of the American
forces in France, rather than a genera
who failed to get to France at all. Ill
will realize that the machine las mar
big enough to beat Wood with II ~
chooses to beat Wood.
Had Pershing as Dark Horse
Unless Pershing runs away with thu
\ nomination, ne lNcredseS lnc opPOi
tunities of Republican managers to con
troll the convention and to make term
with the candidate before nominatini
one at Chicago. And no one expect
; I'ershing to run away with the nomi
nation. That evidently is not going t
be the plan of Pershinp's promoters
, They will let Wood try that while the,
place the fate of their candidate in tn
, hands of the convention itself.
: The original intention was to max
Pershing a dark horse. Since the de
velopmcnt of the Wood movement thi
r was seen to be dangerous. 1t Nigh
mean that the nomination would b
r foreclosed before the convention met
: in which case there would be no chanc
for a dark horse. For this reason tn
r public was vouchsafed just a peep,
discreet peep, at the hero of the grea
!. war as a possible candidate.
q q What has happened is not tn
= launching of the boom. On the con
i trary, it is just gentle-an ever
gentle-reminder that the real thing |
the way of military candidates is IL
Y commander of the American army
+ France himself. The alumni of Gen
L eral Pershing's college in Nebrask'
i. where General Charles G. Dawes WI
q a fellow student of Pershing's, simpI
e will not be restrained. They demar
Pershing
= Caution" Is the Watchword
The wavering politician hears I
voice of the Nebraska alumni and
remarks to himself:
"There may be something in that.
better wait and keep off this Wo
tb;ng -