The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-26
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKIN, Director.
Washington, ID. c.
THE WOOD BOOM.

| Washington, D. C. Nov. 23.-The
| Wood-for- President league will ap-
pear this week and begin pushing an
| aggressive campaign to obtain the
nomination on the Republican ticket
| for Mai. Gen. Leonard Wood, US. A
| So there will be at least one soldier in
| presidential politics thru the month TO
come. even tho General Pershing re-
| fuses to be a candidate.
The Wood -for-President league will
be launched in Cincinnati, promi-
nent manufacturer of that city tax
| ing the lead in its formation HIS
plan is to gather around him men
prominent in business and Industry
and to ask consideration for Wood on
the ground that he is a law-and-order
candidate.
General Wood will not formally an
nounce his candidacy, but will allow
1t to be understood that he is in the
hands of his friends. He will not re-
sign from the army that he may be a
candidate-at least not until he Sc
cures the nomination.
Altho the Wood candidacy is thus
coming into the open for the first
time. it has, as a matter of fact, been
more aggressively pushed for months
than that of any other candidate OF
either party. General Wood Is more
definitely before the public as bid
der for the presidency than any other
man. He is so far the leader In the
great race which will result, in less
than year. in the choice of new,
dominant factor in American life,
factor which may control the drift OF
affairs thru one of the most eVentful
decades of American history.
1t is therefore evident that the per-
sonality of this man Wood is OF inter-
est to the man on the street, be he
Democrat or Republican.
Circum stances have jockeyed WOOD
into a peculiar position that is not
without its elements of strength. To-
day he is commander of the central
division of the army, with headquar-
ters at Chicago. He is in the midst
of the region of greatest industrial
tumult, and has been given authority
to act upon his own initiative, should
emergency arise, without reference to
Washington. 1t is under these cir
cumstances that he has quelled the
disturbances at Gary and Omaha, and
it is under these conditions that he
has stood ready to strike should trou-
BILE develop in the soft coal mines.
The responsibility for the applica-
ton of force in labor troubles is one
which might be considered of ques-
tionable value to a man in politics
one which might have the effect of
arraying the labor element against
him. But the friends of General Wood
claim that their candidates handling
west is proving of vast benefit to his
political prospects.
The sentiment of the nation. they
say, is crystallising around one idea
that of law and order. The occur
renee at Centralia, Washington, on
Armistice day, when the Reds shot
down members of the American Le-
grant example of the thing that is to
be suppressed. Who, I'll ey argue, can
be better depended upon to suppress
1t than General Wood?
n year ago the candidacy of Wood
was based largely upon martyrdom-l
upon the claim that he had Eeen used
unfairly in not being allowed to ac-
company one of the divisions which he
trained overseas The weakness of
TINS basis for a claim to the highest
oHlce has been realized and it has
been abandoned
General Wood, say his friends. IS
proven executive of the highest abil-
lty- They point to his DEVELOPMENT of
the Rough 1tiders in the Spanish
American war, to his administration in
Cuba. to his subsequent work in the
philippines to his administration of
the department of the east when he
commanded it. to the course of events
IN the army during the four years
when he was chief of staff. Finally
they point to his work of organizat ton
in the recent war, first in the southern
division and later at Camp Funston.
where he trained two divisions
A story is told of Wood in the soath
at the time the war was taking shape
One of his duties was that of choosing
sites for-cantonments. This was not
a pleasant task because
many more sites had to be rejected
than accepted, and this meant the dis
appointment of whole communities
The Wood method exemplifies his tact
as an executive.
He met the leading citizens of a GER
tain southern community and was
taken to a proposed site. Despite
their high hats and frock coats he led
them merry tramp of inspection
Later he was banqueted. and it was
after dinner that he would render his
decision. The place was unfit to be a
cantonment. and this is the way he
handed to his hosts their great disap-
pointment:
Gentlemen, you have gone with
me over this tract of land. You have
observed with me the difficulties that
lie in the way of it's proper drainage.
You have inspected the source of wa
ter supply and know its shortcomings
Now I ask you this. Do you want to
send your sons into camp on that tract
of land? Do you want me to send my
son there? Do you regard ii as the
safest place that this government can
find at which to concentrate tens of
thousands of the young men who are
to fight it's battles in this great .emer-
gency?"
The promoters Of the tract rose to
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