Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-10
WOOD MAY PUT HAT
IN RING THIS WEEK
Pershing Is Strong, but Uncer-
tain Factor in G. o. p. Presi-
Dental Contest
JOHNSON BOOM IS GAINING
BY CLINTON W. GILBERT
stan Correspondent Of the Evening Public
IeNfer

stan Correspondent q the Evening Public
Washington. Sept. 1O.-General
Leonard Woods candidacy for the, Re e
publican presidential nomination will
probably be formally announced this
week. The Wood organization is al
ready in existence, is hiring headquar-
ters and apparently has adequate
funds, for it has in large measure the
support of those business forces that
usually were counted upon by Theo
dore Roosevelt.
This decision was recently arrived at
and is against what has been hitherto
the advice of many politicians who
surround the General. Up till now,
Wood has been doing like all the rest
of the innumCrable candidates, avoid
ing the appearance of openly seeking
the nomination in the fear that too
carly an entrance in the race would
Kill off their boOms.
Talt probably the return Of General
Pcrshing and the revived interest in his
personality has in some way altered
tho situation. for the Indications are
here that an active campaign in behalf
of General Wood will soon be begun,
which will make a formal announce
mpnt unavoidable Behind the Wood
effort will go great energy, for it will
enlist the support Of men who in pro
noting the candidacy Of Mr.. Roosevelt
| learned the utmost possibilities of pub
| liCity.
Pershins's Status is Uncertain
/ :,
culiar, The Republicans have no we'll
| defined candidate. Pershing, the leader
| of a victorious army in Europe. would
seem madeto order for their uses. But
while he remained in France there was
| almost no talk Of the general as a
candidate.
| And moreover, he was unpopular
| with the members of the 4. f. F., at
| least while they remained in France.
! Now that they are back in this Coun-
try the sentiment may change. 1t takes
! something off ones crown of glory TO
say that everything was not lovely in
! France and to prefer the man who
| failed to get sent abroad to the man
! to lead the forces there.
| The feeling naturally will tend tc
! grow up that all were heroes together
and this win no doubt help Pershine
as wolel as the general popular esti
mate Of him which makes no allow
anccs for the criticisms heard in
! France. The Pershing talk may start
| with the Wood talk, or some reasons
for fearing Pershing may have pre-
! Cipitatcd the present determination to
become active in behalf of Wood.
General Wood is appearing before
! the military affairs committee of the
| Senate this afternoon in regard to the
War Department army bill. This tes-
timony is expected to put him right
before the country. ending the possible
feeling that he is too much of mill
tarist to be President. General Wood
| it is understood. does not favor Gen
eral March's army bill. He objects
to the proposed regular army of moro
| than half a million as unnecessarily
large and impracticable.
Wood Plan is More Moderate
General Wood favOrs an army Of
about quarter of a million men. The
March plan, or the War Department
plan. has little support in Congress
and even the more progressive members
of the army itself are against it. Tht
objections are that it creates too larg'
a military caste. too many high officer
in the regular army, too large a reg
ular army. in order, perhaps. to af
ford an excuse for all these officers. anC
does too little toward building up
citizen army of trained men and Off
GERS in reserve.
Another candidacy for the Republican
presidential nomination which will re
ccivn imvstus in the immediate future
is that of Senator Hiram johnson, o
California. Senator Johnson's tri
around the country in opposition T.
President Wilson will be his bid 70
public favor Mr.. johnson has don
much to win his way into the Repub
lican party by his opposition to tn
league covenant. This has put him int
co operation with the most conserva
tive forces in the party. with men hk
Knox. Lodge. Brandagee, Moses, Hard
ing and the others of that faith.
II the labor situation should fore
. the Democrats far in the direction O
radicalism, the Republicans nigh
name Johnson as halfway offering
He has now achieved a certain regu
larity. For a year in the Senate, h
/ was as much as an outcast as La Fol
1 lette himself.