New-York tribune., 1919-12-12
Wood Forces
Plan Primary
Test i'm Ohio
Preferential Presidential
Vote Is Considered in
Effort to Take Deleea-
ton From Harding
Ner York Tribune
WQshiuOfou R1,yeru

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11-Serious
consideration is being given by sup
porters of General Leonard Wood to
the proposal of holding preferential
Presidential! primary in Ohio and at
tempting to take the Buckeye delega-
ton away from It's "favorite SON" SEN
ator Warren c. Harding. This was
learned after William c. Proctor. the
Cincinnati manufacturer who has an
nounced his intention to work for GEN
eral Wood. had conferred here to-day
with Republicans who are advocating
the generals candidacy.
The plan, up until yesterday. it was
SAID, was to let those states which
have "favorite sons" go by default, ex-
cept for a little quiet work in seeing
that as many delegates whose second
choice was General Wood were selected
as possible. Mr.. Proctor seems to
have infused considerably more of an
offensive into the Wood camp, and they
are now deoating taking step which
Will of course have the effect OF Of
Tending the many warm friends of
Senator Harding, not to mention the
risk which the Wood supporters frank
ly admit such an effort would involve
May Risk All on Result
If the move is made it is frankly
admitted that General Wood may risk
all on the result. and the result in
hang on this ballot in Ohio. A smash
ing defeat for General Wood, carry
ing with it an indication OF unpopu-
larity in state which every one ad-
lnlts IS the fighting ground for the
national election, might easily result
in inspiring fear that the general
might not win the election among dele
gates from other states.
A victory over Ohio's "favorite SON.
in Ohio's own primary, on the other
hand, would not only mean the COM
mltment Of Ohio's forty-six delegates
to General Wood, but would entirely
eliminate Senator Harding from the
Presidential race. In fact, there was
little doubt among those who con-
sder.d this plan that if General Wood
could win this primary the Chicago
convention would be a mere ratifica-
non meeting.
Harding Forces Welcome Primary
The Harding people, when they heard
of the scheme. professed to be much
pleased. They would like to be able to
give the country, they said, demon
stration of just how strong Senator
Harding is in Chic, and they predicted
that if the Wood people dared to take
the chance Mr.. Harding would emerge
the leading candidate for the nomina-
ton. with the prestige OF a sweeping
ma aiority behind him. They said. how
ever, that they have no real hope for
such good luck as undoubtedly, in their
opinion, the Wood people will not dare
take such risk.
The Wood men declared that the
general will not be without the sup
port of some Of the Republican organ
ization in Ohio. Behind Mr.. Proctor
they declared, are lined up Walter
Brown, Dan r. Hanna, Arthur Garford
and R H. Hynicka, national committee
men. Mr.. Brown and Mr.. Garford are
old Roosevelt men.
Wood Sentiment Declared Strong
Two other developments encouraged
the Wood men to-day One of these
was little interview Of +. B. Howell,
national committeeman from Nebraska
he said he had made "trip through his
own state, Iowa, Kansas, Colorado and
south Dakota and had found the Wood
'Sr, ~, "ieiie very Str0ng everywhere.
Inc other was the Indiana situation
wnere the retirement OF Senator Wat
son and the possibility that Governor
Goodrch Will not be candidate open
the possibility of an uninstructed dele
CATION. The Wood men profess con-
hdence that they can get part of this
delegation
serious effort to "smoke out'' Gen
era Pershng to determine whether he
VIII be willing to allow himself to be
urged for President will be made at
lincoln, Neb., by the "Pershing for
president Club" in a few days. it was
learned. General Pershing is to make
a speech there, and his hackers, who
nave formed the first club for him, told
Committeeman Howell that they pur-
pose to learn whether there is any use
IN gong any further with the move
mont
New York's Big Four" to the Re
publican convention, 1T was predicted
To-day by the New Workers. attending
the Republican gathering here. would
be Elihu Root, Miss Mary Garrett Hay
and Senators Wadsworth and Calder.
The only one of the four in any doubt,
it was said, was Mr.. Root, the point