The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-06
'SPROUL SUPPLANTS
 |. MURRAY CRANE AS !. OLD GUARD LEADER
Wood and Johnson Forces Showing Harmony In Their Fight Against
 Penrose Dictation
By HUGH w. ROBERTS

Chicago, June 5.-(Spe- cial.)-Governor Sproul of Pennsylvania, arriving tonight with a message from Senator Penrose, the stricken boss of the republican party, sup planted Murray Crane as lead CT of the "Old Guard" Contemporaneously, it was an nounced that there will not be a stam- pede of delegates to the standard of Senator Johnson, by which 1t was taken to mean that the "standpatters, after preliminary caucus. are confident of their ability to hold the convention against the Californian's demonstra- tions.
 It was tentatively admitted, also,
 to newspaper correspondents. that
 the "old guard" is not perturbed
 because of the petulnnt charge of
 Senator Moses that actual stealing
 is contemplated to the detriment
 of General Wood, or by the implied
 threat of the New Hampshire lead-
 CT that if oppression Is attempted,
 the factions of Johnson and Wood
 will almalgate.
 It is definitely established tonight that while union of the Wood-John- son forces is not considered. those forces will work in harmony to coun- teract the offensive policy of the "old guard" Governor Sproul, on the other hand, fresh from counsels with the king maker" Senator Penrose. Is confident that the inherent bitterness l. oy,l Inh cd by charges of poodle and boodling which led to the senatorial investiga- tion with it's unhappy disclosures, will make a pretended reconciliation be- tween those progressiyel captains i'm
 OWN WAY IN BE&INNING The preliminaries hay3 advanced to the point that there is nx Su4stion but that the stand -patters'tS wifa permit Johnson and Wood to hafe their own way in the beginning, Tho Californian l, leading his column in person, and rely 1 ig on his imitation of t. g fmpetuous Roosevelt style of popular appeal, will attempt to stampede the convention. | This the opposing leaders believe l themselves capable of preventing. There will develop the inevitable dead lock, and temporary adjournment. dur l ing the hours of which the "old guard" will get in its effective work. | It Is the plan, following recon l vening to put forsrard in turn each l of the candidates the ,as.id guard" l considers aicceptabIe. Lowden, l Harding, sproul, EIsoa, Hughes, 1 Allen md even Lodge, nnd to throw | strength to this and that man un- l til the most able is developed. | LEADERS NOT WEDDED l It may be positively reported that 1 the leaders are not welded prema- nently to either of its men and would not hesitate to sacrifice all in favor oi dark horse" were the opportunity to present itself. This is not true regard l ing the progressives. They have nc
 other candidate than Wood and John. | son.
 l Up to a late hour tonight, the dis l tasteful struggle for southern delega- tions. composed in fair proportion oi negroes. continued. Such delegates without power on elections days arc of vital importance in convention, some experts going to the extent of predict. ing that they will name the candidate ! It Is indicated that fine weather. { remarkable contract of the condition four years ago, will prevail next week The attendance will be. 1t is said. un- precedented.