Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-06-12
WOOD HEADED FIELD
ON FIRST 4 BALLOTS;
JOHNSON THIRD
Borah Warns Convention Against
Turning Down the California
Senator for Rivals.
SPROUL LED THE DARK
HORSE CANDIDATE S
baltimore sun today

correspondence Baltimore sun today
Chicago, June 12.-Gen Leonard Wood
led bv plurality of IS votes in the first
ballot cast by the Republican National
Convention late yesterday following
nine-hour period of steaming, but I'M
passioned, nominating oratorv
The generals vote was 2S7l2. as
against 2l1I6 for Iowden. his nearest
competitor. 1872 for Johnson, who ran
third. and &c for Sproul. who held intact
almost the whole of the big Pennsylvania
delegation =,
The remainder of the vote was widely
scattered. Senator Harding polled 64l3
vote. The only other candidate who IS
entitled to major league standing as
result Of this ballot is Nicholas Murray
Butler. who held large slice of the New
York delegation and who is expected to
hold II until the time comes for 1t to go
INTO the balance for the organization
candidate.
Poindcxter. Coolidge La Toilette,
Pritchard received complimentary votes
Hoover. being no States tavorlte son,
trailcd nj the foot OF the list with only
seven votes.
PIEsT RAILoT RESULT No SURPRISE.
Tho Wood strength on the first ballot
was approximately all that II had been
estimated hv his managers. rs was that
~ Governor I.owdcn and Senator John
son Nobody expected the initial roll
call to produce any hg surprises
M particular significance can be at
tachcd 10 the second ballot but on the
third Wood jumped 10 303 votes and
Iowden to 2S2 both gaining at the
exnrpse Of Butler and at the expense 81
favbritc sons generally,
Harding stood about where he did.
with light gam over his first vote Hoover
droppcd 10 81 ;. Johnson gained IS votes
on the third. which IS regarded rs his
MAXIMUM.
Whom the roll started for the fourth
ballot II was confidently expected that
Johnson's strength would disintegrate
MOTION TO ADJOURN LOST.
Two motions to adjourn were voted
down overwhelmingly, the Wood and
Iowden people standing together against
such a move. tt appeared at that stage
that the kew 10 the whole situation was the
bir vote Of PENNSYLVANIA II il should 60
either to Iowden or Wood. It would prob
ahlv start movement in either direction
that would result in nomination. Sproul
continued TO hold the Pcnnsylvanians IN
llne gaining 3i3 votes over the first
ballot
Tremendous efforts were being made
nv both the Wood and Iowden people
NJ the outset of the fourth ballot to break
into the Sproul camp, but apparently
that delegation was holding fast awaiting
the word from some high authority.
As the vote Of La Toilette. for when
the Wisconsin delegation voted on the
frs, three ballots. was announced storm
Of hisses sounded throughout the hall.
The favorite son vote, including that
of Sproul. Harding, Butler and Polndex-
Ter. must be smashed. it is believed, be-
fore the nomination will come about, but
with the I,owden and Wood people stand
ing together against adjournment this
vote is expected to weaken and 60 TO the
winner before many hours have passed.
poRAH WARNS CONVENTION.
Farlv in the afternoon Senator Borah
gathered about him group Of God and
I,owCien leaders and issued an ultimatum
TO them. declaring in effect that he was
prepared to take the floor and TO dcnounce
both candidates as men who had proflted
unworfhilv through the use Of lavish
campaign expenditures. He declared that
tho nomination of either meant the in
evitahle defeat Of the Republican ticket
this fall. He warned the Wood and
I.owden people not to proceed further
with an effort to bring about the nomlna-
tion Of either. The reply was that the
convention would be the Judge of the
fitness of these men TO be the Republican
Presidential candidate and that no one
man or group of men could prescribe
either.
Farlv in the days session it became
known from end to end OF the convention
floor that desperate attempt would be
made to hold the delegates together until
The ticket was nominated. First, II
Ho4 a*% T7T1f I1rac IN
the interest of General Wood. whose
managers believed that if a third or
fourth ballot could be taken tonight, It
would result inevitably IN his nomlna-
ton.
A little later in the day, however, the
fact leaked out that the Iowden people
were more eager than were those operating
in behalf of General Wood for q session
that would not adjourn until after the
Presidential nomination had been made.
Iowden's field marshals declared candidly
that their fairest hope Of putting the
Illinois governor across lay in a protracted
session.
Trey expected. they confded, to break
heavily into the Wood vote soon after
the first ballot, and that unless stopped
bv Unforeseen circumstances, hlE east
ern delegations would fall into line and
drive. Lowden through before the night
eholEl8 pass.
BOTH EXPECT VICTORY.
This maneurvering left delegates and
delegations somewhat bewildered. They
could not understand exactly whose pro
gram II was and to whose interest If
might be to proceed with say FIVE or Sly
rol! calls tonight. All that seemed def
mite on the surface of the convention
was that the two foremost rivals We're
Of the opinion that their hour would
strike tonight and that if an adjourn
ment was forced both would be swept
aside and q dark horse run in before the
cavel would sound tomorrow morning.
The convention was deluged with a
veritable torrent Of nominating oratory
before the hour arrived for the great
political jury to ballot upon verdict
From $50 o'clock this morning untI
after ) O'Clock this afternoon eloquence
was poured forth from the rostrum u
an almost interminable stream, while
5000 patient and perspirlng people sat
awaiting the announcement that the
nominations were closed and the roll
would be called.
LUNCHEON ABANDONED.
Luncheon was abandoned By the con.
vention In its eagerness to conclude the
most grueling of all its labors The
only interruptions came when partisan
demonstrators upon the floor and in the