Evening star., 1920-04-04
ERBERT HOOVER'S, an
nouncement of willing
ness to accept the repub-

ness to accept the repub-
lican nomination for
President. with certain reserva-
uons as to platform declarations
has been, of course. the "big
noise in the weeks political
news. Dispatches to The Star
from its political correspondents
in states from New England to the
Pacific coast indicate a reaction
ranging all the way from joy to
sorrow, with considerable amount
of indifference sandwiched in be-
tween the layers.
The JOY is among those repub-
lican Hoover enthusiasts who have
felt themselves handicapped by
the uncertainty as TO the political
status of their favorite. They
now are free to get out in the
open and do their utmost to bring
about nomination of the former
food administrator at Chicago.
The sorrowing is among demo-
Gratis who had been looking upon
Hoover as the man who would
stand the best chance of carving
the party to victory in November.
They feel now that chances of his
nomination at San Francisco have
been greatly diminished. if not
wholly obliterated. The indiffer-
ence to the disclosure that Mr..
Hoover is republican Barkis is
manifested In those states which
either have favorite sons Of their
own strongly in the running or
where the contest between "regu-
lar" republican candidates is so,
close and exciting as to preclude
the possibility of an outsider nos
ing in.
There is very marked difference
of opinion as to whether Mr.
Hoover's chances of winning
presidential nomination have been
Helped or hurt by his telegram
to the California Hoover Club. A
very widespread view seems to be
that, unless a radical change in
the plans of party managers is
force9 by overwhelming public
sentiment. he cannot be nominat-
ed at Chicago, and that. having
made what is accepted as bid
for the republican nomination.
democratic enthusiasm for him as
the standard bearer of that party
is likely to witness a rapid cool
ing.
The Stars Kentucky correspond
ent quotes the Louisville Courier
Journal as voicing this view. De-
claring that Hoover would be the
strongest candidate either party
could name. the Courier-Journal
holds that there is not and never
has been any chance that the re-
publicans would take him. and it
believes his latest announcement
is calculated to discourage demo-
Gratis from further consideration
of his name. The correspondent
reports. however. that in poll
being conducted by the Louisville
Times Hoover continues to be a
favorite with republicans, demo-
Gratis and independents.
The Hoover announcement nat
urally shifts interest to the Cali
fornia primaries. where there is a
clear-cut contest between Hoover
and Senator Hiram Johnson for
control of the California repub
lican delegation. A Sacramento
dispatch says the fight has be-
come a very bitter one, with the
issue admittedly in doubt. The
Johnson press has opened fire on
Hoover. accusing him Of being
pro-British and the candidate of
the Interests" In this the John
son press has the support of the
Hearst newspapers in California,
with the addition of Hearst trim
mings.
Both sides are making a bid for
the support of organized labor, and
apparently each is meeting with
a measure of success. There is a
union labor organization support
ing Johnson and another backing
Hoover, and each, of course, de-
MES that the other is truly rep
resentative Of the men who toll.
Many progressive republicans, who
in former campaigns have fol-
lowed the guidon of Senator John
son. are reported to be lining up
for Hoover.
X X X X
Apparently the contest in Cali
fornia is to be duplicated in Oregon.
A dispatch from Portland says i'm
partial observers now believe that
either Johnson or Hoover will cap
ture the delegation from that state