Evening star., 1920-03-21

EN-. LEONARD WOODS
victory in the Minnesota
republican primaries has
served to give the G. o. P.
presidential contest an added
sharpness and to endow 1t with
increased bitterness. There is
every indication that from now on
it is to be war to the knife
among leading republican aspir-
ants. with quarter neiths- asked
nor given.
Dispatches to The Star from
it's political correspondents show
everywhere a Tightening of the
anti-Wood lines and a disposition
among the followers of other can
didates to combine in an effort to
prevent the Wood management
from gobbling up other state dele
cations. Apparently there is
large body of republican party
workers more opposed to the nomi-
nation of Wood than they are COM
mitted to the fortunes of any of
MS rivals. and they are showing
anxiety to throw their strength to
any man who gives promise in a
particular state of being able to
staVe Off Wood instructions.
x X +
In Indiana, for example, Gov.
Lowden had been looked upon as
Woods strongest competitor for
n
out the showing made by the Illi-
nois governor in Minnesota has the
anu wood men worried. and they
are giving consideration to Sena-
Tor Harding of Ohio as more likely
10 make strong showing. There
was a conference in INDIANAPOLIS
curing the week between repre-
Senator Watson of Indiana and
political speculation is'to the effect
thaI the watson strength NAV 90
10 harding. The Indiana political
prophets. however. do not change
!heir forecast that Wood will lead
IN the primary, with johnson sec
oho' ana either Lowden or Hard
Ins .nlrd choice. All the anti
WOOD politicians hope for is that
wood will fail to get 40 clear ma.
1orlty. in which event the delera-
tlon would go uninstructed.
Inc situation in Indiana is die
cussed here at length not onlv be-
cause 1t Is an important andA pivota |
state, but because the contest there
annong republican candidates is
typical of conditions existinr in a
considerable number of other states
Jumping to Colorado, an almost
parallel situation is found to exist
opponents of Gen. Wood s,nnar-
emily are undecided whether Low
oen or Harding Is the stronger. man
10 pit against him, and Sther,, are
increasing prospects that the flight
may De a three-cornered one. This
would exactly suit the Wood man
agement, for in Colorado a plural
1ty vote is sufficient to instruct the
delegation.
Impartial observers are becomnV "
convinced that the Wood manaes-
ment made a serious tactical erripr
In challenging Senator Harding II ,r
control Of the Ohio delegation. 1T
is the opinion of those best itl-
formed, according to advices froi n
Ohio. that Wood will not be abb e
to take any substantial numbt r
OF Buckeye delegates away froi n
Harding. Unless he does. his candi :
dacy thereafter. will have to labu r
under the handicap of having made
losing night; and II there is on,,
thing the average band-wago, l
politician breads more than an.
other 1t Is getting hooked up with
a loser.
Whether 1t is merely the result
of the encouragement the Mime :
sofa primaries gave them, or
whether they are beginning to atE
cept the view that they must make
sure of a majority of delegates in
advance if they are to win, tn
week has witnessed a marked in ;
crease in the activity of the Wool
campaign managers. In West Vir-.
ginia. a hitherto neglected field,
Wood clubs are being organized.
and from Massachusetts and other
states come reports of more deter
mined and aggressing campaign
ing.
On the democratic side of the
presidential contest the week has